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Adam To
Christ Part II For
most Christians the Bible has become simply a history book particularly in the
reading of the Old Testament. The result is that very little that is recorded
for us there has any relevance to our lives today. God is speaking to us today
illuminating our hearts and minds by the Holy Spirit to discover truth that
brings understanding of God’s workings in our lives today. The lives of the
two boys Cain and Abel birthed by Adam remain distinct even to this day in all
of us, and is manifested as the expression of our lives.
Cain has evolved into a “religion” that expresses a desire to improve the
natural man, as he goes out from the presence of the Lord. The focus of these
people is to make mankind happy without God, by building cities, and inventing
harps and music, and producing artificers in brass and iron. Thus for them, the
world becomes a better place through the arts and the development of culture
which results in a natural human refinement, that has no effect upon the spirit
of man. But some would argue that such an improvement in the creature is surely
to be commended. If all we seek is an improvement in the natural, then we may
indeed be satisfied with the results. There is quite a percentage of Christendom
that preaches a social Gospel today that encourages external changes in man’s
conduct, thus Christianizing him but leaves the heart unchanged. However, man is
more than flesh and blood, and more than intellect, for he is SPIRIT. Abel
represents a people that seek after God to touch reality in terms of true life,
that can lift a man above the aspirations of that which is natural, in order to
know God and become his companion. These people are happy to “die out to this
world” so that they may embrace the Kingdom of God. The “Cain” people
judge their brother and slay him, but the Seth people judge no man while they
live as strangers and pilgrims in this world. Their quest is to search for a
city that has foundations whose builder and maker is God. The religion of Cain
names their cities after their sons, claiming possession of the earth for
themselves. The Sethites, “Call themselves by the Name of the Lord,”
indicating their origin and identity in him. It
is prophesied of the Cainites that the day is coming when, “The
voice of harpers and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters shall be heard no
more in thee at all. No craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any
more in thee nor the sound of the mill stone. And the light of the candle shall
shine no more, and neither shall the voice of the bridegroom or the bride be
heard in thee at all.” But as the Cain and Seth lines advance to their
respective conclusions, we find that the differences between the two slowly
diminish until they can hardly be discerned. The carnal and the spiritual seed
although quite distinct in the beginning have suffered changes due to the
slaying of the saints over the years, whose blood is found in those that are of
the line of Cain. As
we contemplate the diverse genealogy of Cain and Seth, we arrive at a point
where God intervenes in the affairs of men and we are introduced to a man called
NOAH. He is a man who seeks after the righteousness of God and walks in his
ways, but is living in a world that is set in opposition to him. In Noah we are
confronted with regeneration, which is the way by which a man already quickened
and possessing spiritual life, finds release by being borne through the waters
of judgment to a new world. For many in Christendom today, their focus is
directed toward the reform of the “Adam Man” seeking to make him righteous
before God. In doing so they are feeding the very enemy that is determined to
oppose their spiritual development at every turn. The
gambler suddenly realizes the folly of his ways and stops gambling and starts
going to Church, convinced he is a Christian. Or a drug user “sees the
light” and stops using drugs because he says he now loves Jesus, and he also
believes this is regeneration. We have all heard many similar testimonies which
on the surface sound great and everybody gets excited, but unfortunately in many
cases the “Change” has not gone far enough nor deep enough to bring them
into the promised land. God never intended to reform Adam, but instead he was
destined to die. Because of this Paul says, “In ADAM all die.” There is only
one way to “get out” of Adam and that is to D-I-E. In Gen 5:5 we read the
solemn words, “ And all the days that Adam lived were 969 years, AND HE
DIED!!” The
death of Adam marks a turning point in the history of mankind, and a new
experience of freedom and release from corruption is introduced. The word “Regeneration”
so accurately describes this
account of God’s dealings with Noah, but is only used twice in the New
Testament. The Greek writers used this word to describe the effect Spring has
upon nature, in the bursting forth of NEW LIFE after the cold of winter. It also
means the same as the phrase, “The
restitution of all things.” Acts 3:21, and expresses the same thought in
Titus 3:5. “Not by works of
righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the
washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Salvation
only become effective in our lives when connected with regeneration. Salvation
that does not include regeneration can only be a good theory that lacks reality.
In the Old Testament the word “Salvation” is the translation of the Hebrew
word YESHUWAH or JOSHUA or JESUS. The first time this word is used in the Bible
is when Israel was delivered from Pharaoh and the land of Egypt at the Red Sea.
Not only did the Lord bring Israel out of Egypt but he cut off their enemies so
that the Egyptians could never enslave them again. Noah represents the spiritual
mind that comes to the point where he is convinced that there is nothing in the
“Old Creation” that can benefit him. Noah sees the old Creation as a
constant threat and an enemy to his walk in righteousness. Therefore he is
convinced that it must be brought into death or it will continue to oppose every
righteous step he will take. The
idea of “reformation” has crept into Christianity with people giving
testimony to certain changes in their behavior that they attributed to
“Regeneration.” They say, I used to drink and smoke but Jesus Christ saved
me and now I do not drink or smoke anymore. OR I was a drug addict but I have
now found Christ and I do not take drugs anymore. Now on the surface these
testimonies sound great, but let us be honest, because such a testimony does not
necessarily indicate that the person concerned is FREE. Yes he may at that
moment be free from taking drugs, but is he free from impure thoughts, or
alcohol or wrong desires. Can such a person claim to really be FREE? I don’t
think so! So while we rejoice that he no longer is a drug addict, this does not
constitute him a NEW CREATION IN CHRIST?
In John 5:24 Jesus expresses the very basis of regeneration, “He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, HAS
EVERLASTING LIFE (a new quality of life) and shall not come into condemnation,
BUT IS PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE.” THE
ROAD AHEAD
Noah
had his eyes opened to see the wickedness that was flooding the world. The state
of humanity was such, that there was no possibility of salvaging anything from
the “Old Creation.” Every man who seeks to experience true regeneration
today must come to this conclusion, “IN
ME dwells no good thing.” God said to Noah, “My
spirit shall not always strive with man (Adam) for that he also is FLESH, yet
his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” Gen 6:3 Man had descended
to the point that God now speaks of M-A-N as being “flesh,” even though he began as “spirit” that was breathed into his nostrils by the Lord God.
Flesh now dominated his being dictating his actions and the direction his life
would take. “And
God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that the whole
imagination, purposes and desires of his heart was only evil continually, and it
repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his
heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man from the face of the earth, both
man and beast, the creeping thing and the fowls of the air, for it repented me
that I have made them.” Gen 6:5-7. This
would indicate that God the creator had made a mistake when he made man, but
this is not the case. The word “GOD” in verse 5 is actually JEHOVAH or the
Lord God who gave form to the man in the Garden of Eden and who breathed the
breath of lives (plural) into him. The word “man” used in this verse
actually refers to ADAM and his offspring, and indicates a consciousness that
was transmitted down the line of Cain. This resulted in a behavior that was
grieving to the Lord. However, for man to be able of reflect the glory of God he
had to be given the capacity to think and reason and make decisions. But of
course the possibility was always present that if those decisions were driven by
a source apart from God, i.e. the carnal or natural mind, they would lead to a
proliferation of evil.
