The Restoration Of Man - Des Walter

THE WORD OF GOD IS NOT A BOOK,
BUT A LIVING PERSON, JESUS CHRIST,
John 1:1

For many Christians, the Bible is simple a "BOOK" just like any other book, so that if we are capable of reading the language, then we should be able to understand what it is saying. Such an attitude has resulted in much confusion, among God’s people. Paul declares to Timothy, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." In Job 32:8 we find another interesting statement, "But there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding." The word "Inspiration," simply means it is GOD BREATHED.
Everything on this earth that has breath is being sustained, and a correspondence is maintained by God breathing in them. Knowledge and information is passed between God and man also by means of the breath of God. To use another analogy God and man are not "Hard Wired," so that means that there must be a spiritual link that connects us to God. A Radio has the capacity to tune in to the transmitter of a Radio Station and be able to pick up the signal without a hard wire connection between the Radio and the Station. We now have "Mobile Phones" that do not require a hard wire back to some Phone connection, but has the capacity to pick up the signal from towers scattered over the country, just like a wireless.
In the same way the connection between God and man is the ability put within us whereby we can hear his voice and receive knowledge and direction through the SPIRIT. However, we do not function constantly in our life on a spiritual frequency, but often one that is natural. This means that a man can live his whole life without hearing the voice of God even though God dwells in every man. Having laid this foundation let us explore these things further. There were men who discovered that it was possible for a man to actually hear from God and to receive information that he wanted to be made known to mankind. These are the ones that Paul spoke to Timothy about, confirming that what they had written was what God had BREATHED into them, the words and knowledge he wanted recorded.
From this we understand that just as a book on medicine is written in medical language, which is only intelligible to Doctors, so a book that is generated by the SPIRIT can only be understood by those who have the same "Breath" breathed into them. I pick up a book on electronics and I do not understand what the signs and symbols mean, so if I was asked to speak on electronics everybody would end up confused not because I wanted to confuse everyone, but I would not know what I am talking about. Can you not see that the reason for the utter confusion in the religious world is that a man says, I understand English so give me a Bible and I will tell you what it is saying. That man is ignorant of the fact that the book called the Bible DOES NOT SPEAK. It does not say a word. The man is using what we call the mind to interpret the letters and words that are ink on the paper, and that is what he will tell you. Now that is not illegal and nor is it wrong if you want to learn some academic subject, but it is very confusing when you use the Bible that way.
People look at the "CHURCH" in the world today and ask the question, "Which Church or denomination is right?" They are all different having different doctrines and different rules or laws to which you must adhere to be a member. So, many people walk away from the Church without realizing many times they are walking away from God also, for there is a big difference between the Living God of all creation, and the God the traditional Church presents. Here we are discovering the reason for the confusion. In the beginning Man was spoken into existence as God breathed out the words, "Let us make MAN," and there was the man. Breath is required if we are to communicate through words. There are three words in our English language that are translated from the ONE Greek word, "PNEUMA," and those three words are, SPIRIT, WIND, and BREATH.
It is interesting that in the Hebrew language those same three words are also translated from ONE word, "RUACH." These three words define the mystical connection between God and all of his creation, even down to the animals. The elephants began to get agitated and trumpeted one hour before the tsunami hit Asia. How did they know when humans were ignorant of what was happening until they were in the wave of destruction. The birds disappear before the storm arrives, for there is a spiritual connection involved between them and their creator. But so often, man fumbles along in the darkness as if he has no connection with the divine.
"Inspiration," is not some magical power that we can conjure up but is the BREATH OF GOD breathing IN US that results in a divine knowledge or wisdom being made available to us to accomplish something that God needs to do. In the scriptures, we see that God breathed the words into certain men, who were required to record them for all mankind. One day the religious leaders sent out spies to gather information about what Jesus was saying, that would provide evidence that would allow him to be brought to trial for treason. When they returned to their masters, their only comment was, "We never heard another man speak like this man." It is recorded of Jesus that, "His Words are SPIRIT and LIFE." The truth is that the GOD BREATHED word will never return to God, without first having accomplished what that word was sent to do.
John begins his Gospel by saying, "In the beginning was the WORD," which is the Greek word LOGOS and means, a word uttered by a living voice, and embodies a conception or idea. God spoke out of his infinite mind in creation, and that word found expression as MAN who is spirit and in the likeness and image of God. Therefore the "Word of God" is not simply words that are spoken, but a PERSON who is CHRIST. So we can see that when God speaks whatever he says is intended to bring forth an expression of the Christ. John continued by saying, "And the WORD was with God (Face to Face) and the WORD WAS GOD." So after creating the heavens and the earth, the pinnacle of all creation was to be an expression of himself that is called MAN. But that man was at that point, a true spirit form with no visible body. That man was CHRIST the only Son of the living God who would remain in the (Invisible) spirit world until the time appointed when he would be revealed as the Savior of the World.
But as the Son of God, his role was to see what the Father was doing in the spirit realm, and then bring it to pass in the earth realm. He now brings forth a manifestation of himself but because he was to dwell on the earth he needed to have a body that would make him visible. So he forms the body from the dust of the earth complete in every detail, except it had no life. We are told that the Lord God the Man of Gen 1:26 who is Christ, now BREATHED INTO the NOSTRILS of the body formed from the dust of the earth the breath of life which he had received from God. This was ADAM who was placed in the Garden of Eden who was the same spirit as the man in Gen 1:26. This man was put to sleep in which he lost consciousness of his true identity which was established in Creation. He now discovers he is no longer alone but the woman has been taken out of him and presented to him as a separate entity. He recognizes that she is bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh for she was taken out of him, so he calls her "Woman."
