Journey Into Consciousness

INTRODUCTION

Life is vanity for many people, with no real goal or purpose providing us with any clear direction. For those who have a desire to know God, Life becomes a "journey of discovery." This "journey" is unlike any other because it not based upon geography as many Christians believe, from this planet earth to some ethereal heaven. This is a JOURNEY IN CONSCIOUSNESS, from the knowledge of GOOD AND EVIL, to the TREE OF LIFE, and the true knowledge of God.

Before we set out on a journey, it is expected that we have determined our destination. If we fail to do so then it is likely that we could either get lost or arrive at some place we had no intention of visiting. However with reference to the Christian Life it would seem that very little thought has been given by most, as to the actual goal we are seeking.

From my observations it appears that the majority have their hearts set on getting to HEAVEN when they die. For them there is really nothing to be achieved in this life on earth, considering that the next event on God’s calendar that will bring about any change in our lives, is what is called the "Second Coming" of Christ. For this to take place we must wait until the end of the age.

With such a focus it is obvious that the JOURNEY of LIFE for that person has very little meaning, because all hope is centered on something in the FUTURE which has no reality for us today. Paul testified, that he was "forgetting those things which are behind and was reaching out to those things that are BEFORE." The word "behind" refers to those things that are PAST, which have no substance today, for they are GONE. BUT he is reaching out to those things which are BEFORE HIM. This word "before" in the Greek does not indicate things that are in the FUTURE as many suppose, but to the thing IN FRONT OF him, and within his reach at that very moment.

Paul’s statement here is most instructive and gives us clear direction for our own lives. It is my purpose in writing these notes to challenge you first of all to consider seriously the GOALS you have set for your life’s journey that are achievable NOW. Secondly, if you have begun the "journey" I want you to be honest and discover exactly WHERE YOU ARE N-O-W with regard to the fulfillment of those goals.

CONSCIOUSNESS

Let us begin this discussion by emphasizing again that the JOURNEY OF LIFE is not a LITERAL JOURNEY. It is actually a TRANSITION from ONE CONSCIOUSNESS to ANOTHER CONSCIOUSNESS, resulting in a NEW LIFE. Paul became very single minded about the direction his life should take. He adopted the stance of an athlete who only has one ambition and that is to win. To achieve this goal Paul strips himself of all unwanted baggage, which means :-

1.    He must cut himself off from the OLD consciousness which formed the basis of his life in the PAST, and

2.    He must lay hold NOW upon that NEW Consciousness which is the foundation of a NEW LIFE.

In the physical aspect of death we are CUT OFF from the consciousness of life as we have known it. In the same way, before we can begin to embrace the NEW Consciousness, it is inevitable that we must enter into DEATH in order to terminate the old LIFE. Our desire to retain the old consciousness associated with our PAST life, denies us the opportunity of entering into that NEW consciousness which is called ETERNAL LIFE because only ONE consciousness can function at a time.

Let us examine what is meant by our CONSCIOUSNESS. The heart referred to in the Bible is not the organ in the middle of our chest which pumps our blood. The HEART is the center not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. It is the collective function of the Spirit and SOUL, that produces what we call our CONSCIOUSNESS.

The heart is the "home of the personal life," and so a man is designated, according to his heart. The heart bears witness with the conscience and therefore affects the way we think about ourselves. (Rom 2:15) The SOUL which incorporates our MIND, EMOTIONS and WILL is the "engine" which motivates what we call our LIFE.

The SPIRIT which is the other part of our HEART is like the "DATA BASE" which provides all the knowledge of God our soul needs to produce the LIFE God has given to us. That SPIRIT IS GOD, in whom are hid all the treasures of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE. Col 3:2. So when the SPIRIT (data base) supplies the spiritual information to the SOUL that is necessary in order to produce my Consciousness, it is expressed as MY L-I-F-E.

Whatever my consciousness is will determine what my life expression will be. So you can understand that my life will only be an expression of Christ’s Life, providing all the elements that produce my consciousness are functioning in TRUTH.

It is obvious something is wrong as we look at the life of murderers, adulterers, child molesters, rapists, cheats, homosexuals, lesbians and a million other aberrations of LIFE in society today. Let us discover why it seems impossible for us to LIVE LIFE as God intended.