THE
WOMAN IS JUDGED
The
natural mind sees the word Judgment in a courtroom setting, with the Judge
declaring the nature of an act and then issuing just punishment. However in the
Bible, judgment is an activity of God, correcting
that which is a deviation from the divine will, until he can declare that now it
is GOOD. Our God comes to us as a
loving FATHER and not in terms of a legal judge. Listen to the word God spoke to
the “woman” who has functioned independently of her divine head by asserting
her own authority, revealing to those who discern spiritual things, the state of
affairs that exists in every life right up to this very day. Gen 3:16-17. “Unto
the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception.”
This has been interpreted to mean simply that women would have pain in natural
childbirth, thus relating it only to the physical. But what God is saying here
refers to a mental anguish out of the fact, that she no longer has power over
the fruit of her own womb, to produce offspring according to her expectations. I
do not think Eve experienced “sorrow” just in child birth when Cain was
born, but a pain that persisted throughout her life because of the kind of child
she had produced. She had birthed a murderer! Just think about it!! The
scene is just as frightening in the spiritual concept, for like Paul we
discover, we have lost control over the character we desire to express, because
what I really desire to do I seem to be unable to do, and what I do not desire
is what I find myself doing.” The natural man today considers this is simply, “how it is,” and there is nothing we can do about it. However we
are beginning to realize that this is the result of eating of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. The woman represents the WOMB in man with the power
to bring into manifestation whatever is birthed in his heart. Jesus painted a
most enlightening picture of the heart of man when he said, “Out
of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication,
thefts, false witness and blasphemies.” Matt 15:19. Why then are we
surprised when we discover our words and actions do not conform to what we
inwardly know to be right, and actually desire to do? Why
should Eve be surprised that she had birthed a murderer when she planted the
seed of rebellion in her own heart, that "killed" the Truth God had
planted in her from the beginning. Why should it seem a strange thing to us that
Israel “killed” the Messiah, when through idolatry they constantly murdered
the “Truth” God revealed to them through Moses and the prophets. The divine
ability incorporated into man in creation, allowing him to bring the invisible
into manifestation, would continue to function, revealing whatever is being
birthed in the heart of the man. Is it not true that, “By
their FRUIT shall they be known,” and not just by what a man may say with
his lips. This beloved is the judgment God passed upon the “woman” (soul)
in every one of us. A man’s true heart will always expose the thoughts he has
birthed within. But
we have not yet mentioned the second part of the word God spoke to the woman
after the “fall” of man. God said, “Your desire shall be to you
“husband” and he shall rule over thee.” Gen 3:16. Again the natural man
has interpreted this statement to enhance the MALE SUPREMACY that is so often
considered to be a divine principle. But let us look a little more closely at
this statement and hear what the SPIRIT is saying to us today. Who was Eve’s
“husband” (covering or authority) when she took the fruit of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil?? Don’t tell me that ADAM was her husband at that
time, because Paul tells us very plainly that it was not ADAM that sinned. So we
cannot make him a party to this violation of the divine will. There were only
two figures involved in this ungodly activity concerning the forbidden tree, the
woman and the snake.
The whole issue was conceived in collaboration between the woman and the snake
without any other assistance. So at that moment her “Husband, Head or
Covering,” was the S-N-A-K-E and not Adam.
Now
we must identify these two figures to understand the truth being revealed in
this situation. Eve is called “the mother of all living,” and represents the
Mother or Female aspect of God, for God is
both male and female, just as Adam was in creation!” If mankind is the
offspring of God as Scripture declares, then the law of biogenetics must apply,
so that they must also bear the characteristics of the parent, and carry the
same attributes. In this sense Eve represents the WOMB in man which is the soul
having the ability to bring into manifestation that which is invisible. No one
has ever seen “anger,” to be able to identify what shape it is, or what color
it is, for it is invisible. But every one knows the effect of anger when
it is birthed in the soul of man. Have you ever seen LOVE? I think not, for it
is invisible and has no physical shape or color, but its warmth can be felt and
known by everyone when it is birthed in the soul of man and brought into
manifestation. Eve represents the soul or womb of man in which the invisible
becomes visible through manifestation. But
what does this snake represent to us? According to the imagination of the
natural man it is the personification of a fallen angel that they call satan or
the devil. This “creature” is viewed as God’s opposition. It is said to be
created by God and opposes every move God makes, thus frustrating his plans for
mankind! Of course those who believe such things, obviously do not know God.
Many would argue that the “fall” of man was orchestrated by this
“Satan,” who assumed the guise of a snake considered to be a symbol of evil.
But in ancient literature the snake is the symbol of wisdom and not evil. The
medical profession uses the snake on the pole as a symbol of the wisdom and
knowledge of their craft. The snake in the Garden of Eden represents for us the
Carnal Mind from which natural man derives his knowledge and wisdom. However,
the wisdom of the carnal or natural mind does not have its origin in God but in
itself. The
Scriptures declare that there are two types of wisdom, each with its own source.
In the epistle of James we are told, “But
if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and do not lie
against the TRUTH. Because this WISDOM does not come down from heaven, but is
EARTHLY, SOULISH and DEVILISH…… BUT the WISDOM THAT IS FROM ABOVE IS PURE,
PEACEABLE, GENTLE, EASY TO BE ENTREATED, FULL OF MERCY AND GOOD FRUIT, WITHOUT
PARTIALITY AND WITHOUT HYPOCRISY.” James 3:14-17. The
picture is drawn for us in the Garden of Eden, of a reality that exists in every
man. The soul of man includes the Mind the Emotions and the Will, that now
function independently from the MAN who represents the SPIRIT. This creates a
situation in which the Soul is cut off from the input of the spirit, (heavenly
wisdom) and therefore the only knowledge it has must be resident in itself.
(Earthly wisdom) But the soul acting alone is totally dependant upon the FIVE
Senses, as the source of its (sensual) knowledge. They are, sight, hearing,
taste, touch and smell. However it is impossible to know or experience God
through any of these five senses, so the soul is limited to only that which can
be known on a natural or human level. The soul is now is separated from its true
husband (spirit), and proceeds to prostitute itself by taking the flesh as its
partner for procreation. The
Womb of man that was given divine direction to be fruitful and replenish the
earth, has now birthed a seed that is quite apart from God, and has begun an
alien race of people. The sad commentary of this is recorded in the words of Gen
6:1, “ Men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born
unto them.” The word Men used here is Aw-dawm or Adam and refers to the
natural man as distinct from the “children of God.” So we can see that
Eve’s “husband “ in this escapade was not Adam but rather the “flesh.”
In using the term an “alien race” the idea is not that there is another
source of life in this universe apart from God, but that these differ in
character because they have been birthed through another “seed” which is not
the seed of God. The whole human race is now tainted because it is no longer
pure, it has become a MIXED MULTIDUDE. These are the tares that are found
growing among the wheat. Now
look again at what God said to the woman in the light of this understanding. He
said, “You will bring forth “children” in sorrow, and your desire now will
be diverted from your true husband (spirit) to the “husband” with whom you
have now prostituted yourself (flesh). AND
HE (FLESH) SHALL RULE OVER YOU. It this not a true picture of life for
every one of us? It appears we have lost our sense of control over our thoughts
and actions, as if we have become like some “puppet” with a
“Frankenstein” manipulating the strings. However, the Apostle Paul warned us
not to let “SIN” reign in our mortal bodies as king, otherwise we will be
forced to obey him as a sovereign ruler who will use our lusts to destroy both
body and soul. In
this context the soul or womb will now be subject to the carnal man instead of
being governed by the spirit of God. In practical terms what does this really
mean? Let me quote Paul again, “For I
know that the law is spiritual, but I AM CARNAL, sold out to (controlled by)
sin, for that which I do I know not, for what I desire to do I do not do it, but
what I hate that is what I find myself doing. For I know that in ME, that is IN
MY FLESH dwelleth no good thing, for to do God’s will is present with me, but
how to manifest Christ I CANNOT DISCOVER.” (Des Walter version). Beloved
if this is your problem, let me tell you, “You have the wrong Husband!” He
has the wrong seed, and the manifestation of that seed will continue to bring
you sorrow all the days of your life. Of course I am speaking spiritually and
not literally. When the Spirit that is God within you, impregnates your soul
with the Divine Seed, you will bring into manifestation a SON OF GOD and that is
CHRIST.