The female part of Adam, which is the woman, begins to function on her own, which is not what God created in the beginning when the male and the female functioned together as one. This woman had lost that spiritual connection to Adam, which she had in the beginning so she had no way of tuning into the voice of God. The woman who now represents the SOUL is separated from Adam who represents the spirit, and so she has lost her connection with the spirit. It was at this point that another voice was raised in her, that came from within but it was the voice of the snake, which represents the CARNAL MIND. Of course the Garden of Eden is an allegory and not literal so it enables us to understand how man functions as a "Living Soul." The "Snake" we are told is more subtle than all the beasts of the field, and represents the natural or Carnal MIND. This is what has kept mankind in darkness and under a hypnotic spell for so long. God had told Adam that he could eat of all the trees in the Garden except the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for the day you eat thereof you will surely die.
There had been no death in the Garden so Adam had no previous knowledge of it, but the snake saw its opportunity to possess Adam through the woman and thus to be able to produce his own heritage. But Eve is functioning alone with no input from the Spirit, so the snake threw doubt on what God had said, asking the question, "Did God say you shall not eat of every tree in the Garden?" Eve exercises her natural mind to challenge the assumption of the snake, being far more subtle than she is, so the carnal mind becomes the one that wins the argument. Eve convinced herself that she would not die if she ate the fruit of the forbidden tree; in fact she believed she would be as God. So she ate of the fruit and took it to Adam to share with him.
Adam had the ability to make a choice being under no pressure to eat the fruit, for he never spoke to the snake so it had no influence over him. But because he had the foreknowledge of God he realized what Eve had done, therefore it was necessary for him to partake of the fruit with her, or there could be no redemption for anyone. Therefore he ate the fruit with his eyes wide open knowing exactly what it would cost him, but he did it willingly to become ONE with you and me. We recognize that Christ is that Spirit that dwells in every man, so we all have the breath of God breathing in us, yet for so many there is no consciousness of any divine activity within them, for they have no spiritual awareness.
In Job 32:8 he reminds us that "Wisdom" is an expression of the Christ dwelling within us, so he says, "There is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. Here we are told that the communication between God and man is through the SPIRIT and not through the natural mind. Listen to Job again, "Job 28:12 But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man knows not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, it is not in me: and the sea saith, it is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold; neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire the gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it; neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding?
There are really two questions here; the first is WHERE is the source of wisdom, and secondly how does it get from its source to find expression in me? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living (Souls), and kept close from the fowls of the air. Destruction and death say, we have heard the fame thereof with our ears. God has ordered its pathway and he knows where it is stored. For he surveys everything concerning MAN from the END to the very beginning, and establishes it.
Let us answer the two questions posed here by Job regarding wisdom, the first being the source of wisdom. It may come as a shock to many people and perhaps especially those who present themselves as ministries to God’s people that Wisdom is not to be found in the natural man. Job spoke about the "SPIRIT" that is in man, but he declares that it is the "Breath of the Almighty" that gives them understanding. Here is another translation, Job 32:8 "But there is a spirit in mortals; and the inspiration of the Almighty is that which teaches." This is more accurate and helps us to understand more clearly what Father is saying to us. God breathing his word into us is not simply dropping words of wisdom on us, but it must be taught to us. So wisdom comes from God through the "Word" imparted by the spirit.
We come to the conclusion that apart from God man is no better than the brute beasts of the field. Some of the heinous crimes perpetrated by man in the world today have so often brought forth the response that such a person "Is an animal." The second question is probably more important than the first, for it concerns the way in which the Wisdom of God is delivered to man. Job tells us that the communication of wisdom is through the spirit in us receiving understanding. If we are to hear what the spirit is saying to us here, we must go back to the Garden of Eden, for it is here that we find the answers that have eluded us for so long. In Gen 2:21 we read that the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept. In so many cases I believe Adam is still sleeping being ignorant of his true identity and the knowledge of God. Jesus said concerning Lazarus "He is asleep."
So we can see that the separation of the soul and spirit has brought about a dynamic change to the way we function as a person. Man had now become a LIVING SOUL expressed as that woman that Adam called EVE functioning as a separate entity from Adam, the spirit. Since that time man had no divine connection to the spirit and therefore he has lost the inspiration of the almighty that he should have had, giving him wisdom and direction in his life.
Now we need to hear the truth concerning these things or we will remain in the sleep state and walk in the darkness of ignorance. Gen 1-3, represent an allegory, which does not mean that we can treat them as a fairy tale with no truth. But it means that we cannot read these chapters and interpret them as being LITERAL. An allegory is writing in which abstract ideas are personified, conveying a different meaning from that which is expressed, so that it becomes a continuing metaphor. First of all let us be clear that it was not possible to separate the FEMALE from the MALE, because CHRIST is spirit and spirit cannot be divided, for that is impossible, you cannot have half a spirit for there is no such thing.
So we must look at the "Allegory" to listen to what God is saying to us here. In the allegory Adam represents SPIRIT and the "Female" represents the SOUL, which are separated the one from the other to begin to function independently. But in the beginning the Spirit and the Soul functioned together, with the SOUL having the womb through which MAN was to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. However, the true "SEED" of the woman or the SOUL is in the spirit, therefore she cannot reproduce according to the divine will but can only reproduce the SEED of the SERPENT. The reason for this is that the Serpent’s "SEED" was planted in the "MIND" of the Soul representing EVE in the Garden of Eden. This happened when Eve lost the argument with the snake and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This means that while we believe that we were separated from Adam (Spirit) in the Garden of Eden, we will have a sense of separation from God in our present lives.