DEATH

God has not left us in ignorance concerning the reason for the present Consciousness that produces man’s LIFE today in all its varied expressions. Adam holds the key to this problem. God said to Adam, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that you eat of it, YOU WILL SURELY DIE." Gen 2:16-17.

Christians have debated this question concerning ADAM’S DEATH without understanding what God was saying. The general concept of DEATH for most people is when the heart stops beating and the person is no longer breathing. But Adam continued to "LIVE" for 930 years so we need a new understanding of what GOD means by LIFE and DEATH.

I do not believe God planted a POISONOUS tree in the Garden of Eden that could kill people. Beloved it is time to forget the kindergarten concepts we have grown up with and seek the Lord for TRUTH. God is not talking about literal trees here, for I have never seen a tree called, the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil." Have YOU? I don’t think so.

The trees in the garden of Eden and the herbs, represents those thoughts that are planted in our mind, some by God and some which are the product of our own mind, and therefore of our OWN PLANTING. However the Bible indicates there were TWO TREES in the MIDDLE of the garden. One tree is called the Tree of the KNOWLEDGE of GOOD and EVIL, and the other is the TREE OF LIFE. Now we KNOW everything God created in the beginning WAS GOOD. There is no mention of anything that was EVIL. Gen 1:31.

Therefore we must conclude that the Tree of DEATH was "planted" by Adam as a thought in his mind. This is why Jesus stated in Matt 15:13. That "EVERY PLANT which my Heavenly Father did not plant SHALL BE ROOTED UP." Which simply means that every thought that is not in accord with the Mind of Christ will one day be rooted up.

Only ONE tree can be at the center of our HEART (garden), so obviously the tree of knowledge in Adam’s mind has replaced the TREE OF LIFE as his center. Now we must ask the question, "What was it that DIED that day in the Garden of Eden?" It had to be something that was an integral part of Adam, because God said to him, YOU WILL SURELY DIE. The answer is, that it was something in his CONSCIOUSNESS that DIED, and that was his SPIRITUAL REALIZATION and knowledge of God.

The KNOWLEDGE of good and evil is a FALSE knowledge that is OUTSIDE GOD, and therefore the SPIRIT within him (which is God) has no knowledge of it. So when Adam chose to pursue that FALSE KNOWLEDGE which is represented as DARKNESS, his Consciousness began to change to accommodate the information being supplied by his darkened MIND. Now the SOUL assumed the role of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE instead of the LIGHT of the SPIRIT which is TRUTH.

Thus Adam became BLIND to the reality of GOD, which totally changed his CONSCIOUSNESS. That change became apparent IMMEDIATELY in the "life" that he expressed, being lived out of THAT CONSCIOUSNESS which God calls D-E-A-T-H.

First of all let us remember that Adam walked and talked with GOD in the Garden. Our carnal minds usually imagine the scene with two people walking through the lovely garden, one being GOD and the other is ADAM. This is nonsense because God is SPIRIT and not a MAN. NO, God was IN ADAM in perfect harmony with him sharing LIFE together AS ONE.

Let us consider this "other" consciousness out of which Adam now lived his life for in partaking of that false knowledge of good and evil, a radical change took place in Adam. The first thing we notice is that Adam’s EYES were opened. Does that mean he was BLIND before this? NO, but now he was blind to the REALITY he once knew, because of the darkness caused by the FALSE knowledge he believed. He looked at himself and instead of seeing the likeness and image of God he saw that he was NAKED. This meant that he considered that he was MANIFEST as something "unholy" which cause him to run and HIDE from the presence of God.

Now Adam no longer believed God was IN HIM, but saw GOD as being OUT THERE SOMEWHERE, separate from himself, because he ran and HID behind the TREES. Adam would never have tried to hide from God if he was conscious that God was a part of his being. But now his consciousness had changed, and he believed he was a separate entity from God.

Next we read that God called Adam saying, "WHERE ARE YOU?" This question was not just to find out WHERE he was, for God knew, but to allow Adam to question within himself, where he was in relation to GOD at that very moment. Listen to Adam’s reply, "I heard your voice in the Garden, (which was in his heart) and I was AFRAID, because I am NAKED and so I hid myself."