JUDGEMENT
OF THE MAN
Now
let us turn our attention to what God had to say to the MAN. Gen 3:17. “And to
Adam he said, because you have harkened unto the voice of your wife, and have
eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying, thou shalt not eat of it; CURSED IS THE GROUND (Adamah) for THY SAKE, in sorrow shalt
thou eat of it all the days of your life.” The first issue that is judged is
the fact that Adam took his direction from the female aspect of his being. In
the beginning God had declared, “The heavens do rule in the affairs of men.”
Adam represents spirit and as such contained all the wisdom and knowledge of
God. In turning to the soul for direction Adam had robbed God of his place of
authority in his life, investing it in the soul. (himself.) By
allowing the soul to usurp the authority of God, the whole animal kingdom within
man was let loose, unleashing a catastrophe of epic proportions. After 6000
years of human history those animals have developed a cunning that is beyond
description, and in most cases they are free to roam the world (of man)
pillaging, destroying, raping, molesting, cheating and killing, using M-A-N as
the vehicle of destruction. The Church has tried to build a fence around itself
to keep the destructive hordes out by legislating “anti- animal” behaviour
in their Kingdom. But the animals continue to cross the line with impunity, even
to the point in some cases, of reversing their collar and taking their place
right in the Pulpit!
What
is the ground that is cursed for OUR SAKE? God is not speaking of the earth
itself upon which we stand, but he is speaking of ADAMAH the “DUST MAN.” God
has not cursed all MANKIND as we so often hear from our theologians, but he has
cursed the EARTHLY ASPECT of man whose soul has polluted itself by forming a
union with the FLESH instead of the spirit. This is called Adamah. It was the
product of Adamah that Cain brought unto the Lord as an offering, and found that
God rejected it, because it was cursed. Ishmael was also the product of Adamah
so when Abraham presented him before the Lord he was told, “Cast out the bond
woman and her son, for the son of this bond woman shall not be heir with
Isaac.” God’s word is final, ADAMAH is cursed. Because
of the curse that is upon ADAMAH everything that is produced through the flesh
will be a continual source of sorrow to us. How often do the thoughts of the
carnal mind produce actions that brings much sorrow upon us. God said the Adamah
could only produce thorns and thistles. The thorns cause pain through them
piercing our flesh bringing great pain and irritation. The “thistles” in the
Hebrew speaks of “madness expressing itself in rage” because of frustration.
Remember all this is for our sake!! Because if living life apart from God had no
“down side,” we would continue in it without constraint. BUT the way of
sinners is hard, designed by the almighty to bring us back to himself. God said
to Adam, “In the sweat of thy face you will have to carry what you create
through the flesh. To live out of the “FORM” is to live out of the DUST, but
to live out of the spirit is to live out of GOD.
AN
OVERVIEW OF REGENERATION
In
order to get the divine perspective on the regeneration of man, we must return
to Genesis 1. Although the natural man can only see this chapter from the
natural and literal viewpoint, the spirit would lead us on holy ground through
the many spiritual factors that a loving heavenly Father has provided to bring
us through an even higher birthing process than that which Adam knew in the
Garden of Eden. God’s purpose is not to restore us to the Edenic paradise
enjoyed by Adam, with the possibility of the degeneration process again being
repeated, but to lift us into the reality of our original state in himself. We
will then represent the very IMPRINT OF GOD, and not just his Image and
Likeness, for we will be the brightness of his glory and the “express image”
(identical replica, indistinguishable from the original) of his person. Jesus
expressed this idea when he said, “I AND MY FATHER ARE O-N-E.” We
pick up the picture of man whose life and breath was imparted to him from God,
allowing him to walk with him and sharing in the creative process. Genesis
1:1, “In the beginnings (plural) God created the heaven and the earth.”
The complexity of man is expressed in this verse as a heaven complete with its
galaxies, sun moon and stars and an earth. The heavenly and the earthly
intricately woven into one, with the two interconnected producing a divine
universe. Today most people only relate to the earth, seeing themselves as an
earthbound human being. Our consciousness rarely reaches beyond the clouds in
the sky, as if the “Heaven” aspect of life does not even exist. We stand
upon the natural earth and look up at the stars and the sun and the moon with
all its wonders, yet feel cut off from it, as if it has very little to do with
us who live on planet earth. In
recent years man developed the ability to actually stand on the moon and to
photograph some of the heavenly bodies, and we gasped in awe and amazement as we
looked at the pictures of space on television. Since then man has basked in the
glory of having “conquered space.” They thought they had now developed a
connection between earth and the heavens, while MAN remained chained to the
earth. The natural world of appearance is but a parable of a reality that has
yet to dawn upon the darkened mind of man. David
said, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his
workmanship.” What do we know of the glory of God as our finite minds seek to
comprehend the distant galaxies of God’s spiritual habitation. No beloved, we
are not looking up into the night sky above us trying to get a picture of
God’s glory, but we might as well be, for we have been cut off from those
celestial heights of divine glory just as surely as we are cut off from the
infinite realm of space beyond this sphere we call earth. But although there is
a reflection of God’s glory in the natural heavens above us, we are
approaching the day when we shall break free from the gravitational prison of
our humanity, and soar into the heavens of our own unexplored celestial realms. We
can never fully understand our “Earth” until we see God in his glory,
enthroned in the heavens of our being. A true perspective of ourselves can only
be seen from the vantage point of God’s dwelling place in the heavens. This
revelation must precede the descending of the Christ from those high heavens, to
become the WORD MADE FLESH and raise the earth of our being to the same glory of
the heavens. For Jesus told us, “No man
has ascended up to heaven, but he
that came down from heaven even the Son of man which IS IN HEAVEN.” Jn
3:13. So we understand that the only man who can ascend up into the
“heavens” is the SON OF MAN who is already resident IN HEAVEN. Natural man
will remain earthbound and not know the glory of his HEAVEN until the moment of
revelation when the CHRIST of God descends into the lower parts of the (our)
earth transforming it to conform to his image and reflecting the righteousness
of God, then leading us back into the heights of glory from whence we have come.
This is why it is said that, “When he ascended up on high, he led a multitudes
of captives into Father’s house and made available to them ALL THAT HE HAS.
