The Journey of the Soul - Des Walter

INTRODUCTION.

The question of man’s IDENTITY is one of the stumbling blocks keeping us from enjoying life as God intended. It is no secret that every one of us develops our own sense of identity, out of which we actually live our lives. The problem is that the information we use to arrive at our understanding of ourselves quite often is incorrect, so that what we believe we are can create further difficulties for us.
Many Christians seek to discover themselves, based upon inflexible religious notions, that produce a "faith" which cannot stand the test of living proof, and so our anxiety and uncertainty increases. It was Billy Graham who used to quote many times in his preaching, that within MAN there is a GOD SHAPED BLANK, and only GOD can fill it!!
Ever since Adam found himself outside the Garden of Eden, mankind has been searching to discover himself and to find his way back. Eastern religion has seen a renaissance in recent years because the Christian fundamentalist has not only failed to provide answers to mans deepest needs, but has so muddied the waters that the TRUTH has been made obscure to mankind generally. Paul in speaking to the saints at Rome declared that the COSMOS is in labor with a NEW BIRTH. Rom 8:18-25 He speaks of the "sufferings of this present time and of the glory that shall be revealed." He continues saying that "CREATION WAITS, for the revelation (apocalypse) of God’s children."
There is one word above all others that come to mind with regard to finding out who we are and where we are going, and that word is L-O-V-E. This should not be a surprise to anyone because the CREATOR from whence we have come is declared to be LOVE. But the journey of the soul through its "hells," darkness and turmoil, needs to be understood if we are to ever to attain the NEW HEAVENS AND THE EARTH.
Let us travel together on what may seem to be uncharted waters, in our search not only for identity but also for fulfillment in our daily lives. We begin the journey on a very positive note, with God saying, "Behold I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW." Therefore failure will not prevent us from achieving our goal. As we travel we will touch on issues that may be painful for us to face, but only in honesty can we reach God.


THE SENSE OF SEPARATION FROM GOD

Traditional Christianity today has been made to revolve around the question of S-I-N and how to deal with it. This represents a hang over from the Priesthood and sacrificial system of the Hebrews of the Old Testament. Very early in the history of the Church, particularly from the time of Constantine, the emperor of Rome, the Religious authorities were busy establishing their supremacy over the people. Part of this strategy was the institution of the MASS, which replaced the gruesome slaughter of animals with a "Spiritual Sacrifice" which now offered the people an answer to the question of SIN.
This whole focus on SIN firmly established a great gulf that divided MAN from GOD. If you think that this was born out of a genuine spiritual revelation, you could not be further from the truth. The whole system of sacrifices and offerings in the Old Testament provided permanent employment and position for the Priesthood in Israel, because of S-I-N. Church leadership today in both the Episcopal and Evangelistic Churches, would be looking for other means of income if people understood that GOD AND MAN HAVE NEVER BEEN SEPARATED!
One of the clearest expressions of SALVATION in the Old Testament is given to us in Exodus 14:13. "And Moses said unto the people, fear ye not, stand still, and see the SALVATION OF THE LORD, which he will shew you today; for the Egyptians you have seen today, you shall see them again NO MORE FOR EVER."
I want you to notice that SIN is not even mentioned here in connection with Salvation. Further more, Israel was not told to REPENT or to repeat some religious formula, but simply to STAND STILL AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD. The Egyptians did not represent S-I-N to Israel, but the carnal Adamic consciousness, which even in this our day imprisons and enslaves the souls of men, separating our GOD from us leaving us vulnerable to that, which would imprison us.
The Prophet Jeremiah states very clearly, "I spake NOT unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning BURNT OFFERINGS OR SACRIFICES. But this thing commanded I them, saying, OBEY MY VOICE and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well with you." Jer 7:22-23.
The Psalmist David also had this to say, "Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works that thou hast done, and thy thoughts that are toward us, they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. SACRIFICE and OFFERINGS THOU DIDST NOT DESIRE, MY EARS THOU HAST OPENED. BURNT OFFERING AND SIN OFFERING THOU HAST NOT REQUIRED." Ps 40:5-6. This is also quoted concerning Christ in Heb 10:5-8
From our earliest childhood we have been taught that God put Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, but Eve rebelled against God and took of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then she gave it to Adam also. This resulted in God casting them out of the Garden, and now everyone is infected by this original sin and is under the law of SIN and DEATH. However we are not required to kill an animal today, because the same God who said he did not want sacrifice and offerings for sin, kills his Son as a SIN OFFERING on the cross. In view of this sacrifice we can have our sins forgiven and so go to heaven when we die.
This teaching separates a man from God who remains hidden, just as he was for Israel in the Tabernacle. The separation of the soul from God relegates mankind to a HELL, where we live out our lives in fear and torment, becoming slaves to our passions and desires. Man’s true sense of identity can only be found in our Heavenly FATHER but because he has abandoned us we are not sure if we really want to know him. However because we were created as spiritual creatures, there is a longing within man’s heart that causes him to seek after God.
I have traveled thousands of miles teaching people the TRUTH about God, and about themselves. I have witnessed first hand that great release that comes to a person when they discover God is not angry with them and neither has he ever left them as they have been taught. The TRUTH is that GOD IS L-O-V-E, and that love embraces the whole WORLD according to John 3:16. It is needful to add also that God’s Love is UNCONDITIONAL!!
I know that what I have written will make religious people angry, but that is not my motive for writing this study. I am writing for those who are searching for Truth and Reality seeking for the one who is the LOVER OF THEIR SOUL. Jesus said, "I will not leave you as ORPHANS (without parents who care for you) but I WILL COME TO YOU." I want you to follow as we explore this journey of the SOUL from HELL TO HEAVEN.