God’s answer is most instructive for he said to Adam, "WHO TOLD YOU, YOU WERE NAKED?" Thus God indicated that the knowledge of his nakedness did not originate with Him. That information must have come from the tree (thoughts) he has planted himself, the knowledge of good and evil.

So here is a list of the CHANGES to Adam’s consciousness after he planted the thoughts of the Knowledge of good and evil.

1.    A new perception arose in Adam, of God, of himself, and of the world.

1.    This perception changed his idea of HIMSELF, for now he considered that he was naked and something to be ashamed of before God.

2.    This altered perception also put God outside of himself, which made him a separate identity from God.

3.    The harmony between himself and God had now disappeared and in its place sprang up an enmity making God his enemy.

4.    Finally Adam now saw himself as cast out of the Garden by an angry God, so the separation between God, and man his creation, was now complete.

5.    His whole concept of the world changed, for it was no longer a GARDEN but a wilderness of thorns and thistles.

The change in Adam’s CONSCIOUSNESS produced what God called D-E-A-T-H, and is evident as the "LIFE" in all mankind until the LIGHT of the Holy Spirit brings understanding to us. It may shock you to know that none of those changes in Adam’s perception had any basis in REALITY, and those same elements in our consciousness today have no more substance than they did for Adam, but they produce the same result.

What you believe in your heart about YOURSELF, GOD and LIFE is the consciousness out of which you live. So here is the belief system or consciousness that was birthed in Adam and simply updated to 1998. Today most people believe :-

I challenge you beloved, "Is this your consciousness?" If so, then the "life" you are living is what God declares to be D-E-A-T-H. The result is that you are now subject to the LAW OF SIN AND DEATH, and your only hope is to be released by the HIGHER LAW of "The Spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus." Rom 8:2.

Once Adam lost his ONENESS with GOD he automatically lost any sense of his own true identity. The Word declares, "AS A MAN THINKS IN HIS HEART THAT IS WHAT HE IS."

The spirit within man is our only source of the knowledge of God which incorporates our own identity, providing us with what we call, GOD CONSCIOUSNESS. That SPIRIT is the ONLY source of life within us and was demonstrated in JESUS CHRIST. When the Lord God breathed into ADAM the breath of LIVES (plural) it was the SPIRIT OF LIFE which is GOD that he received.

But some would argue, "Does not MAN also have a Spirit which is called the spirit of man?" The answer is that there are not TWO SPIRITS in MAN, in fact there is only ONE SPIRIT in the whole universe, so here is the explanation.

LIFE has numerous levels upon which it can be lived. There is the single cell animal that has life, and that life comes from GOD but it is lived on a very low level. There is plant life which also comes from God, but again by comparison with mankind it is also on a very low level. Then there is animal life allowing the creature to move and respond at least in measure. The same with the birds and fish all of which have LIFE which comes from the same source which is GOD.

BUT when we consider MAN, created in the likeness and image of GOD living in the Garden in perfect harmony with his creator, we see life on the highest level. He did not have to grow crops to feed himself for everything needed was available to him. That LIFE came from the "I AM" who is the source of all supply.

But then a change takes place and we see Adam outside the Garden, now earning his bread by the sweat of his brow, and his harvest is being hindered by thorns and thistles. Tell me, "WHERE did that life come from"?? It all comes from the same source which is GOD. BUT can you not see that LIFE can be lived in "Father’s House" where there is no lack of any kind, or in a wilderness where there is never sufficient to meet our need.

In creation God expressed himself in a multitude of FORMS and manifestations, and has never been separated from what he has created. So the "Spirit", dwelling in man who considers he is a separate entity from God, is still God. However, as in so much of creation, the manifestation of God as expressed in such a LIFE is very poor, such as in the trees and the animals.

Regardless of the changes the fact remains, that MAN WAS CREATED IN THE LIKENESS AND IMAGE OF GOD, AND THIS WAS PERFECTLY EXPRESSED IN JESUS CHRIST on this earth AS "GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH." HE DECLARED IF YOU HAVE SEEN ME YOU HAVE SEEN MY FATHER.

The trees and plants are perfectly happy to be whatever God intended them to be and function accordingly, so in being a tree or plant they glorify GOD. The animals have no problem in knowing what they are and live their life accordingly.