But remember, he that ASCENDED is also the one who DESCENDED FIRST INTO THE
LOWER REALMS OF OUR EARTH.” Our responsibility is to prepare for him a place
in our heart so that he can bring forth in us that NEW CREATION MAN and lift us
back into the HEAVENLIES from which we have come. For
many, the glories of our heavens seem so far removed from us, that the earth has
become the extent of our habitation. All our pleasures are here, and the
earth’s gravity has impressed its effect upon us so strongly that most of
God’s people rarely dream of an existence exploring the infinite space that is
filled with God’s glory. WE can hardly conceive that we are SPIRIT and as such
are as free as the wind itself. Beloved it is time to “Set your affections and
desires on things ABOVE,” and defy the gravitational hold the earth has
exercised over us for so long. We have been the “caterpillar” for so long we
can hardly believe there is a metamorphosis working within to transform us into
a “butterfly” and release us from the gravitation of our earthliness. We
had better learn to fly beloved, if we are going to join the great CLOUD OF
WITNESSES gathered around the Christ declaring the glory of God to the whole
earth! We gather together in fellowship and at times we feel some excitement as
a sweet zephyr of divine breath blows gently over us, and we rave about it for
weeks. But we read in Hebrews 12:22, “BUT
we are come to MOUNT ZION, and unto the CITY OF THE LIVING GOD, the HEAVENLY
JERUSALEM, AND TO AN INNUMERABLE COMPANY OF ANGELS, to the General assembly and Church of
the First Born which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of
all, and to the Spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of
the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than
that of Abel.” Beloved
my heart has cried out for that kind of Church meeting! There will be many who
read this, who will consider such aspirations are totally beyond even their
imagination, and so for them these ideas will remain outside the realm of
possibility. We might as well be speaking of a holiday on mars. But beloved it
is in this heavenly realm where all the glories of God are to be found and not
on this earth level where we know IN PART and we prophesy IN PART, but when that
which is perfect is come (CHRIST), then it will replace that which is IN PART.
For so many precious saints, prophesy still dominates their ministry, which
indicates that CHRIST HAS NOT COME TO THEM as a reality. They are still
believing they have a divine ministry to tell people what God is saying, but
their words carry little weight or power and do not have the ability to change
lives. Jesus
said, “My words they are SPIRIT and they are LIFE.” So they will always have
the power to transform lives. Most prophecies today lack that spiritual ability
to generate LIFE. This is because CHRIST HAS COME just as he promised, on the
day of Pentecost to dwell within a people. So Jesus said, “My sheep hear MY
VOICE and they follow me.” That is the voice speaking out of his Holy Temple
within us, and that voice will generate LIFE IN US. The
“gravity” of earth has affected our praying, our worship, our spiritual
growth and has limited our spiritual vision without which the people perish.
Beloved we are the HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, a divine universe in which God dwells.
Up until now we have tried to cram God into the context of our EARTH for that
has been as far as many have yet explored in their universe. Just as it is in
the natural so it is in the spiritual, for natural man keeps dreaming bigger and
bigger dreams and then seeks to fulfill them. So man dreamed of walking on the
moon and it came to pass. Isaiah
the Prophet of Israel testified to the people, “Arise
shine, for thy LIGHT (Heb. OWR = the light of God’s substance Gen 1:3) has
come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold the darkness
shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise
upon thee and the glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to
thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” Is it not
interesting that the divine manifestation of God will be evidenced not so much
in the “earth sphere” of our being but in the HEAVENS of our universe. In
the beginning of the last century some saints reached out to see a manifestation
of God beyond what they had previously known and so a Pentecostal movement based
upon miracle phenomena was born. However the vision of those men who would reach
out into the infinite realm of God so often fades, and fails to expect more than
they have received. But Paul encourages us, “As we have borne the image of the
earthly so we shall bear the image of the heavenly.” Beloved do you know what
the image of the heavenly is? IT IS CHRIST! My hearts desire is to live and to
function not like Christ, BUT AS CHRIST. Paul touched this reality when he said,
“ FOR ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST.” We
have become anaesthetized by the carnal atmosphere of earth to the point that we
are no longer conscious of the fact that all our conflicts begin and are
developed in the lower heavens of our being. If our conflicts were to develop
first in the conscious “earth” realm of our being, then we would immediately
sense some physical change in our body and be awakened to our changing
condition. But this is not the case. The seeds of our unseen war develop in our
lower heavens, in the realm of thought. But the unique connection and
interaction between our “heavens” and “earth” is only realized AFTER the
unlawful union is consummated between the “sons of God” and the “daughters
of men.” The “Sons of God” are obviously thoughts that are BIRTHED IN GOD,
that join in unholy matrimony with the “Daughters of men,” that are the
thoughts birthed in the lower regions of the earth. We
read of the Apostle Paul who was caught up to the THIRD HEAVEN. This has caused
much speculation about the “Number” of heavens that are there. I will not
pursue this debate but simply say that there is a “Lower” heaven in which
the spiritual part of us functions, but it is still bounded by the veil until
the New Creation man is formed and we are able to break through all human
limitation and stand in the pure light of the Glory of God. Of course, our own
experience indicates that we do pass through various levels of glory, and each
one beckons us on to higher ground. The tragedy for us is when we mistake
emotional stimulation for the glory of God and so pursue a carnal experience
instead of a true revelation of the divine Glory of God. We
need to be reminded that Israel’s problems during their wilderness journey
came mainly from the MIXED MULTITUDE that left Egypt with them. Ex 12:38. Israel
became a “mixed seed” and was no longer pure. This becomes a parable of our
own lives today, when we allow an ungodly seed, i.e. thoughts that do not
originate from God, to adulterate the manifestation of who we are in God. Very
few people seem to understand that every thought you harbor in your mind will
have a definite affect upon your body and produce its own manifestation.
Thoughts of anger produce a destructive effect upon the body. Statistics have
shown that if a person driving a vehicle has had an argument with someone and
anger is aroused, the possibility of them having an accident is multiplied
greatly. Why is this? Because their ability to make intelligent decisions has
been thrown into confusion! Negative
thoughts and thoughts that are contrary to the mind of Christ cause destructive
elements to be released into our physical bodies. Many people in the medical
profession now agrees that most if not all physical problems are psychosomatic.
This means that the origin of
the problem is not to be found in the body itself, but in the “spiritual”
part of their being. Now let me quote from the history of Israel to clarify the
issue. Israel had recently been delivered from the house of Pharaoh and
witnessed the destruction of their enemies in the Red Sea. God had brought
tremendous changes into their lives and they are just three days out in this new
walk, when they come to MARAH. The issue here is not simply water to drink, as
our natural mind would suggest, but they are now just beginning to grasp the
significance of their new “God directed” walk. Now
they have reached the place in this new journey called MARAH. It has just dawned
on them that being free from Egypt and following the cloud of God’s presence
was not to be the “fun life” they anticipated. God had now brought them into
a situation where every “prop” that could be used to make them self
sufficient was torn away. Their personal choices no longer seemed to be
considered. Even as slaves in Egypt they mostly controlled their private life,
but here in this terrible wilderness they now had no say in where they went or
what they did. So
there was established a fertile ground in the “heavens” of the people of
Israel, for the “daughters of men” (carnal thoughts) to establish themselves
and so possess the land of their own being. The divinely inspired thoughts of
joy in their new freedom and release, are now joined in an illicit union with
carnal thoughts that are manifested as bitterness and anger.
The echo of Israel’s praise to the Lord for their mighty deliverance
and victory over their enemies, had scarcely passed when these alien thoughts
burst upon their mind clamoring for self recognition, and self preservation.
This conflict, is “The bitterness of Marah,” and every one of us has drunk
of that “water.” In a mystical way Israel was introduced to the CROSS, in
the tree was cut down and cast into their bitterness, providing salvation from
their inner conflict, if they were able to accept it. Now
the voice of God sets out the whole matter very clearly. “If
you will diligently listen and respond to the voice of the Lord your God, and
will do that which is right in his sight, and take notice of his commandments,
and keep his statutes, I WILL PUT NONE OF THESE DISEASES upon you, which I have
brought upon the Egyptians. For I am THE LORD THAT HEALETH THEE!” Ex 15:26.