WHERE ARE WE

Our search begins from a place of separation from God, because we have been told, and we believe, we are sinners in the sight of God and therefore he is angry with us, and has cast us out of his presence. The foolishness of this concept is evident from the statement of David when he said, "Where shall I go from thy Spirit, or where shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven THOU ART THERE, If I make my bed in hell THOU ART THERE, If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Psalm 139:1-12
Any man who believes he is separate from God is living in HELL. In that position he sees every problem as a punishment from God, and all the future holds for him is impending doom. Here is the reason for the great increase in mental illness; stress and depression that we see today even amongst Christians. This assumed separation from God has far reaching ramifications for us. It includes a sense of loneliness that depresses many people.
Many Christians become depressed if they do not have a fellowship or Church, which believes like they do. These people are souls that wander through a "wilderness," feeling there is no one they can share with. Such loneliness can even persist in marriage where one partner does not feel their mate is "born again." This breeds a feeling of estrangement almost as if they are from some other planet. The basis of this problem is a subtle form of pride where a person sees others as less than themselves, and especially in the sight of God.
Such is the depth of the deception we embrace as we wander in the darkness of our carnal reasoning. Has it not occurred to you that God is NO RESPECTOR OF PERSONS, for he has made of ONE BLOOD all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth? Acts 17:26. Furthermore Paul tells the philosophers of his day that "IN GOD WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING….FOR WE ARE ALSO THE OFFSPRING OF GOD." V.28 How great is the darkness that envelops the soul of man, when he cannot believe GOD IS IN EVERY MAN.
How tragic to see so many wives who believe they know Christ but whom look down on their husbands causing them to resent their religious impudence. Of course the reverse is just as destructive when the husband treats their wives the same. When the sun came up this morning it shone on everybody. The rain waters everybody’s garden and not just those of the Christians. Scripture declares, "God so loved the WORLD." That means there is not one person on the face of the earth that God does not LOVE.
In many cases the present religious concepts of the Church as presented today, have become one of the most divisive forces this world has ever seen. It has been responsible for many marriage breakups, and divided families, it has separated neighbors and affected many other relationships. On a national scale it has divided nations such as Northern Ireland and many other nations. Wars are fought on the basis of what one nation considers being right, thus we justify national action equating it with the will of God.
British people generally are taught to favor Israel in all circumstances even when their actions are just as barbaric as their enemies. This is a part of the bias and bigotry fostered by religion. In all these things we cannot justify our attitudes from the teachings of Jesus, which it seems many have left behind in favor of a more general consensus of world opinion.
Back home we find ourselves separated from one another by attitudes, color, culture, religion and social standing. So the soul of man wanders in the wilderness of loneliness seeking to discover where she fits into the scheme of things. At a young age the soul can experience such emptiness, which develops into anti social behavior, as they try and avoid any close encounters of the person kind. In later life it becomes difficult to establish any meaningful relationships at all. These young people become victim to their own loneliness, attaching themselves to the first person that shows any interest in them. This is usually someone with the same kind of problem, and the relationship is built on his or her mutual need and so generally lacks any kind of genuine love.
Many souls live as ORPHANS in this world, being separated from God and having no meaningful ties with others. This is in spite of the fact that Jesus said he would never leave or forsake us. But the voice of truth is lost in the thunder of the preacher’s voice that says, "Repent or die in eternal separation from God."
To probe deeper into the question of loneliness we find the soul must first discover its true identity that has been lost in the clamor of voices in the world. The preacher declares we are SINNERS in the sight of God and so God is angry with us. He presses home his point telling us we were BORN IN SIN as a result of Adam’s sin, and God holds us responsible for what we are. This puts us down and destroys any sense of dignity we may have had.
So in the dark night of the soul we search for someone to tell us WHO WE ARE. Are we creation’s rejects, the manifest failures of the creator? Is there any hope of finding a reason for being, and a purpose in life? Must God continue to punish me for being what he made me to be, until my life is taken from me? Surely death must be the ultimate release from the darkness of the soul’s despair.