BUT MAN the highest form of creation in the likeness and image of God, does not know WHO HE IS nor his origin. Most believe they came from the dust making Adam their FATHER, thus constituting them sinners who have to placate an angry God. Those people live LIFE on a much lower level called MORTALITY being subject to SIN AND DEATH.

However all it takes is HEARING the VOICE OF GOD to wake man out of his "SLEEP OF DEATH" and discover GOD as his Father dwelling within him, to restore God’s likeness and image. So you can see beloved there is ONLY ONE SPIRIT in man, but living in the state of "D-E-A-T-H" the manifestation of LIFE is very distorted.

To sum up this section we discover that in man where the SPIRIT is given the position and authority (LORDSHIP) due to him, he will manifest himself through our consciousness as CHRIST. Thus expressing itself in LIFE, as the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. This TREASURE (which is CHRIST) we have in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of GOD and not of us. 2 Cor 4:7. John said, "The WORD (Christ) became FLESH and lived among us…… for THE LIFE was manifest (in Christ) and we SAW IT and bear witness to that LIFE, which is ETERNAL LIFE.

Darkness breeds a lie

There is much debate today as to what constitutes being "BORN AGAIN." We have all kinds of people standing up and declaring they are born again Christians, but their lives fail to produce any definite evidence of a manifestation of God. The word SALVATION has to do with "being made whole," in every aspect of our being so that we can express the LIFE of the one who created us. However the expression of our life depends upon our consciousness which is referred to in the Bible as our HEART.

Let me use a simple illustration. The caterpillar has the consciousness of a caterpillar. If you suggested to him that he was capable of flying and eating nectar instead of leaves, he would consider you insane. WHY?? Because there is nothing in his consciousness that says that is possible.

But there takes place a METAMORPHOSIS in his being, and one day he emerges as a butterfly. Now you suggest to him that he ought to eat leaves and that he really has no ability to fly because he is actually a caterpillar. Again he would consider you insane, because there is now nothing in his butterfly consciousness that says he cannot fly, or that he is anything but a butterfly.

Tell me, "Who programs the consciousness of the insects, birds, trees or animals?" Who tells the salmon when to leave the ocean and swim up a river to spawn. Who tells the turtle to return after many years to the same beach to lay her eggs. The answer is GOD, which is the life in everything that lives. But you may say, that in nature they have no choice, so we do not call it consciousness but INSTINCT. This is true, but we discover that in MAN we form our own CONSCIOUSNESS as rational creatures capable of REASON. Now this is not wicked or wrong, but we do have a problem.

ADAM chose to live by the tree of KNOWLEDGE instead of the tree of LIFE which is GOD. Which meant that he no longer tapped into the wisdom and knowledge of God, (the spirit within) but considered he was capable of discovering all he needed to know, through his MIND. The Spirit within containing all the wisdom and knowledge of God was no longer consulted, while Adam re-formed his consciousness through his own mind. Thus God was deposed from being LORD IN MAN, and the SOUL ( mind emotion and will ) elected itself as supreme ruler.

A NEW CONSCIOUSNESS WAS BORN, which declared Adam was naked and a sinner, and God was OUT THERE SOMEWHERE to be feared as an enemy. Adam saw himself as originating out of the dust so he had no concept of a Loving all-wise Father. His consciousness changed so much, that now he could believe a LIE instead of the TRUTH?

There was no slithering reptile that spoke to Eve as Christendom asserts, but it represents the carnal mind of man. This carnal mind (serpent) is more subtle than any beast of the field. It is most important to note that it was not Adam that was deceived but EVE the female aspect or "womb" of man, representing the SOUL.

The role of the soul is to bring to manifestation what man believes himself to be in his HEART or CONSCIOUSNESS. The MIND being a part of the soul’s function now provides the main input. Outside the garden Adam manifested DEATH, instead of LIFE. But when CHRIST came into the world, he was THE WORD MADE FLESH, and Immanuel, God with US. He came to give us LIFE.

The darkness in Adam which is "IGNORANCE OF GOD" prevented the SPIRIT from communicating the TRUTH about his identity and origin to him, so all that information was supplied instead by the CARNAL MIND OF MAN which knows not the things that be of God, NEITHER INDEED CAN HE KNOW THEM.