We also read, “And God said thou shalt
be blessed above all people, and there shall not be a male or female barren
among you or your cattle. And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and
will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt upon you, but will lay them upon
those that hate thee. Deut 7:14-15. What
a sad commentary on man is expressed in that Scripture that says, “And the
earth was without form and empty and darkness was on the face of the deep.”
Even the earth part of our universe that we can inhabit is still said to be
empty and shrouded in darkness. Having been created out of the radiance of his
light, and being in himself the effulgence of glory, we have come forth to live
in the darkness of our benighted mind. Instead of the sun shining in its
fullness warming the earth of our being and lighting it to reveal the glory of
our God, we travel on through the heavens in a mantle of darkness. Beloved, as
people look up into our heavens are we manifesting a light and a warmth that can
encourage the weary traveler? Or perhaps our earth is even preventing the SUN
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS from being seen, as it blocks the healing rays. Darkness
is on the face of the deep! God is LIGHT and in him is no darkness at all, and
yet the manifestation of that light is unable to shine through. Such is the
helpless state into which man has come, although his origin in creation is out
of the LIGHT. There is no power in man to lift the darkness, so we find God
acting on our behalf, “And the spirit of God moved over the face of the
waters.” The water is fluid and becomes the material out of which the body of
our regeneration will be formed. The instrument of divine activity in all of
God’s creating is always, “AND GOD SAID!” It matters not if it is the
original creation or the New Creation there is only one instrument and that is
THE WORD. “And God said, let there be light and there was light.” Not
only did God create the light but he defined both the darkness and the light
giving them a name. The light he called “Day” and the darkness he called
“Night.” Both were bounded so that each night would be followed by a day.
This will remain the sequence until we enter into God’s perfect day. That DAY
is revealed to us in the book of Revelation concerning the time when we become
the expression of the City of God, for it says, “And the city has no need of
the sun nor of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of the Lord did lighten it
and the lamb is the light thereof.” Rev 21:23. You
will notice that there is nothing that man can do in the regeneration process.
Man cannot begin anything or continue anything and nor can he perfect anything.
Everything is achieved by Gods instrument, THE WORD! To understand this is to
grasp the A B C of Christian experience. All the work of God has been hid in
Christ who is the eternal WORD. Therefore all that is in Christ is ultimately to
be reproduced and manifested in the creature. If we would understand the work of
regeneration we must follow the various stages set for us here in the book of
Genesis or beginnings. To
sum up this over view of regeneration here are the main points for us to
consider:-
1.
We
notice first of all that the work is progressive and does not take place all at
once. It is a six day program covering every aspect of our being. We see in
nature, first the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn, so it is in the
work of God. We are not speaking about literal days not of any set period
governed by time. The work continues from Evening to morning, from darkness to
increasing light, always from night to day and never from day to night. It is
the evening and the morning that form every successive day. Darkness is not
totally removed but is left to challenge us to seek after more light is order to
keep the darkness within bounds. But always working towards the day, when there
is no longer any night to follow for we will have entered into that eternal day.
2.
The
work of regeneration is a correcting of those things that are not according to
“the pattern” which is Christ, until God can pronounce them as very good. We
must refrain from judging ourselves too harshly during the process simply
because imperfection still remains. For we know that “ He that has begun a
good work in you will perform it until Christ has been formed in you.” That is
the glorious day for which all creation is waiting, when these regenerated ones
will bring release from the bondage of corruption. Then this corporate man
“Christ” will take the Gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth
opening every prison door and binding up the broken hearted, until all creation
is FREE..
3.
Each
stage in the work of regeneration will always result in the divine declaration
that “It is good.” Even though perfection is not yet in view, there is
always something that God can declare good. God never majors on the negative,
neither does he bring in condemnation concerning some lack in us, but he works
in us until there is something of Christ that he can declare good. Of course the
carnal man will always be able to see our imperfections, but the spiritual man
will only see Christ. Paul admonishes us not to know anyone after the flesh
anymore but to see Christ in every man. As the Christ is formed us he will
illuminate the Christ in others. In the epistles to the seven Churches in Asia
in Revelation we always find that which is good and commendable mentioned first
before there is any mention of that which needs adjustment. Now
let us look at an incident in the life of Christ that has been a problem for
many. Mark 11:12-14. It says Jesus was coming from Bethany and that he was
hungry, as he came to a fig tree that had leaves. I do not believe it was hunger
that drew him to the fig tree but something else. In the case of the fig tree,
the fruit always precedes the leaves. So here was a tree that was indicating
that it had produced fruit, because it was covered with leaves. However on
inspection the tree proved to have no fruit on it at all, so it was presenting a
lie to everyone who saw it. In
its first application the fig tree represented Israel who presented themselves
as the people of God, but they failed to produce the fruit of Godliness. So the
tree, like Israel was denying its God given purpose which was to produce fruit.
In fact Israel was plotting to kill Jesus, although he was their Messiah. So
Jesus cursed the fig tree denying it the right to exist and the next day the
disciples were amazed to see it dried up so quickly, and was dead. What a solemn
reminder this is to man not to ignore the will and purpose of God in our lives,
to be a manifestation of God’s glory. Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees
of his day saying, “Woe unto you hypocrites, for you are like whited
sepulchres which indeed look beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead
men’s bones, and all uncleanness.”