This is evident when we speak of God up in the sky in some ethereal heaven, or praying to God that is out side of ourselves. The "Soul" of man consists of three main aspects and they are, Mind, Emotions and the Will. Let us consider the mind, because the other two, the Emotions and the Will receive their activation from the Mind. The Soul of man is a part of the SPIRIT, for it is not physical, and is invisible for no one has seen their Soul. However, the function of the soul is directed by one of three laws according to the scripture and this will determine how we live our lives. Paul speaks of one of those laws in Romans 7:22, "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man," and the Inward Man is Christ. The Psalmist says in, Psalm 37:23, "The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD: and he delights in his way." This is true when a man is governed BY THE LAW OF THE LORD THROUGH HIS CHRIST MIND.
The Mind of MAN was created by God in the beginning so that he would be, "In the likeness and Image of God." For God to be able to create all things even the Atoms and the millions of living creatures as well as the heavens and the earth, he must have an INFINITE MIND, therefore man was designed with the same capacity. But when the WOMAN (Soul) began to explore a knowledge system that had nothing to do with God, the carnal mind took control of her. From that very moment the mind of the woman became "Carnal" or "Natural" and no longer spiritual, because it was based upon a pseudo knowledge system based upon the five natural senses of the soul, Sight, Hearing, Touch, Smell and Taste that are not based upon TRUTH. It is through this counterfeit knowledge that man declares his own reality.
At the end of Creation God inspected all that he had created and pronounced it VERY GOOD, for there was no such thing as evil. Once you introduce evil into your understanding you have violated truth. The words "Good and Evil" are not absolute terms for whenever you use the adjective "GOOD" it is a comparison term, and it poses the question, "Good compared to what?" If I say, "That was a "GOOD" cup of tea, I am saying it was good by comparison with other cups of tea I have had. We need to remember that the Mind of man is not "Robotic" with abilities that would automatically function, or we would all become an "Einstein." Some have been gifted with the knowledge of Music and so became great composers, while others were gifted in different ways bringing forth wonderful inventions that enable mankind to do extraordinary things.
The Apostle also speaks of a different mind, Romans 8:7 because the carnal Mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." This is the same "Mind" of man but Paul refers to it now as being CARNAL. Romans 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, (that is) I have the nature of flesh that is subject to sin. This is the same as ADAM declaring to God, "I AM NAKED." I have the nature of FLESH because my mind is functioning under the LAW OF SIN AND DEATH, which is the nature of the unregenerate man. Adam began life in the Garden of Eden with his mind being governed by the Law of God as it was given to man in the beginning. But when the SOUL of man was separated from him and became a separate entity as the WOMAN, the mind no longer came under the direction of the spirit but declared its own reality, for it was separated from Adam the spirit.
We are then told that Eve the Soul began to function on her own and the Mind that was originally under the control of the Spirit, came in contact with the serpent. Eve had never had anything to do with the serpent before this, because it was not some slithering snake talking to Eve, but it was simply her "Mind" that was separated from the SPIRIT OF TRUTH, asserting its own natural knowledge as reality. This "Mind" was no longer controlled by the Spirit, but is now under the control of the woman, functioning independently from Adam who had been united to her in creation. Another "LAW" had now taken control of the mind of Eve because the Law of the Spirit of life in Adam was now being over-ruled by the law of the flesh to which she had not submitted. But it did not happen without a battle for the Law of the Spirit had been well planted and had never been questioned until this moment.
The battle for supremacy was in fact the battle between the divine authority that had been in control of her life up to this point, and a new mental energy that was emerging as Eve ponders her unquestioned allegiance to God under which she had previously lived. It all had to do with authority and who would control the future of this woman that Adam called Eve. The snake in the allegory set out in the scriptures personifies this authority, but is actually the will of the WOMAN opposing the WILL OF GOD. We would naturally consider that God was far stronger than the Woman so there could be no doubt what the outcome would be, but the woman won and declared that she would NOT DIE if she ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Eve relied on the carnal mind instead of God, declaring "MY WILL instead of God’s will."
Never forget the warning given to Adam, when he was told that, "The "Serpent" was more subtle above every beast of the field which Jehovah God hath made, and he saith unto the woman, 'Is it true that God hath said, Ye do not eat of every tree of the garden?" The challenge here was to Eve asking her, "Do you really believe God?" For her to deny that God had told them that they could eat the fruit of all the trees of the Garden would have been too much, but that was not the question, for her memory would have saved her. BUT do you really believe that you will die if you eat that fruit.? This required her to explore the whole activity of the mind without any input from spirit, and the snake knew this.
In the Allegory the snake speaks of a superior WISDOM that is why it is the symbol of the Medical Fraternity mounted on a Pole. So here is our introduction to the "VOICE" of the Snake. This is no ordinary snake that has been divinely gifted to be able to speak, but let me present to you the SATAN of the Bible, who is declared to be the ACCUSER OF THE BRETHEREN, who accuses us day and night before God. Beloved when the Snake deceived Eve it deceived all of mankind who would be BORN OF THAT WOMAN and that includes everyone. The voice of the snake is the voice of the natural or carnal mind that challenged God’s authority in Eden for control of the MIND that is the authority centre for the whole being of man.