WHAT IS GOD

If we are to escape from the darkness, the soul needs to find God before it can ever discover WHAT IT IS. This is a universal quest born in the heart of every man. Two men began to follow Jesus one day, and he turned to them and asked, "WHAT SEEK YE." And they said, "Master, where do you dwell?" And he replied, "COME AND SEE." That day their lives were changed forever.
However our soul’s search is made much more difficult because of the many different voices in the Church about where we can find God. Many tell us God is up in HEAVEN, which is in the sky above the stars. So our imagination goes to work and we build a beautiful palace up in the Sky and we put God there sitting on a throne of pure gold. Now we think we know where he lives we can pray to him asking him to help us and bless us. But it is only a one-way conversation, as we never hear anything from this God up in the Sky.
We continue to search even harder to find God, but then the preacher tells us that there is a great hope we have to focus on. This hope is that Jesus said before he went away, that he would come back at the end of the age. At that time we will be caught up off the earth into the clouds where we will be made perfect and then live for ever in this beautiful "heaven" with streets of pure gold. So all we can do now is "Hold the fort for I am coming!" But this does not provide any real answer for my present dilemma.
The soul continues its search, but where can I find him? I hear another voice telling me if I go to Church I will certainly find God. So I obey the voice and sing the songs and listen to the sermon but I could not find God. Then I turned to the scriptures to see if Jesus could tell me where I might find God. To my amazement I turned to John 14 and read about Phillips request for Jesus to show them the Father. He finally said to him, "Don’t you believe that I AM IN THE FATHER AND THE FATHER IS IN ME? He said, "The words that I speak are my Father’s words and the works I do, these are the works of my Father."
For the first time LIGHT began to dawn on my soul, as I discovered I had been looking in the wrong place to find God. He was not in some ethereal heaven but dwelt IN US. He said, "In that day you will know that I AM IN THE FATHER AND YOU ARE IN ME, AND I AM IN YOU." Jn 14:20. My soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler.
Today’s theology has moved so far from the truth as to make it almost impossible for anyone to truly KNOW GOD. It would seem that the preservation of the organization called "Church" is the hidden agenda to which everything including the doctrines must bow. Once a soul discovers GOD WITHIN it renders the organization obsolete. We have a one on one relationship with God hearing his voice and knowing his will. The body now becomes HIS HOLY TEMPLE, with Christ reigning within as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Now the scriptures that once were just words or verses in the Bible, become SPIRIT and LIFE. Jesus said, "Don’t call any man on the earth your Father, because ONE IS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN."Matt 23:9. Millions of people pray around the world, "OUR FATHER which art in heaven," but the Truth of what they are saying has never entered their heart. Just think about it, GOD IS YOUR FATHER, which means you are his CHILDREN. Religion says only Christians are children of God, but the truth is ALL MANKIND is a child of God!
The revelation that God is our FATHER is one of the most life changing experiences we can have. Only then is the lie exposed, that God is angry with us because we are sinners, having cast us away out of his presence. NOW we know that GOD NEVER LEFT US in the first place, and never ever will leave us. God is the power that produced and sustains the universe. He is the creative principle and law unto all of his creation. This LAW when it functions in us becomes a LAW OF FULFILLMENT, just as Jesus said, "I have come that you might have LIFE and have it more abundantly."
The concept of a God who blesses us when we do good and punishes us when we do evil, is probably responsible for much of the sickness and other problems mankind has to endure in these days. The sense of separation from God puts man in a hell more awful than Dante’s inferno. The truth is, that there is nothing we can THINK or DO, that can enable us to know God. How can we search for God when the Kingdom of God is WITHIN US? The very idea of searching indicates we do not believe God dwells IN US.
Paul makes it clear that God has reconciled ALL THINGS unto himself. Such reconciliation removes any consciousness of separation from God. The abundant life promised by Jesus Christ is not ours simply by believing in him, but becomes reality when we discover we are Spiritual beings just like him. We are told that the MEEK shall inherit the earth, however it would seem in the natural that such an inheritance belongs to the rich and powerful.
In Matt 5:48 we are commanded to be PERFECT. Do you think Jesus was serious when he asked us to be PERFECT? This is not something that happens automatically because we believe. NO, it can only be achieved, as we are conscious that our NATURE IS DIVINE. We were perfect in the beginning therefore we must have had the divine nature then. Paul says, "Till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto A PERFECT MAN, UNTO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST." Eph 4:13.
Many Christians believe they will only be made perfect after they die and go to heaven. But if Jesus meant what he said and expected we could do it, then it is obvious that God’s purpose is to become INCARNATE IN US just as he did in Jesus. The PERFECTION that is expected of us was demonstrated in Jesus, and God has purposed for us to be conformed to the Image of his Son. We are patterned to reflect the image and likeness of God, and this is achieved by a consciousness that when activated reproduces the Christ Life in us.
The spread of Christianity in Western Europe did not occur by believing in Jesus, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. This spiritual power released the Truth of IMMANUAL or GOD DWELLING IN MAN. Remember Jesus asked the disciples, "Whom do men say that I am?" Some thought he might be John the Baptist who had recently been beheaded, others suggested Elijah, or Jeremiah, or another of the prophets. Then he turned to the disciples and asked them, "Whom SAY YE that I the Son of man AM?"
Peter responded out of his spirit, "Thou art the CHRIST the Son of the Living God." Jesus reminded Peter that such knowledge could only come by revelation from God.


THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM.

Jesus made a very informative statement concerning HIS CHURCH. He said, "Thou are Peter and upon THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I give unto you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
John the Apostle records in his letters that, "Whoever confesseth that JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD, GOD DWELLS IN HIM AND HE IN GOD." 1 Jn 4:15. So when Peter confessed that Jesus is the SON OF GOD, it reflected a state of consciousness within him. That confession that "GOD DWELLS IN A MAN" released the consciousness that God did indeed dwell in the man PETER. The ROCK upon which the Church is built was not PETER himself, but "THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF GOD DWELLING IN MAN." By his confession Peter awakened the ARCHETYPE of the CHRIST WITHIN HIMSELF.
To say THOU ART THE CHRIST is to declare that GOD can express HIMSELF IN A MAN. When Peter saw God manifest in Jesus Christ, the same revelation broke forth in himself. As a result of such a revelation Jesus now declares, "If we bind on earth the Spiritual nature of ourselves, then we bind the spiritual powers of heaven within us. BUT if we loose the "GOD IN MAN" consciousness in the earth then the spiritual powers of heaven will be released, and as Jesus said, "NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU." Matt 17:20.
These truths have been hidden from us, but today for those with ears to hear, the Spirit is speaking out from the Most Holy Place. An angel spoke to a virgin called Mary, telling her that she would conceive and bring forth a son. This was too much for Mary’s natural mind because she was not married and so for her such a conception was impossible. But the angel said, "You will call his name Jesus, and he shall be great, and shall be called the SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David." Mary asked the angel, "How shall this be seeing I know not a man?"
Here is the angel’s answer, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High God shall over shadow you, therefore that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called a SON OF GOD." Luke 1:26-35. When God said, "Let us make MAN in our image and after our likeness," his purpose was that this creature would be the vessel in which he would dwell, and express himself.
When Jesus Christ came into the world we witnessed the birthing of a NEW CREATION people, the SEED of which is CHRIST. This creation is only "NEW" because, ever since Adam found himself outside the Garden of Eden, man has considered he is a separate entity from God. Now for the first time there is a man of flesh and blood, born of a woman who could declare his ONENESS WITH THE FATHER. This statement so shocked the religious leaders that they decided to kill him.
He asked them their reason for wanting to kill him, and they replied, "For blasphemy, and because that you being a MAN, are making yourself GOD." You see Jesus was speaking the TRUTH about his real identity, but the Pharisees considered it to be blasphemy. But I want you to hear what Jesus said to them. "Is it not written in your law, I said YE ARE GODS. (Quoted from Psalm 82:6) If HE called them gods unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken, say ye of him whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest because I said, I AM A SON OF GOD.
Now I am convinced that Jesus knew the Truth, because he is the PATTERN SON. Paul declares that we were created in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:10) thus constituting us SONS OF GOD and ONE WITH THE FATHER. The religious world has never changed its attitude from that of the Pharisees in Jesus day, and to believe this truth will still incur its judgment, which is "annihilation." (Expulsion from their system) Herein lies the very reason why they crucified Jesus. Remember it was not the HEATHEN who instigated his death, but the religious leaders of Israel!!