NOAH
AND REGENERATION
We
follow the line of Seth until we witness the death of ADAM, for man’s true
liberation or regeneration cannot become reality until the Old Creation has
passed away. It is a total state of confusion even in the natural, for two
personalities to exist in the same person. It is doubly so in the spiritual
realm. God’s purpose in regeneration is to restore to us the glory that
covered us in the beginning, therefore our old identity in Adam must be removed
before we can express our true identity in Christ. But we are speaking of
spiritual realities that cannot be accessed by any natural means. We must first
be delivered from this present evil world through the travail and pain of death,
before the LIFE of the NEW CREATION can be planted within us. The
principles behind regeneration were set in motion in creation and function
effectively in all nature. When we plant a seed the first part of the process is
that the SEED that contains LIFE must die. If it does not die but seeks to
preserve its own life, then the life that is resident within that seed which
holds the power to produce a whole harvest will have no purpose. So the divine
principle of regeneration is that the seed must die, BUT OUT OF THAT DEATH will
come not just life but ABUNDANT LIFE. The next truth revealed to us here is that
the LIFE that develops out of the death of that seed is NOT THE OLD LIFE THAT
WAS PLANTED, but a N-E-W LIFE. One
day the disciples came and told Jesus that some Greeks wanted to see him. Now
listen to his strange reply to their request. “The hour is coming when the Son
of man shall be glorified. I am telling you that except a corn of wheat falls
into the ground and dies it will abide alone or as ONE. BUT if it dies it will
bring forth MUCH FRUIT. If any man loves his own life, (the seed planted by God)
HE WILL LOSE IT. And he that understands the principle of LIFE OUT OF DEATH and
is willing to die, shall keep it and experience the transformation of the OLD
SEED into the NEW CREATION.” (D.W. free translation) What
was Jesus telling us here in answer to the question, “Sir, we would see
Jesus!” He was saying that if you come and see me now as I am, you will simply
see A MAN, and the true seed that I am will be hidden from you. However, if you
wait until I am planted in the EARTH OF MEN, (through death burial and
resurrection) typified by the Cross of Christ, you will see a multitude that no
man can number who will be the NEW CREATION OF GOD. That is the HARVEST that is
in the SEED which will include you in the expression of that reality. So
gentlemen have patience and you will see the corporate SON OF GOD, for that is
really the thing you want to see and not just Jesus of Nazareth. Can you grasp
this beloved? Paul
reveals this divine principle of regeneration to us in 1 Cor 15. He poses a
hypothetical question that many would ask. “How are the dead raised up, and
with what body do they come?” Then he answers the question, “Thou fool, that
which is sown does not reproduce life UNTIL IT DIES.” The divine principle is
not LIFE OUT OF LIFE, but LIFE OUT OF DEATH. Many would question the wisdom of
God that is being expressed in the “Fall of man.” But we will discover inall
of God’s dealings with man that the failure of one thing through Grace brings
in a better thing, for where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. Each
advancing form of life which God takes up, springs out of the failure of that
which preceded it. The seed becomes rotten and dies yet the result is new life
on a higher plain. Thus the “Life out of Death” principle will continue
until that life that is produced has been purified to the point of
incorruptibility and that manifestation is CHRIST. The
Apostle Paul breathes hope into us in the changes that must come ere we become
the reality expressed in the beginning of Creation. He breathes confidence into
us saying, “As we have borne the image of the earthly so shall we bear the
image of the heavenly.” So Flesh and Blood must pass away as we move from
corruption to incorruption until we stand in the perfection of Christ. Noah
is the man divinely appointed by God to present to us the entire course of
regeneration. The secret of this mystery unfolds to us in a human setting, but
within the natural picture is hidden the treasures of a life that is truly
divine. In this divine process it is not necessary for us to know and understand
every small detail, for the purposes of God accomplish themselves in us as we
simply yield to the dealings of God. I really have little knowledge of the
medical mysteries of child birth but I had no problem being conceived and
finally being born. So it is in God, we have been apprehended by God that we
should be holy and without blame before him is love. Must I have conscious
knowledge of all the spiritual mysteries involved in order to bring it to pass?
No, for it is GOD that is working in us both to will and to do of his good
pleasure. We
find this man NOAH already a righteous man, fearing God and perfect in his
generations. So you may ask what more does God want to achieve through this man?
He comes from the line of Seth so is a part of the divine seed, and has been
divinely preserved until this point in time when God makes his next great move
to restore us to our original glory. Noah was close enough to the ancient men
like Adam and Methuselah who would have communicate to him the conditions that
existed during their lifetime of nearly 1000 years. But now the new millennium
is actually being ushered in through this man Noah. The millennium is referred
to in Scripture as the Most Holy Place the dwelling place of God, for it was
10cubits by 10 x 10 which is 1000. So through Noah God is going to restore the
manifestation of his Glory. Notice
with me the conditions that existed at this crucial time in God’s program.
Both the line of Cain and also the godly line of Seth had become overcome by the
flood of evil that had filled the earth. But in the midst of all the ungodliness
that existed there was a man who was found righteous, and his name was Noah. “And God saw the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that
the whole imagination, purpose and desires of man’s heart was only evil
continually.” What a picture of degradation for God put a man whose heart
was to walk in righteousness before God. I am sure he would not be invited to
the social club. In fact he must have lived through hell in that environment.
Our world is not any better today with all our scientific advancement, as every
form of evil flourishes in the fertile soil of modern society. In the midst of
all this God issues and edict saying, “My spirit shall not always strive with
Man (Adam) for that he also is FLESH,
yet his days shall be 120 years.” Man has become F-L-E-S-H even though he was
created SPIRIT. So God is saying, I am not going to always “strive” with
man, but I will allow him to become imprisoned by his own wickedness, and allow
the evil he has chosen to bring upon himself, to bring correction into his life.
So
although Noah was righteous yet his life was constantly being affected by the
evil that filled the earth. We may live righteously but some drunk driver could
rob you of your family, or some thief could take your possessions and cause you
much grief. I have had to do with so many Christians who have suffered tragedy
not because of their own actions, but because the evil of this world had touched
them. However we are seeking here to know the process of regeneration through
which God wants us to pass, and in the process to lift us ABOVE this present
evil world to live on a higher plain where evil has no power to intrude. From
my experience over many years I know that the vast majority of God’s people
know little or nothing of the truth of Regeneration, and so I feel a deep sense
of responsibility towards the Body of Christ as I share the glimpse I have of
what Noah represents to us today. Look with me at 2 Peter 1:3-4. “According
as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to LIFE and
GODLINESS, through the knowledge of him that has called us to GLORY AND VIRTUE.
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these
you might be PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having ESCAPED the corruption that
is in the world through lust.”
Please
read that Scripture again and again and ponder every word until you see that we
have been living in the paupers house instead of Father’s house, and have
suffered from every evil in this present wicked world even though we are not a
part of that world. BUT now, Father is saying I have made provision for you to
live apart from this present evil world and untouched by it. Noah
represents for us the spiritual man that has come to know the exceeding
sinfulness of sin and the utter corruption of the old creation. He is not
involved in trying to convert the sinners of his day. As far as he is concerned
there is absolutely nothing of that old creation that is worth saving. Noah
agrees with God totally and follows his instructions without any vain thoughts
of reforming the old creation. Would
to God that preachers today had the same viewpoint as Noah. Just think about it,
Noah was a preacher of righteousness yet he only saved his own family.
Regeneration is never known until we have discovered the deep fountain of evil
that is in the heart of the man who belongs to the old creation of Adam. When
Noah comes on the scene, there seems to be little or no difference between the
Godly line of Seth and those who issue out of Cain. Noah stands in his day alone
clothed in the righteousness of God. He looks in vain to see if perchance there
is something of that old creation with whom he can enjoy fellowship. But the
corruption is total and there is nothing there that can be salvaged for God. God
began to issue instructions to Noah that would lift him up beyond the reach of
the flood of evil that had covered the earth. “The
end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence
through them, and behold I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of
Gopher wood. Rooms shall you make in the ark and shall pitch it within and
without with pitch.” Noah by his righteous life and now by his
construction of the vessel of deliverance is witnessing to the coming judgement,
and is testifying that there is nothing of the old creation that can be
salvaged. Jesus declared that the axe is laid to the root of the trees. For the
ark by which he goes through the judgment, is formed by cutting down and
stripping the pride and strength of that soil in which the curse works. This
speaks to us of the Cross by which the world is crucified unto us and we unto
the world. Its
dimensions are divinely appointed and cannot be shortened or changed. Three
hundred cubits long speaks to us of complete deliverance, just as the 300 men in
Gideon’s army was all that was needed to gain complete victory over the enemy.