The problem with mankind today in most cases is not that they are wicked sinners in rebellion against GOD, but rather they are living out of a PSEUDO CONSCIOUSNESS that is built upon a LIE, denying them the knowledge of GOD.

In order to better understand how God brings about a change in our consciousness, let us look at how God called Abram out of heathenism and made him the FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL.

The Journey

Abram’s encounter with God is recorded for us in Genesis 12 and begins this way.

"Now the Lord had said to Abram, get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house unto a land that I will shew thee. And I will make of thee a great nation and I will make thy name great and thou shalt be a blessing. I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

These are the WORDS that GOD spoke to Abram. We must understand that Abram was a heathen man who was involved with idolatry and who knew not GOD. Yet God called him. In most Church circles we would be told that God only seeks those whose heart is turned towards him, but this was not so in Abram’s case. He had no idea who the real God was, until his GRACE touched his life dispelling the darkness with his marvelous light.

Abram’s consciousness had no problem embracing idolatry and all the heathen practices that went with it. Tell me, why was Abram an idolater? Why did he worship BAAL?? Was it because he was angry with the true God? NO. Did he deliberately rebel against God and refuse to obey his voice? NO NO. Abram WAS D-E-A-D in relation to the SPIRIT within, therefore he did not know who he was, nor that GOD was his FATHER. Did God know that? YES of course.

Abram had the same problem as Adam, forming his own consciousness through the activity of his mind. So in his consciousness there was very little input from the Spirit within, which meant that the reality of God was unknown. But because man is a spiritual being he knows there is a GOD somewhere. Idolatry is the result of this confusion about the identity of God.

So God said to Abram, "Leave your kindred your country and from your fathers house, and go unto a land that I will shew thee." Think about it…. this is a heathen man who hears these words within him, AND HE OBEYS. Now Abram had no idea where it was that God was leading him, because such a place (life) was not yet within his consciousness. This is a journey from FAITH TO FAITH. Precept upon precept, line upon line, hear a little and there a little, to whom he said, "This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing." Isa 28:9-13.

It is most important to note that Abram had to LEAVE all that had been formed in the OLD consciousness of his natural life, and JOURNEY to a NEW CONSCIOUSNESS which would bring him to the LAND OF PROMISE. This involved his concept of being born of flesh and blood, his earthly father, his national identity and his personal identity. This is not some earthly journey from one place to another, but this is a JOURNEY IN CONSCIOUSNESS. The vehicle that will take us there is called F-A-I-T-H, and the motivating power that fuels our FAITH is the VOICE OF GOD.

Beloved this is the same journey we must take in order to experience the reality of God. This journey allows us to SEE that which is invisible and to discover the realities of life. Abraham actually lived in the land of Promise with Isaac and Jacob, but in the natural, his location was no different to any other. That NEW Consciousness generates a NEW FAITH which is THE FAITH OF GOD.

I want you to consider carefully what the Spirit is teaching us today through this man Abram. In Matt 1:1 the Gospel begins with these words:- "THE BOOK OF THE GENERATION OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF DAVID, THE SON OF ABRAHAM.

Did you know Jesus Christ was the SON of ABRAHAM? Remember Abraham was far more than a historic figure. He represents the beginning of a NEW CREATION. God said to him, "I will MAKE OF THEE A GREAT NATION." So we understand that he was to birth a special people based upon his obedience to the voice he heard. This is in contrast to Adam who disobeyed that voice of God and brought sin and death upon all mankind.

In his encounter with Melchizedek, Abraham received the blessing and partook of the SUBSTANCE of CHRIST in the bread and the wine. He was called "Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth," giving him victory over all his enemies.

I want you to notice that the changing of his consciousness took place through a series of revelations of God in his life. Each revelation came in response to his OBEDIENCE TO THE VOICE OF GOD. This is most important for us to realize. Beloved you will not experience a fresh revelation of God in your life until you learn to OBEY GOD’S VOICE WITHIN.

Abram failed several times in his obedience and so the journey had to be extended. He was told to go out alone but he took his Father and Lot with him, so both of these had to be removed before that great change of Consciousness came.