Now we are beginning to see how the mind has control over what we think and what we do. Here is Paul’s experience in Rom 7:18-23, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I really desire I do not do, but the evil, which I do not want to do, that is what I do. Now if I do that which I really do not want to do, it is no more the "I" of my true identity that does it, but sin (a controlling force in my mind) that dwells in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present and opposes me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."
This helps us to get an insight into the mind of the man that has been impregnated by the serpent in Gen 3, and its effect has not changed to this day. The subtlety of the snake lies in the fact that we do not have any consciousness of its activity, for to us our mind appears to function normally. Our sense of loneliness, or lack of the consciousness of God’s presence we put down to our circumstances, or lack of knowledge, so we seek for answers, which many times are irrelevant. There is a LAW operating in the carnal mind of mankind today, including the Christians, which declares that you will not obey the will of God for you are, perhaps unknowingly being governed by the LAW OF SIN AND DEATH. If you understood this and began to rebel against it then of course you would set about to cancel it out, but for most Christians they do not consider their life to be unusual or in any way even sinful. That is the subtlety of the Snake.
Paul tells us in Romans 8:5 "For they that are after the flesh are of the same mind and agree with the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit live in harmony with the things of the Spirit. For to function out of a carnal mind will result in death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is an enemy of God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither can it be changed. So then they that are functioning out of the carnal mind cannot under any circumstances please God." Now we realize that the carnal mind IS DEATH, it is a poison for which there is no antidote. The "Infection" that has put the poison into the mind of man, is a "Knowledge System" that challenges everything concerning TRUTH." Remember what God said to Adam in the Garden of Eden, "The day you eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, IN THAT DAY YOU WILL D-I-E."
It is so remarkable to me that many Christians today have embraced the concept of good and evil without considering that this has robbed mankind of experiencing the Life we received in creation. Good and evil constitutes another life that does not flow from God but is the life lived by a MORTAL HUMAN BEING. But we have been so used to living in the wilderness that many Christians cannot even imagine what Jesus was talking about when he said, "I have come that you might have LIFE and have it in abundance."
When Jesus Christ came preaching that the Kingdom of God is IN YOU, it hardly raised a stir among the people and it is not very different today. The "Good News of the Gospel" is that we have never been excluded from the presence of God, nor from his bountiful love and mercy, but calls upon mankind to focus on another life that has been available for 2000 years. This Life is "ETERNAL" and has its source and continuous flow from God, and was demonstrated for everyone to see, by Jesus Christ during his life here on earth.
The Gospel contains a clear invitation to return from the wilderness of our experience to the care and provision of our heavenly Father. There will never be a repeat of what happened in the Garden of Eden, for we are no longer coming to Mount Sinai reminding us of our past failure, but to Mount ZION the CITY of our GOD.
A New Heavens and Earth.
"Father, open the eyes of your people that they might SEE and understand that the NEW HEAVENS and the NEW EARTH are a reality for us today."
John, who was a prisoner of Rome on the Island of Patmos, but who lived as a free man in another world, which he saw in a vision, recorded it for us so that we could enter into that same reality. There could never be a release from the slavery of this world of good and evil, until we have been released from its power. We will put in order the issues that must be dealt with before we can be free to enter into the New Heaven and Earth. There is no simple transfer from darkness into light. The darkness itself must be exposed and its power must be seen to be destroyed. There are three basic issues that we will deal with in this study, in order to understand how we can be released from the bondages that presently prevent us from walking into the liberty and freedom of the Sons of God.
The first one is the raising up of the KING who is represented as the birthing of the "Man-Child" by a people on the earth. The next one has to do with the destruction of the "Beast" that rises out of the sea of humanity. Finally, we need to see that "Babylon" which has imprisoned so many, who has tried to walk with God, is finally destroyed and its power removed never to rise again. In all these issues we are not looking at a calendar and certain consecutive dates in the future, but we must recognize all the works of God were finished FROM THE BEGINNING. It is important to note that all of the opposing forces to our walk and development in God are WITHIN US and not external to us.
Everything that could hold you bound in any way, and able to restrict your growth and development in Christ has already been dealt with. To bring the victory into reality in your own personal life only requires that you "BELIEVE" (that is to have FAITH) that it is already accomplished at the CROSS when Jesus said, "IT, (That is everything that has sought to change or destroy the will and purpose of God on this earth from the "Snake" in the Garden of Eden to DEATH ITSELF) IS FINISHED." This word "Finished" literally means to perform the last act, which completes a process, to accomplish the perfect will of God.
The beginning of our personal release from mortality to immortality begins with the birthing of the man-child in Rev 12. The first command given to Adam was to be fruitful and fill the earth. This he did in Gen 2:7 when he brought forth a manifestation of himself who would be the SEED in all of mankind. The opposition to God on the earth has always been focused on the destruction of that Seed. Now move the clock forward about 4000 years and a "Virgin" in Israel brings forth a seed which is not the "Seed of the Serpent," but the "Seed of God." The divine messenger told Mary, " And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
So we can see that God has fulfilled every requirement to set us free and to overcome all opposition to our walking as Christ in this world. The KING was born 2000 years ago and, "Of his Kingdom there shall be NO END." Christians celebrate Christmas and hold special services to commemorate the birth of Christ, but that event has little or nothing to do with them personally. But this was the birthing of the Christ IN EVERY MAN, for we are ALL IN CHRIST according to Eph 2:10, having been created in him. Herod the King tried to kill him at the time of his birth, just as Pharaoh tried to KILL MOSES who was the deliverer of Israel from Slavery. Religion has majored on the word "SAVIOR" of the world, but this word is not used in Matthew or Mark because in the whole of the Old Testament the concept was on the DELIVERER.