In it there is a “Light” or Window facing God ward and a Door giving access
to its safety. It is complete with all the food necessary to complete the
journey to safety as nothing from the old creation can now sustain us. Within
the Ark there are heights and there are depths having a lower, second and third
level, to cover the totality of man that must be delivered from corruption. Into
this ark there is brought a selection of the animals both clean and unclean
which present to us a great mystery within the work of regeneration. Many have
assumed that after we are transported by the Ark on to the ground of
resurrection, evil has been totally eradicated. But we find that even in
regenerate souls, evil has filtered through. It would seem that a remnant of the
unclean animals, which speak to us of lusts and desires that originate in the
lower parts (lower level of the Ark) of man are brought through, although by
grace their activity is greatly curtailed so that they are restrained. So in
regeneration man is given back authority over the animals, but they are not
destroyed. The reason being that in their creation there were no “unclean
animals,” for all that was created was GOOD. It is because of the baser
instincts in man that there came a change in the animals that are represented by
the emotions, desires and will in us. However, the total subjection of all that
would oppose Christ in us is clearly in view, for we are told that ALL THINGS
have been put under our feet. In
the Ark the process of regeneration allows the development of the mind of
Christ, through the limitation provided by the Ark. The light is received only
from above bringing spiritual knowledge and revelation, while the “door” to
the turbulent waters and flood of evil all around, is divinely closed. We have
now become a prisoner of Christ. We are conscious of the convulsions of the
earth within us that is under judgement, yet we are separated from it, for the
Ark is “Pitched” within and without. The word Pitch is the same used for a
“ransom” or a covering that is applied both within, providing a separation
inwardly UNTO GOD, and also without, separating us “FROM THE WORLD.” This is
the dual aspect of the cross, for the world is crucified unto me, and I am
crucified unto the world. This work of the cross must continue in our lives
until it has totally separated me from the world or “KOSMOS.” The
Greek word used her for “cross” indicates a single wooden pole or stake upon
which the basest of criminals were fixed to die a most excruciating death. The
use of this word at that time involved the concept of fixing a person in a
certain position, not just physically but in relation to acceptable standards or
ideas of society. At that time the religious people of Israel sided with the
“world” in fostering the notion that Christianity was anti social, anti God
and associated with the lowest form of life. BUT in the picture the Spirit is
painting before us of Noah and the Ark, it is GOD and not MAN that is drawing
the line of demarcation between those who are regenerated and the rest of the
world. By a divine security both within and without, the world will convulse
with the judgment of its own evil planting without one drop from that flood
ever touching the redeemed of the Lord. We
need to understand it was M-A-N who orchestrated the cross and not God.
Christianity has glorified the “Cross” turning it into a symbol of divine
love, when it really expresses the degradation and wickedness of the human
heart, declaring, “We will not have this man to rule over us.” It has become
a Christian symbol to be put on books and buildings and worn by people, thinking
it gives them some sort of divine status. However in ignorance, Christianity has
glorified the carnal mind and exalted the flesh. Beloved, GOD DID NOT KILL HIS
ONLY BEGOTTEN SON! Listen to Peter in Acts 2:22, “You
men of Israel, Jesus a man approved of God among you by miracles wonders and
signs, which God did by him in the midst of you as you know very well; he being
delivered (handed over or made available) by the determinate counsel (Gk. “Horizo,”
a predetermined knowledge) of God, YOU have taken and by wicked hands YOU have
crucified and slain.” The
prophet Isaiah prophesied, “He is
despised and rejected OF MEN and not OF GOD, a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief, and WE (not GOD) hid as it were our faces from him.
He was despised and WE esteemed him not. Surely be has borne our griefs
(sicknesses) and carried our sorrows, (Mental pain and anguish) and WE (MANKIND)
did esteem (considered and imagined in our darkened hearts, that he was struck
and smitten BY GOD, INSTEAD OF BY MAN, and beaten and scourged, and also
depressed by his heavenly Father who humiliated him.” Beloved, listen to
the Spirit within you and quieted the voice of religion that speaks out of
Babylon, completely destroying the true character of our heavenly Father who is
our God. If our God had to do all that and a whole lot more to his beloved son,
before he would forgive mankind of their sin and redeem us, then I see no
semblance of LOVE in that God at all. BUT I am happy to expose such a lie for
what it is, and set the record straight. Paul
tells us, “By M-A-N came death, and by M-A-N came also the
resurrection of the dead!” 1 Cor 15: 21. Now the Strong’s Concordance
will show us that the Greek word for MAN in both cases is exactly the same. It
is “anthropos” a human being. We have no problem identifying the MAN or
“anthropos” that brought DEATH into the world, as ADAM. Then why do people
want to argue over the identity of the one who DIED on the Cross and was buried
in the tomb and rose again on the third day in glorious resurrection? How can we
say that the one who brought resurrection was anything but anthropos, who also
brought death into this world? We
are told that God made him (Jesus) TO BE
SIN for us. Religion has made Jesus to be the SIN
OFFERING but this is not true. He was made to be the MAN OF SIN and that is
ADAM or “anthropos,” who is the natural identity of every man. It is Adam
that is the power behind sin and produces death in all of us. In the garden of
Gethsemane Jesus sweat as it were great drops of blood, as he contemplated his
final act to release all mankind from the law of sin and death. He was made to
be the LAST ADAM taking with him all
mankind into death as ANTHROPOS. “God
made him Jesus TO BE SIN FOR US, who knew no sin, that WE might be made the
righeousness of God in him.” 2 Cor 5:21.
Remember when Peter looked into the eyes of Jesus and said, “Thou art the
CHRIST the SON OF THE LIVING GOD.” This was a revelation from God of his true
identity, but all that people saw with their natural eyes was a human being, “anthropos.”
So that by death, burial and resurrection he could return all mankind to their
original state which is SPIRIT. Sickness and sorrow and pain were all part of
that ADAM that was finally and forever brought into death by anthropos, to be
released into the New Creation Man who is CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD. Now
you will ask, but what about the problem of S-I-N? Does there not need to be a
Sacrifice for sin? Jesus did not seem to think so, for he said, “Sacrifices
and offerings you did not require.” Heb 10:5. Then he repeated it again
saying, ”Father you did not want sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings
and offering for sin, neither did you have any pleasure therein which are
offered by the law. Then he said, “I come to do thy will O God.” What was
the will of God? That he might offer the BODY ( Gk. SOMA = the flesh and blood
body of anthropos), ONCE FOR EVERYONE! God declared at the time of the Flood in
Noah’s day, that MAN had also become F-L-E-S-H, (Anthropos) despite the fact
that man’s origin IS S-P-I-R-I-T. So on the “Cross” he tore aside the VAIL
of our humanity (our flesh) through death, to reveal our true reality through
resurrection as “CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.” To
return to Noah and the process of regeneration, we are facing the total failure
of the Old creation now manifesting itself as flesh, even though in the
beginning mankind began as SPIRIT. Now God sees all flesh as having corrupted
its way, filling the earth with violence. There can be no reform movement here
for God now declares that the END OF
ALL FLESH is come before me, so I will destroy them with the earth. This
is the flood of annihilation, not just for all flesh, but for the earth also
they have polluted. Beloved let us be clear on these issues for Babylon has
never recognised regeneration as the pathway into resurrection life. Hence it
has devised many reform programs which the Church in the world today has adopted
as the process of “man’s restoration to God.” The
“Gospel” that is presented to the world as the means of “Salvation,”
says, “Repent and be sorry for your sins believing Christ died instead of you
on the cross. Then ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart, and you will be
saved, born again and have eternal life, and you will be a Son of God, and go to
heaven in the sky when you die. I am sure Noah could have built a very big
“Church” if he had preached that message to the people of his day. BUT
Noah’s Gospel was, “If you want to LIVE then be prepared to DIE, for your
only salvation is in a resurrection into a NEW LIFE. But like today, most people
are having such a good time in this wicked world, who wants to think about
dying? Anyway, Jesus Christ DIED INSTEAD
OF ME on the cross, so God has forgiven my sins because he loves the whole
world and I am a child of God!