BUT God never gives up, so in Genesis 15 God tests his FAITH, by telling him despite his physical circumstances, he will have a SEED AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN. Without hesitation even though Sarah was past child bearing age, HE BELIEVED GOD and this FAITH was counted to him for RIGHTEOUSNESS. However in the working out of that FAITH he had to learn the ways of God, instead of using his own mind which still had to be renewed.

God then renewed his covenant with Abram after which he appears to him in revelation again as EL SHADDAI, GOD ALMIGHTY the ALL SUFFICIENT ONE. In the light of that revelation he was told to walk before this ALMIGHTY GOD and be perfect. This was the climax in his journey from one consciousness to the NEW consciousness that was formed through revelation.

At that point, as in many cases in Scripture God changes the name of a person whenever there is a character change. He was no more called ABRAM but ABRAHAM, the Father of a great multitude. In this Name God took the HOD or "H" from his own name (the tetragramaton YHWH ) and inserted it in ABRAM’S NAME making it ABRAHAM. In this NAME the whole purpose of God was now manifest to Abraham.

As the faith of God developed in him, Abraham realized that he was called to FATHER a people all of whom would share this same consciousness. However up to that point he had not produced an heir. So he wrongly concluded that Eliezer, who was born of a servant was to be his heir. But he was to learn that TRUE FAITH which is called "The faith of God" produces its own LIFE as in the beginning, and that LIFE IS CHRIST.

Again the VOICE of the Lord spoke within him saying, "This shall not be your heir, possession) but he shall come forth out of thy own bowels or being. What is the "POSSESSION" our FAITH is programmed to produce? The answer is C-H-R-I-S-T. So God tells Abraham to look towards the STARS and count them, if that is possible, saying, SO SHALL THY SEED BE.

Beloved, what is your FAITH reaching out for? Many would say for eternal life, to be prosperous, for healing, or a home in heaven when I die. Such is the "man-centered faith" we have fostered out of our poor relationship with God. Remember Abraham is the FATHER of the FAITHFUL and stands in scripture not just as a historical figure but as a representative of MAN IN CHRIST. Abraham said, I am childless, without even the prospect of producing offspring because of Sarah’s age. BUT GOD said, your seed shall be as the stars of the heavens."

This is the "FAITH OF GOD" with power to bring into manifestation all that the Father had created, because it is based upon the VOICE OF GOD WITHIN. Remember, everything God purposed to make was made and finished "In the Beginning," including your perfection. SO it is recorded that ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD AND HE COUNTED IT TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

This man Fathered the nation of Israel which was but a poor earthly representation of those who are called out in Christ. But the "Faith of GOD" in Abraham had a far higher objective than to simply produce the natural nation of Israel, because he was to be the father of MANY NATIONS. That natural SEED of Abraham (Israel) was able to be affected by the ADAM CONSCIOUSNESS, so they never saw GOD as their Father. Even in Jesus day they referred to ABRAHAM as their FATHER, BUT totally rejected HIS SEED (Christ) by crucifying him, and rejecting his authority over them.

Here is the focus, he was to produce a SEED…. Not SEEDS, as of many, but ONE, who Paul identifies as "THY SEED WHICH IS CHRIST." Gal 3:16. Think about it beloved, this man Abraham through faith, FATHERED CHRIST the INCORRUPTIBLE SEED, not physically but SPIRITUALLY. And IN THEE AND THY SEED (CHRIST) shall ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED.

If he is the FATHER of the faithful, then our faith must function with the same purpose in view. God was using Abraham to bring back a SEED PEOPLE who had lost their inheritance through ADAM. Adam was told to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." This he did, but with a NATURAL people who all believed the same lie. Abraham had learned to live his life out of a hidden stream which flowed within him. So BY FAITH, which raised a new consciousness within himself, he produced an INCORRUPTIBLE SEED AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN, ALL HAVING THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF CHRIST.

THE FRUIT OF FAITH

"When Abraham was ninety nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the ALMIGHTY GOD (El Shaddai) walk before my face and be ye perfect, or without blemish." Gen 17:1. Let us note the direction he received of the Lord for it applies to us today. To walk in the presence of the Lord will cause us to walk without blemish. "For with THEE is the fountain of LIFE, and in thy LIGHT shall we SEE LIGHT."