SEPARATION FROM GOD

The great paradox presented here requires an answer. If man was CREATED in the beginning IN CHRIST according to Eph 2:10, and we were CHOSEN IN CHRIST before the disruption of the world, then the question is: -

What caused man to FORGET his origin and to assume one of his own choosing?
This is the great question for which we must discover an answer, if we are ever to know GOD in TRUTH. First of all let us declare the religious answer presented by many preachers and Bible teachers. It states that when man rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of Good and evil, God invoked his judgment upon him and "killed" him. This "death" was not immediately evident in the physical realm, but carried the spiritual consequence of being SEPARATED FROM GOD. This involved Adam being evicted from the "garden" or presence of God. A flaming sword was set in the way to prevent man from returning to the paradise he had lost.
The only way we can now enter Paradise involves repentance from our sins, and an acceptance of a BLOOD SACRIFICE on our behalf, which is CHRIST, whom the Father slew on the cross thus satisfying his sense of JUSTICE. However, our return to that "Garden of God" which is called HEAVEN, requires that we die first physically, then wait for the "Rapture" and the Resurrection of the saints, at which time we will be perfected and received into heaven.


WHAT IS THE TRUTH

The above two paragraphs are simply the product of the carnal mind of man, and have no basis in the realm of TRUTH. I am going to take you back to the place where the SOUL of man lost its identity and from that moment began a wilderness journey to discover WHO WE ARE and also WHERE WE CAME FROM. We call this the JOURNEY OF LIFE.