The revelation of God from Genesis is that "God is the deliverer of his people" and it is that concept on which, virtually the whole Old Testament is based as the Hebrews did not seem to have felt the need of a title for God that would sum up this "Saving" aspect of His relation to man. When Jesus began his ministry he did not elevate the concept of SAVIOR, but the KING and the Kingdom of God. This carried on from the "Deliverer" concept of the Old Testament. Israel was 400 years in Egypt many of which were spent in slavery. Their cry that ascended to the Lord was not to be "Saved" but to be SET FREE, so that looked for a DELIVERER. The Passover has been wrongly considered as the sacrificial Lamb of God dying to "SAVE" God’s people. Instead, Passover was the symbol of a slain LAMB that would lead Israel out of the greatest military nation on the earth at that time. Israel never had a gun or a sword but calmly walked out of Egypt with the wealth of the nation, and not even a dog could bark against them. The mighty army of Egypt that followed them perished in the Red Sea without a shot being fired. Such is our deliverer.
Psalm 2 sets the world stage in this battle when it says, "Why do the nations assemble together with commotion (uproar and confusion of voices), and why do the people imagine (meditate upon and devise) an empty scheme." This must have included Pharaoh who heard about the birth of a deliverer for Israel, and ordered the death of every male child, but not only was Moses born but he survived and was raised as the son of Pharaoh in the palace. Finally he fulfilled his destiny by delivering Israel from servitude under Pharaoh, and crushed the power of Egypt’s army.
Likewise when Jesus was born Herod the King at that time tried to find out where he was to be born so he could destroy him, but he also failed just as did Pharaoh. Jesus Christ grew up in obscurity as far as the world was concerned for he could have been mistaken for any man, but known to God’s people. The Psalmist says in Psalm 2:4, "He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord has them in derision and in supreme contempt he mocks them…… Yet I have anointed and installed MY KING (firmly) on my holy hill of Zion." I will declare the decree of the Lord. He said to me, you are my Son, and today (I declare) I have begotten you." (Amp)
Yes, that prophecy applies to Jesus Christ, but also to every one who has HEARD THAT VOICE whoever they are, all over the world. There will be many red faces among those who today consider they are the select of the elect and the ones, who will become the "Man-Child," when that "one" (Many membered body) is revealed to the world as CHRIST. If that Man-Child were to be born in a certain place or through a certain people, it may be destroyed, but it is being birthed IN A PEOPLE in the silence and obscurity of the spirit.
John tells us, that there is something that is appearing in the realm of Spirit, and not in the Middle East, and it has to do with a WOMAN. This woman began her so called existence in the Garden of Eden when the Lord God was said to have put Adam to sleep and removed the female part of his being. This inevitably was the intention of the serpent to frustrate the purposes of God in producing the man-child. Although in creation that Woman was a part of Adam who represents the Spirit, yet in her state of separation she lacked the divine seed to bring forth after the spirit. This woman represents all of mankind for she became the "Mother of all living." The first MAN came out of God, but since that time every other man has come out of that woman. The first man she gave birth to was a murderer and his name was CAIN.
When God spoke to Adam about being "Fruitful," he was not speaking simply about the union of an egg and a sperm as in natural childbirth, but the bringing to birth of man’s true identity, which is Christ. This was revealed in prophecy by the Prophet Isaiah, "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son and shall call his name Immanuel which is God with us." Isa 7:14. Then in Isa 9:6, after King Ahaz had brought Israel into a time of darkness, the hope of salvation was promised and was fulfilled ultimately after 4000 years of human history, just as the Prophet Isaiah said it would be. In fact the destiny of all mankind including Israel was revealed through another woman who was a virgin who birthed the deliverer.
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace." However, this child that was born represented a people who would fill the earth all having the same seed of divine destiny within themselves. This is the one that Peter identified in Matt 16:16 as "The CHRIST the Son of the Living God." In this, God was fulfilling his own desire when he said, "For you are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." 2Cor 6:16.
The prophecy of Isaiah had now been fulfilled and God had taken up residence on the earth walking as man. He is "EMMANUEL" God with us, and this was confirmed by his ministry for he told the people that the Kingdom of God was within them as a present experience, and it was not some event that would come thousands of years later. Living in that Kingdom today involves the Government of our life resting upon his shoulder, and to us he becomes the Wonderful counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. No wonder the Psalmist declared, Mercy and Truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Psalm 85:10.
But we must go on, for there is yet to be a manifestation of the Christ that will flow forth from a people on this earth not as a Babe born in a manger any longer but this will be the birthing of the MAN CHILD, the King of Glory with divine power to RULE THE NATIONS. His birth in Bethlehem was as Savior and Redeemer, despised and rejected of men and a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. However, they rejected and crucified him and buried him in a rock tomb, thinking that was the end of him. BUT on the third day the tomb burst open to reveal the power of death had been forever broken, and the NEW CREATION MAN revealed himself in all his glory to those with eyes to see. The "Nations that the Christ is to rule over are not simply the present nations of the world, but are the Nations Israel had to conquer when they took up residence in the Land of Canaan. They are the "Nations" of "Ites" who had settled in to the Promised Land but had no right to be there. God said to Israel "YOU cast them out for I have given the land TO YOU." God acted on their behalf as the DELIVERER.