Abraham’s relationship with God had now been established, and so the covenant was reaffirmed with Abraham and was made effective not just for him, but for his SEED in their generations, "To be a GOD unto thee and to thy seed after thee." All the promises for Abraham’s future generations were dependent upon Sarah having a child. However that New Spiritual consciousness that is capable of producing life finds itself in conflict with the OLD Adam consciousness in its fight for survival. The transition from one to the other is the battle of Armageddon, which is a battle to the death, for ONE MUST DIE.

Christianity is generally presented to us as simply a code of ethics which we either accept or reject. If we reject these moral principles, then we are said to live in sin under the judgment of God. Our acceptance of them is called salvation which only requires repentance of our subsequent short comings. This concept is based upon the LAW OF SIN AND DEATH and the TREE of the knowledge of good and evil. Under this teaching the whole purpose of the Cross is to remove the penalty of our sins by substitution, which is irrational.

However it is perfectly clear that S-I-N was not in question in God’s dealings with Abraham. The issue here was something far deeper than the things that he did, or any moral judgment upon them. To simply deal with a person on the grounds of right and wrong will never solve their problems. We must see everything from God’s point of view. The young shepherd boy David, was chosen before all his brothers because "The Lord sees not as man seeth, for man looks upon the outward appearance, but the Lord LOOKETH UPON THE HEART. 1 Sam 16:7.

According to the Bible, the heart is the center not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. The heart is the "home of the personal life," and hence a man is designated, according to his heart. The heart bears witness with the conscience and therefore affects the way we think about ourselves. (Ro 2:15) After Adam’s disobedience in the Garden the heart of man became darkened (Gen 8:21) and contaminated his whole life and character. The process of salvation begins in the heart by believing and receiving the testimony of God which cancels out the lie. This is a complete study in itself and so we cannot pursue it in depth here. Suffice it to say that, "AS A MAN THINKS IN HIS HEART THAT IS WHAT HE IS."

LIVING FAITH is based upon a union with a Living God. So God said to Abraham, Sarah will conceive and have a child and he will be a child of PROMISE. Now in the natural Sarah was a long way past child bearing and Abraham was 99 years old, so such a thing would never be contemplated under the OLD CONSCIOUSNESS. BUT Abraham believed God! Not only would this child be born but there would be a "SEED" as the stars of heaven, both in quality and in quantity.

The result was that SEED was born but :-

1.    NOT BORN OF BLOOD…. Which means that he was not FATHERED by MORTAL MAN.

1.    Nor was he born of the will of the FLESH…. That is he was not born because Abraham and Sarah personally decided to have a child. NO! This child was born of PROMISE, spoken into existence by the WORD OF GOD.

2.    The Truth is this child was BORN OF GOD, for without him there would never have been a child.

3.    The reality of that seed is JESUS CHRIST.

Sarah could never have given birth to Isaac without divine intervention, and that is exactly what happened. So tell me beloved, are you BORN OF GOD? If you believe you are a sinner, then God cannot be your FATHER for whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin because "HIS SEED" remains in him. If you are born of God, then YOU ARE ABRAHAM’S SEED and one of those who are numbered as the Stars of heaven.!!

Paul tells us that, "Whatsoever is not of FAITH IS S-I-N," that is it has missed the mark and come short of the glory of God. Abraham failed in the beginning to believe God, because he took Hagar and produced a child called Ishmael, but he was not a product of FAITH, so he could never be the heir to Abraham’s blessing.

 " For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. Rom 4:13-25.

This, beloved is the NEW CONSCIOUSNESS which is ours as we hear and follow the VOICE OF GOD WITHIN. It is the same CONSCIOUSNESS that was manifested in Jesus Christ. So Paul exhorts us to "LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS."

ALL THINGS ARE NEW

"If any man be IN CHRIST he is a NEW CREATION, old things are passed away, behold ALL THINGS ARE NEW." 2 Cor 5:17. What are these "old things" that are passed away? Heb 6:1-2 tells us to "LEAVE the First Principles of the doctrine of Christ and GO ON TO PERFECTION."