It is most important that we know that man did not lose his identity because of anything that he (MAN) did!
Paul tells us the creature was made SUBJECT TO VANITY, not willingly, that is not by man’s choice. Rather the choice was made for him by God who at the same time declared that MAN would also be delivered from the bondage of corruption that would result from the vanity into which man was to be lowered. Rom. 8:20-21. Let me make it abundantly clear that it was not Adam’s sin that lowered him into vanity, but rather his LOWERED LIFE CONDITION was responsible for causing him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Let us establish the meaning of the word "VANITY" used by Paul. It is Strong’s No 3153 MATAIOTES meaning: - That which is devoid of TRUTH and appropriateness. It is derived from No 3152 MATAIOS meaning Vain, devoid of force, truth, success and result, USELESS and of NO PURPOSE.
Now we need to understand how man was brought into this state, which was to play an important part in God’s plan and purpose for man. In Gen 2:7 the Lord God, Jehovah Elohim, formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into man the breath of lives, and MAN BECAME something, A LIVING SOUL. Paul tells us that Adam the first man was a TYPE or FIGURE of one that was to come, referring to JESUS CHRIST. These TWO MEN are set in contrast to one another.
"The FIRST MAN ADAM was made a LIVING SOUL, but the LAST ADAM, JESUS CHRIST was A LIFE GIVING SPIRIT." 1 Cor 15:45. Why was the first man ADAM designated a LIVING SOUL, but the LAST ADAM, JESUS CHRIST is not called a SOUL but rather a SPIRIT. If you have ears to hear then listen to the voice of the Spirit speaking out of the Most Holy Place.
We are told, "In the beginning was THE WORD or LOGOS the total expression of the divine mind." This "Word" became FLESH at a point in history being born of a woman but conceived by the Holy Spirit. Speaking by revelation of the Spirit, Peter announced that this "MAN" WAS INDEED THE CHRIST THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD. The whole theological world was turned on its head when he declared, "I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE." Jn 10:30.
So now we understand the HOPE of man’s return to his original state, is centered in the PROTO-TYPE, which is CHRIST who came and revealed the true nature and identity of MAN.
We are told that God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam and he slept, taking out of him the whole FEMALE part of his being. In the beginning man was created MALE and FEMALE. Gen 1:27. However the scripture is not speaking about physical gender, which is simply a parable of the true reality. In every person there is a part that is MALE called the SPIRIT, and a part that is FEMALE called the SOUL. In the Greek language words have gender, and Spirit is always masculine and SOUL is always feminine.
These TWO PARTS male and female are present in every person on the earth regardless of their physical gender. The Male part represents the Spirit, which is GOD, and the FEMALE part is the SOUL, which is the "heart of man." These two parts Spirit and Soul form the SPIRITUAL part of mankind today, being invisible to the naked eye. The Body is the only visible part of man. We must understand that the SOUL being the female part is THE WOMB of man. By this we mean that what ever the SOUL considers itself to be, is brought to birth and into manifestation.
The SOUL of man consists of the MIND, EMOTION, and the WILL. These three acting in concert become what the Bible calls the HEART of man, and actually form our consciousness. Remember man became a LIVING SOUL, which means he considers that he is a SELF that is separate from God. The SOUL has within itself no capacity to know God being limited to five senses, none of which are capable of touching God. Scripture says, "The natural or soulish man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor 2:14.
The Garden of Eden is a beautiful parable depicting this soulish man, functioning after the Separation of the SOUL (woman) from the SPIRIT (man). The soul is now given its own identity and is called EVE by Adam. Thus the soul (Eve) goes off on her own seeking for more knowledge. She is not aware that the MIND separated from the Spirit is "carnal" and more subtle than any beast of the field. In the parable it is depicted as a serpent or snake. The reasoning quality of the mind begins to function exploring areas of thought that had never been contemplated before.
Now the Soul (woman) believes she has found the secret to being as God, through the knowledge of Good and Evil, and immediately embraces her new found knowledge. She imparts what she has learnt with Adam, and together they succumb to the poison of the snake. They find themselves naked and their God now becomes and enemy from whom they must hide. The consequence of their carnal knowledge ends in DEATH, having allowed their knowledge to separate themselves from God.
From that very moment man has wandered as a LIVING SOUL through the wilderness of this world alone, seeking to rediscover his true identity. Like the prodigal son we have wandered into the far country, thinking we can find life and satisfaction, only to discover we have been cheated and exploited. Israel moved to a good country only to be made slaves of a despot who used them for his own purposes, destroying their freedom. Is this not a picture of life for most people in the world today?