The cross continues to destroy the power of death for all those who dare to believe we were created immortal, born to rule and reign victorious over sin and death IN THIS WORLD. The resurrection is the end of our false identity as a Mortal Human Being, and the end of the power of DEATH, as the transformation of our MIND destroys the power of the serpent’s deception, being replaced by the MIND OF CHRIST. Now we can say, "For me to live IS CHRIST expressing himself through me? If you have seen me in reality you have seen my Father, for "I" and my Father ARE no longer separate entities but we are O-N-E."
Now we have a people all of whom are walking in the reality of their true identity with Christ dwelling IN THEM, but this is not the end of the story, for so many Christians declare that Christ dwells in them, but there is no evidence for others to see. It is so easy to parrot the statements above without any reality attached to them. It is the Apostle Paul who tells us that our ministry is to birth this Christ bringing him into manifestation in our lives. Not by seeking to imitate Jesus Christ as so many Christians do for that is a waste of time. We must do what Mary did and birth the Christ, but not as a physical experience, but spiritually. Paul said to the Galatian Christians, "My little Children for whom I am suffering birth pangs until Christ is completely formed within you." James 4:19. (Amp)
The "Woman" in the Garden of Eden is what all of mankind has become, "A Living Soul," functioning out of her soul’s faculties, which include the Mind, the Emotions and the Will. The Living soul can never become CHRIST, for the soul functions out of MORTAL LIFE, and so that life has to die before the Christ Life can function instead. You can only LIVE ONE LIFE AT A TIME, either Mortal life or Eternal life, but never can the two function together. This is the whole purpose of the CROSS-, to surrender our mortal life and lay it down on the cross. This has nothing to do with the cemetery for you were IN CHRIST when he died on the cross, so HIS DEATH was YOUR DEATH, which means that 2000 years ago YOU died to your human identity to take up your true identity as the one who walked out of the tomb on the third day. He did not die INSTEAD of you, but he died AS YOU.
Jesus declared that he had power to lay down his life and he had power to take it up again, and we also have the power to do the same. BUT the life he lay down was not the life he took up in resurrection. His body was changed from mortal flesh and blood as he lived on the earth, to an immortal body that nothing on this earth could touch such as sickness, pain or death, he could walk through the walls and appear and disappear, and be here and then appear somewhere else. "Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Rom 8:21. "Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”? Phil 3:21.
Now we come to the time of the true manifestation of that Christ that is being birthed in us today, in Rev 12. John saw this day when in the spirit realm there appeared a SIGN or a SYMBOL of a spiritual reality. It was a WOMAN, clothed with the SUN and with the MOON under her feet, and with a crown or tiara of 12 Stars upon her head. What a picture of the BODY OF CHRIST the WOMAN that was taken out of the man in the garden of Eden, that was deceived by the snake and brought mankind into a wilderness. But NOW there has been deliverance and a transformation, she is clothed in LIGHT, just as Adam was in the Garden before Eve took the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. She has the crown of a KING on her head and the Pseudo reflected light of the moon that she had walked in for so long is now under her feet.
There is another ominous sign or symbol that was seen in this vision and this was a Red (color of fire) Dragon with seven heads and ten horns, which are symbols of power and authority. This "Dragon" is nothing but the serpent from the Garden of Eden pretending now to be a dragon. It represents Satan who accuses the brethren day and night and is the enemy of God. This "Dragon" is on a mission just as Pharaoh tried to kill Israel’s deliverer by killing all the male children, and Just as Herod tried to kill the baby Jesus who was said to be King of the Jews. Now the dragon remains before the Woman who is about to deliver the MAN-CHILD who is to rule the nations.
However, the woman who was considered to be separated from Adam, now has been restored to her rightful place IN CHRIST making it possible for the MAN–CHILD to be brought forth. All duality has now gone, as the TWO shall be one, for the man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife and the two shall be one. As soon as the Man-Child was delivered it was immediately caught up into the realm of spirit to God and to the Throne, out of the reach of the dragon, and immediately to his position of power and authority. In this birthing Christ and his Church which is his Body, have become ONE in the Lord God Almighty who will rule as a shepherd over the nations. This brings a change to the earth as God’s need for the opposition is drawing to a close. This event signals a great change that is taking place to the earth, for the woman or the Body of Christ is divinely preserved at this time.
The age-old serpent and dragon was cast down and was relegated to the dust of the earth. But there was also a war that broke out in the heavens of man’s being. The spiritual part of man needed adjusting for the serpent had infected and polluted the mind in the Garden of Eden so there was a skirmish as the snake tried to defend his place in the heavens of mankind. But with the help of Michael the Arch Angel whose name means, "Who is LIKE GOD?" For man was created in the likeness and image of God, so they overcame the serpent by the blood (LIFE) of the Lamb and by the testimony of their lips, because they did not love their lives but willingly laid then down in exchange for life everlasting.
The Beast Rising out of the Sea
In this study we are not going into the details of these visions, which closely relate to the visions of Daniel and their application to the Roman Empire and the emperors themselves. John begins in Rev 13:1 stating that he stopped as he stood upon the Sand of the sea. This refers to a great multitude just as the Lord promised Abraham, in Gen 22:17, "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies." There is a distinction between the "SEED of Abraham," which would be as the STARS of heaven, and the natural seed, which would be as the sand, which is upon the seashore. One was a heavenly seed and the other was natural.