“Church” in the New Testament is the CALLED OUT ones. Called out of
life lived as Flesh (anthropos) through a mystical death, burial, and
resurrection, that only becomes reality for us when we identify with the death
burial and resurrection of “ANTHROPOS,” (MANKIND) on the cross at the
“place of a skull,” where the D-E-A-D flesh of men crucified the Lord of
life and glory. But in that death we will not see corruption, for we are
destined to be raised far above principalities and power and might and dominion,
and every name that is named not only in this world but in the world to come. The
ARK that Noah built out of trees cut down was a symbol of Christ. Just the same
as the Ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place was also a type of Christ
manifest as the presence of God. We must be clear on this, and understand what
is the reality of this “Christ.” In the New Testament, the Greek word is
CHRISTOS and means, “ANOINTING.” The Anointing is the manifestation of the
invisible God, made available to us to allow us to make that invisible God known
to mankind. The anointing is the “WORD” that was created in the beginning
that was with God and was God, and has the power to assume the form of flesh,
and so manifest the image and likeness of God on the earth. The
simple statement of Scripture is, “And
the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, which
appeared to us as the glory of the “ONLY BEGOTTEN” of the Father, who
totally expressed Grace and Truth.” Of course there was no need for the
WORD to be “born” for he always existed in the Father and still exists today
and will do so forever. But the manifestation of God revealed in Christ the
anointing, had to be made visible to all mankind and so a BODY was formed for
him in Mary. She represents the female part of man, and since the days of Adam
in the Garden of Eden, all of mankind have waited for the “Seed of the
woman” to be born, that would bruise the head of the serpent. But there is a
mystery in the birth of that seed that we must understand. Jesus
said, “Father you did not desire sacrifice and offerings and offerings for
sin, BUT you prepared me a BODY.” Now the body that Father prepared for Jesus,
was born of a woman and was flesh and blood. Heb 2:14. However, beyond his birth
as a son to Mary, he was said to be, “Great,
and shall be called the Son of the HIGHEST (Most High God), and the Lord God
shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David, and he shall rule over the
house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there shall be no end. And he shall
be called A SON OF GOD.” Paul also says, “HE
IS THE FIRSTBORN OF ALL CREATION.” So here is a great mystery, that one
just born to Mary should be at the same time the SON of EL ELYON, and successor
to the Throne of David, that would never cease to increase. This
is a mystery birth far beyond that which is natural, for the angel told Mary, “The
Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the Power (dunamis) of the Most High God
shall envelop you in his light, and therefore that Most Holy Thing that shall be
birthed in thee shall be designated, A SON OF GOD.” This is the same BIRTH
that Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about in Jn 3. He said, “The
wind (spirit) blows wherever it chooses and you can hear its sound but you do
not know where it came from and you do not know where it is going, SO IS EVERYONE
THAT IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT.” We
have been speaking here of the MYSTERY OF CHRIST that was revealed to the
Apostle Paul, having been hid from the ages past, and is now made known to us by
the Spirit, CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY. That which is natural becomes the
vessel to express that which is spiritual, for in a mystery both are united in
one body, GOD AND MAN. The prophet Isaiah said, “For the Lord himself shall
give you a sign, BEHOLD A VIRGIN SHALL CONCEIVE AND BEAR A SON AND CALL HIS NAME
IMMANUEL…..GOD WITH US…..to function in glorious harmony. Christ is not the
name of any person but signifies the mystic union of God and man that allows God
to communicate himself to all mankind, becoming one with them without
diminishing himself in any way. But through that union in the people of God, his
whole will and purpose will be accomplished in all the earth. Now
it is necessary that we understand this mystery of “CHRIST in you” and also
of “YOU in Christ.” Jn 14:20. For the ARK that Noah built represents this
mystical union, and presents it to us as the only divine vehicle that can
transport us out of the corruption of this wicked world into the paradise of
God. All of the “short cut formulas” of Christendom will leave man exposed
to the flood of evil that is rising fast on this earth. The day came when Noah
and his wife and family went into the Ark, but there were still six days in
which to adjust to the change. Six is the number of man and it was the 600th
year of Noah’s life when they stepped into God’s rescue vessel with the
animals, birds and other creatures associated with man. “And they went in unto
Noah into the Ark, two and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life, male
and female, AND GOD SHUT THEM IN. The
most important phrase in the Bible is IN
CHRIST. If we are not “In Christ” we are, “Without
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the
covenants of promise, having NO HOPE and without God in the world.” To be
in Christ is to be bonded in a mystical holy union with the Almighty God. In
that union there is no “God and I,” or “Christ and I,” but “I
AND MY FATHER ARE ONE.” Nothing can happen to me that does not involve
Christ. HE is the very source of my life that flows in a constant stream out of
him who is the fountain of all life. He is also Lord so the animals, like that
wind and the waves obey his voice, and the lion lays down with the lamb. The
Christ Life is an emanation of divine life expressed through an earthly vessel. Now
the fountains of the deep are released. These are the springs of mental and
spiritual faculties deep within man that can rise like a flood bringing
devastation and destruction from a man’s inner being. Then the windows of
heaven are opened. The Hebrew word here refers to, “Liers in wait” as in an
ambush. This brings the thoughts in a torrent into man’s mind overloading his
ability to cope with the strain. We often speak of a flood of ideas but now it
is a deluge rising from the deep, and at the same time the flood is coming from
above. Just
recently the medical profession stated depression was now the most common
problem man has to deal with. Men are committing terrible and even unbelievable
crimes against little defenseless children, and so are women. Children have now
become murderers before they reach the age of 10. Women live in fear of being
assaulted even in their own homes. We must lock up our homes like a fortress for
fear of being robbed. Our ability to cope with these tremendous pressures is
under threat. The flood is rising and the end of all flesh is come, but so few
are heeding God’s message to Noah, to build an ARK. In many cases the Church
is so busy with its programs that building an ark is not considered important,
just like the people of Noah’s day. Beloved this is a wake up call, for this
is the seventh day of preparation to enter into the Ark that is Christ. The
Ark is the only means of transcending the flood for there is no other. It is
also figured as a type of Baptism, not as some ordinance to be kept literally,
but in its expression of the DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION of Christ. To enter
into the Ark is to bring the Old Creation (Adam) into death thus ending its
ability to express itself through us. Now Adam IS DEAD. Then we bring him into
burial so that he is put out of sight to become but a fading memory. Finally to
discover in the process of death and burial a NEW LIFE has now sprung forth out
of the Christ Seed that possesses our body as its expression. The New Life rises
out of the ashes of the old. Noah’s
family who entered the Ark with him were not all spiritual, for their subsequent
lives indicated the “animals” within them, returned to their former state
releasing further evil and wickedness in their lives. So the Ark also stands as
a beautiful symbol of God’s GRACE, extended to the whosoever will, may come.
However this time in the Ark shut in with Christ is a time of deep dealings as
the spirit allows a manifestation of every evil that is in the heart of man.
Whether it is expressed or not is not the issue here, for we must discover that,
“IN ME DWELLETH NO GOOD THING.” We must be under no illusions concerning the
unregenerate heart of man and what it is capable of. Do not consider, Beloved,
that those in the Ark were somehow exempt from such revelation of the evil
within them. It rained for 40 days, but also for 40 nights when the darkness
added to the insidious evil that manifested itself during that awesome time of
self revelation. It would seem that the forty days was like an eternity, but there was to be no glossing over the ugly expressions of that Old Creation. The heights and also the depths must be plumbed, until cry like the Psalmist, “Deep calleth unto DEEP at the noise of thy waterspouts. All thy waves and billows a |