WHERE CAN I FIND LOVE

Every SOUL is searching for its true identity, and the fulfillment that is part of the female psyche, to conceive and bear a child. This desire could be called a search for L-O-V-E. For most this search has been made difficult because of man’s false concept of God. A Father, who abandons his children because they failed to please him, does not attract us to himself. Neither a Father who loves us when we do good but punishes us when we do evil. Such ideas of our true Father do not encourage us towards him in order to be loved.
However true LOVE is beautifully portrayed in the Song of SONGS, written by Solomon. Remember in the scriptures a Song is a message, and this message is direct from the Most Holy Place. This message is an invitation from the King of Kings, issued in love, to follow him into the conception chamber of Spiritual realization.
In this story we discover that there is a unique relationship between the SPIRIT and the SOUL and while there may be much flirtation on the part of the Soul, there is NO LOVE that will satisfy her until she finds the true lover of her soul, which is Christ. Here we must leave behind all the Hebrew concepts of God connected with the Tabernacle and Temple. For the Lord the Spirit is inviting us to go where no Israelite dared to go, into the Most Holy Place where GOD DWELLS. Here is the only place where a dead stick cut from the plant can bud, flower and fruit all in one night, as it did for Aaron. Num 17:8.
This beloved is a NEW DAY and a new revelation of God, which is awakening and rising up the Christ WITHIN US, and filling the sense of emptiness we have felt for so long. It is also represents an opening of our eyes to see into the true nature of all things. The MALE and FEMALE characters of this song represent the SPIRIT and the SOUL
The Soul (Woman) is represented by the Shulamite, who is searching for her beloved. It is only when we know Christ that we can ever know ourselves completely. The mystery of CHRIST is that GOD and MAN ARE ONE. After the Soul has prostituted herself with the flesh, bringing forth flesh in manifestation, her desire begins to turn toward God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is one of LIGHT transforming consciousness, revealing the Son of God in each one of us.
Only then can we consciously identify ourselves with DIVINITY, and the world of Spirit is open to us. Then as we come to know experientially the divine nature within ourselves, we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Here is revealed the mystery of Godliness, which is Christ the Lord appearing in and through his saints.
Here in the Song of Songs is revealed the depth of passion felt in the Soul as Christ the Spirit is revealed within. "Let him kiss me (for I desire to know him deeply and personally) with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love (nature) is better than wine. (better that any thing else than can excite me). "Draw me and we will run after thee." We can only enter into that Holy presence by invitation, a drawing that is gentle but enough to instill confidence that we are wanted. Any sense of SIN is sufficient to keep us out of that Most Holy place, not by any law, except that which we impose upon ourselves.
So much has to be changed as the soul seeks after the one who loves her. She regards herself as BLACK from the stress and hardship of her life. But in chapter seven a change has taken place, and she is now described as the beautiful daughter of a Prince. Before she was just a woman of the desert wilderness, but now she has a new nature and a royal identity that becomes evident in her walk. Her spiritual eyes now see what was hidden from her in her wanderings and a transforming is taking place.
The relationship of this Schulamite woman and the King expose for us the growth and development of the soul through which we all must pass. Everything in her must change until she finds herself exactly like him and no longer the desert girl of the wilderness. As the presence of Christ is raised up in us he becomes the power that results in the nature of his incorruptible life swallowing up all death and corruption in us.
The joining of the Spirit and Soul will undergo the testing of fire, because the moment we desire to know Truth we will experience the law of opposites, and wander in the wilderness until we have reconciled the two to become ONE REALITY. In this union we are entering into the fulfillment of God’s determined purpose to gather together everything IN CHRIST, whether they be in heaven or on the earth.
Notice in the Song that the other women representing the other Churches and fellowships really had no idea that the King (Christ) had fallen in love with her and desired her (soul) to be the one who would reproduce LIFE in the earth. The union of the SOUL and SPIRIT is called the marriage supper of the Lamb that is witnessed by the angelic host, who herald the "birthing of the Christ" again in the earth. The righteousness of God in Christ is the glory that is manifest in an earthen vessel, upon the earth.
In this long and eventful journey the Soul has experienced the vanity of life itself through ignorance of its identity and origin. But now having passed through the valley of the shadow, and finding her beloved a transformation takes place. This is not the result of the Soul’s activity, but a lifting of the consciousness out of the earth sphere, wherein the vanity of life functions, into Father’s house, where LOVE reigns supreme. This is accomplished by a is Baptised by ONE SPIRIT into ONE BODY, where there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond or free, MALE NOR FEMALE, for the two have become ONE and what God has joined together no man can put asunder. Now the cycle is complete and man has past the test, to overcome the Adamic consciousness which has caused the darkness, ignorance and hell through which he has past.
The soul no longer is drawn away by desire for the soul has found its lover and the Spirit has found its completeness of expression in the likeness and Image of God. In the union of Soul and Spirit the incarnation is complete and the divine nature created in us in the beginning finds expression again just as the creator designed, in HIS LIKENESS AND IMAGE.
It is my prayer that you may open your heart and mind to the Truth that is being revealed in this our day, and come boldly unto the throne of Grace where Father waits with open arms to greet you and welcome you back HOME.