In Rev 12. John had been is looking at the scene from a heavenly perspective, but now he stops to check out the scene from the earthly viewpoint. A "BEAST" that has all the traits of a wild animal, rises up out of the sea of humanity and this represents MAN living under the power of the carnal mind. This runs parallel with Daniel’s vision only he speaks of four beasts, while here there is only ONE Beast, but it has the characteristics of all four that Daniel saw. We need to note that none of these "Beasts" have the power to function on their own, and so they receive their power, position and authority from the "Dragon." So the "Man-Beast" is dependent upon the dragon for its ability to function, and so

However, it becomes evident that this "beast" is simply MAN functioning under the power of Satan or the carnal mind. When ever man believes he is separated from God all that is left is nothing more than the animal. That man is capable of giving way to the animal instinct and can function accordingly.
The "Beast" has ten heads alluding to the fullness of human power and authority, as ten is the number of testing as far as man is concerned. Then the "Beast" also has ten "Crowns" designating his position and his authority. Some of the crimes today against humanity bear all the hallmarks of animalism, and it is difficult at times to understand how any man could do such things.
The world or the Earth wondered after the "Beast" as it suffered a set back, in that one of its "Heads"heads was killed but it was able to recover. We will not go into the historical side of this for that is not our concern in this study. Remember this "Beast" is not physical or material, for this whole book is written in Signs and Symbols.
The beast has grown and developed over the years under the Nazi Regime when millions of Jews were sent to their death in gas chambers and other horrible means. Weapons of mass destruction now do not just kill a few people but whole cities are wiped out with one atomic bomb. However, the work of the dragon today consists of other things besides war that enslave mankind and rob them of Peace, Love and even Life itself, by filling their minds with lies that hide or destroy the Truth. How many people wrongly believe that money will bring health and happiness. Others seek after pleasure as the pathway to satisfaction in Life. These and many other popular suggestions are all dead ends that simply put people on a treadmill that absorbs their time and energy but returns very little. These have lost their way and cannot find the answers to life that they are seeking. But Jesus Christ did declare, "Be of good cheer for I have overcome the world (the COSMOS)." So we can have confidence that this "dragon" is not like a "loose Cannon" on the earth, but it has been overcome experientially by the Lord himself proving that it need not be feared.
God has not abandoned man on the earth but has provided an answer to the power of the dragon. One day, a man named Saul who worked for the religious authority of his day, carried in his pocket papers giving him the right to take any who followed the Nazarene, and kill them. Filled with such evil intent and authority he is traveling towards Damascus, with his team of blood-thirsty men when all of a sudden a LIGHT FROM HEAVEN brought him to the ground, and he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Acts 9. Regardless of the papers he had, that gave him authority from the State Saul replies, "Who are you LORD (Master and Owner)?" He recognized he had made contact with a higher authority than the Roman Empire. And the voice replied, "I AM JESUS whom you are persecuting." Saul’s response indicated the change the voice made to him, for he said, "What do you desire me to do?" he was told to go into the city and wait for further orders.
Such is the ease with which God deals with the "Beast" that controls the mind of so many. The mighty Saul, who once was feared by every Christian, now becomes as meek as a lamb in submission to the authority of the King, Jesus Christ. For him the "Beast" has been stripped of its authority bringing about a radical change in his life and behavior. In the Garden of Eden the serpent that is more subtle than any other "Beast" of the field infiltrated the MIND of the Woman destroying its integrity. The Apostle Paul speaks of the CARNAL or Natural mind as the "Mind" that now functions in mankind, until a change is brought about through a renewing by the Spirit of God. The natural "Mind" has no input from God so it cannot know the things that are of God, because they can only be spiritually discerned.
This carnal mind is where the "Beast" sets up his head quarters in man, from which he controls those who do not establish a connection with God and tap into his wisdom. The Apostle John tells us in Rev.13:8, "All that dwell upon the earth shall worship the "Beast", whose names are not written in the "BOOK OF THE LIFE OF THE LAMB." Here we see the contrast between the BEAST and the LAMB for the Beast functions through raw power and brute strength, whereas the LAMB has no natural strength or defense mechanism at all and yet the LAMB WINS EVERY TIME. Why is that true, because the LAMB functions under the authority of the Shepherd that is CHRIST, the KING of the WHOLE EARTH?
I once heard a man say, "An army of 100 sheep under the control of a LION, will always be able to destroy an army of 100 lions under the control of a SHEEP, and that is so true. The Lamb upon the Throne of God is the King of all KINGS, and the LORD of all LORDS. Beloved it is the Lamb that is upon the throne in the Kingdom of our God. So in Rev 14 we find the LAMB who is the first MAN created in Gen 1:26-27, but now he is standing with 144000 whose minds are free from Satanic infiltration and so function as the MIND of the Father. This number is symbolic being twelve which is the number of divine Government multiplied by 12. They are singing a song that only the redeemed from the earth could sing.
These are not defiled by women or the LIVING SOULS, so they were not impregnated with the seed of the Serpent from the Garden, so their minds remained unaffected. These are the FIRST FRUITS of a harvest who are the product of the divine seed, which is CHRIST. This seed is growing day by day in number and will eventually fill the earth and the "Beast" will disappear.
Babylon is fallen
The third impediment to the fulfillment of our spiritual destiny is represented by Babylon which is the Name of a City that had its beginning in antiquity. If we go back to Gen. 10:8 we come to Cush who was the son of Ham, and he gives birth to a son called "NIMROD" which means, "Rebellion." Nimrod was Noah’s Great Grandson and the Bible records that he was a "Mighty Hunter." This man whose name means rebellion now is called a "Mighty Hunter or, "One who seizes and takes control." It is recorded that he established an empire in the area of Babylon and Assyria where he built a walled city, in which he offered protection to those who would come under his authority. In this brief history we can see that Babylon was established on the basis of Rebellion against God, and the enslavement of people to the same cause.