None of the above can provide you with that NEW CREATION experience, for none of them affect your consciousness. To be consciously "IN CHRIST" will lift you out of this world of sin and death, and seat you IN HEAVENLY PLACES N-O-W. Being IN CHRIST declares my IDENTITY and my ORIGIN, for I WAS CREATED IN CHRIST, and I was NEVER IN ADAM. Eph 2:10. I was CHOSEN IN CHRIST before the disruption of the world. CHRIST is the CENTER of my life, the TREE OF LIFE, the I AM, and the source of all supply. He says to us, "All that I have is THINE….. you are heirs of GOD and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

I and the I AM are ONE, no longer separated by the ADAM CONSCIOUSNESS which puts us outside the garden killing animals as a sacrifice, to try and get back in. The truth is that I never left the GARDEN except in my FALSE (Adam) CONSCIOUSNESS, nor was I ever separated from God.

Christians have for years waged a futile war against the "serpent" in the garden, who they believe is a separate entity from man, constantly trying to hurt us. Evil which is attributed to "him" has escalated to alarming levels, despite pleading with God to destroy him, in all night prayer meetings. Beloved the Devil is a PHANTOM whose only existence is IN THE MIND OF MAN. It is in the MIND that we are enemies of GOD. Our MIND is at enmity with God.

This is what Jesus said, "Do you not yet understand, that whatsoever entereth into the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? BUT those things that proceed OUT OF THE MOUTH COME FORTH FROM THE HEART AND THESE DEFILE A MAN.

For OUT OF THE HEART proceeds :- EVIL THOUGHTS, MURDERS, ADULTERIES, FORNICATION, THEFTS, FALSE WITNESS, BLASPHEMIES, AND THESE DEFILE A MAN. Matt 15:17-20.

Man has a problem with his H-E-A-R-T and only a NEW consciousness can rectify the matter. No man who has a SIN CONSCIOUSNESS will ever enter into the presence of GOD, for they will always do the "Adam thing" and run and hide from God. Nothing that defileth shall ever enter therein. WHAT IS THE ANSWER??

My CONSCIOUSNESS declares that I was CREATED in Christ in the beginning, and chosen in him before the disruption of the world, (Adam’s Sin) so Adam or SIN has nothing to do with my generation. The LORD has been my dwelling place in all generations. Ps 90:1.

The "LAMB" was slain from the "DISRUPTION" of the world, taking away the sin of the world. The "LAMB" represents the NATURE OF GOD. The lamb is defenseless, it can’t bite kick or fight. It says, "what do you want to do to me, go ahead, hurt me, reject me or even kill me, if you want?" Adam slew that lamb when he disobeyed GOD. But so has every one of us. Every time we violate the nature of the LAMB we cause that precious blood to flow as a fountain for sin and uncleanness. The CROSS was a physical manifestation of a SPIRITUAL REALITY.

My conscience now expresses my consciousness for the VEIL (of flesh) HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY, because I AM IN CHRIST. Now he commands me to be bold to enter into the MOST HOLY PLACE by the blood of Jesus, by a NEW and LIVING WAY which he has forged for us THROUGH THE VEIL, which is his flesh.

On the cross Jesus died to release his SPIRIT that we might become partakers of the divine nature. His body was pierced to release from his heart the LIVING WATER OF THE SPIRIT, that if any man thirst, let him come and drink, and out of his belly shall flow the LIVING WORD like a river.  

Jesus Christ made available to us his FLESH and his BLOOD. Not the cracker and grape juice distributed in Church, which has no power to change lives, but the REALITY represented by his FLESH and BLOOD. His flesh is the BREAD FROM HEAVEN which is a manifestation of his LIFE. If a man eat, he shall live forever. His BLOOD is his CONSCIOUSNESS or his SOUL, which he poured out unto death.

This is the CONSCIOUSNESS or the MIND OF CHRIST, and we are told, "EXCEPT YOU EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, YOU HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU. BUT as the LIVING FATHER hath sent me and I live because of the FATHER, so HE THAT EATETH ME EVEN HE SHALL LIVE BECAUSE OF ME." John 6:51-57.

Beloved check your consciousness today because your very LIFE depends upon it. Remember "IN ADAM ALL DIE…..BUT IN CHRST ALL SHALL BE MADE ALIVE."

May the Lord give you understanding of these things.  

DES WALTER

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