John was shown the destruction of Babylon that is referred to in Rev 17, under the title of the "GREAT WHORE." In keeping with the whole book we need to remember that the writer is using signs and symbols so it is not the literal city of Babylon that is in view here. This "WOMAN" is presented as a PROSTITUTE who has control over a large portion of humanity, who also is encouraged to function as prostitutes. This "Woman" is accused of having committed fornication with the "KINGS of the Earth" causing them to be intoxicated by her subtle advances. These "Kings" are not part of any human royalty, but these are the "Children of the KING of the whole EARTH." So this "Woman" is now facing the Wrath of God, for his children who are citizens of the Kingdom of God have become involved, and the King’s reputation is being brought into disrepute.
In Rev.16:16, God steps in and brings together the opposing forces at ARMAGEDDON the hill or city of Megiddo is in the valley of Esdraelon, and by the waters of the Kishon River. We are told in Jud 5:19 that it was at this place where Israel gained a decisive victory over Sisera, the conquering general under king Jabin of Hazor. Celebrated in Deborah's song. See also Re 20:8ff. and Eze 39:2,4.
It says every ISLAND fled away, but the Greek word used here is "Naus" that relates to a very big ship which indicates that Babylon was the headquarters of a great commerce. Then the Mountains are mentioned, speaking of Babylon’s elevated authority in the world. Both of these aspects of Babylon, it seems were destroyed in the Judgment of God. But then John speaks about a great HAIL STORM with the hail weighing as much as 45kg that caused such devastation. However in keeping with John’s direction that this is not literal but symbolic let us consider what the hail could represent.
Let us look at Isa 28:17-18, "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place, or Affliction will discover their vain confidence, which they kept secret to themselves." Here we can see that the "HAIL" is designed to remove the hiding place for LIES. A LIE cannot live in the open under scrutiny, but it must conceal itself and so to bring Babylon down God sends the hail to deal with the LIES by which people have been deceived so that they will not believe the Truth. Babylon has presented God as a monster who judges everything we do and will destroy everyone who fails to do what the religious world says they must do. These are the lies that prevent people from loving God, for you cannot love someone who would destroy you.
So the "Hail" is today simply the TRUTH that is marching triumphantly through the world destroying the lies the Religious word has spread, telling the world the Judgment is over at Calvary and now there is no more condemnation. All that DIED IN ADAM are MADE ALIVE IN CHRIST.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

Spiritual Eyes - r jackson

The preachers have it all wrong, we are no longer guilty of being deceived. When Jesus died on the Cross he was the Second Adam, he did away with the sin that we inherited from Adam. Because of him we are no longer guilty. We died with him on the cross. All of our past sins were taken away, all of our present sins were taken away, and all of our future sins are taken away. If you believe that Jesus died for you on the cross you are no longer guilty of sin. We have a fleshly body and a spirit. Our spirit can not sin, it is from God. Once we accept Jesus and understand that we can no longer believe in the Tree of Good and Evil. We have been taught that God loves us if we do good and that he will punish us if we are bad. This Is Not True. When you are chosen by God (Believe in Jesus) you are not instantly made pure. It is a slow process. You start dropping away your fleshly parts and keep growing in you spirit each day. You will go forward and then go backwards. Slowly you will start to go forward more that you go back., and then you will start to see everything with spiritual eyes.As you study and listen to the Father you will not have a revelation, you will have a burning desire to stop the things that "YOU" are condemning yourself about, remember God is not condemning you. Jesus was tempted just as we are. He was a human just like us. It was difficult for him to overcome as it is for us. but he did, he is our example. You don't have to get up and do something about it. You don't have to do something about it as this time. You will make yourself crazy worrying about it. Don't fill guilty, take it to the Father, trust in him. Don't try and do your own healing, it will come. You will start to see results in the way you think.

Consciousness Unveiled - Des Walter

Man was made in the image and likeness of God, which is a fact that is declared in the first chapter of the Bible. Gen 1:26-27. Now what God is, remains a mystery for so many people even those who claim to know him. For some reason mankind has reversed the idea presented in the scriptures, considering that GOD was made in the IMAGE OF MAN. So we begin with this "Man Image" of God and thereby cloud our understanding of who we are, in darkness and superstition. But GOD IS NOT A MAN, so to look at our selves and try to see, understand, or to know God is an exercise in futility. What exactly does it mean, that we are created in the likeness and image of God? First of all we need to understand that GOD IS SPIRIT. Now a spirit does not function the same as a human being, for our intelligence is gathered through our physical response to our environment. We respond to heat, cold, pain and fear as we become aware of these ever changing conditions that are being monitored by our 5 natural senses.
There is no one who would believe that God functions as man does, because Jesus told us that GOD IS SPIRIT. Jesus did not say that God is a spirit, but that he IS spirit, belonging to another world that is not physical or material. God is therefore invisible to our natural eyes and must function in a very different way to what we humans do. For instance, God does not respond to the headlines in the paper, which often produce feelings of fear in us nor does he respond to conditions around him, as does mortal man. Our perception of life can be so soured for us that we may even contemplate suicide. But of course such responses have nothing to do with God.
Man was created in the likeness and image of God, so it would be logical to assume that we were intended to function as God does, for we are SPIRIT also. So let us consider how God functions. How did God create the heavens and the earth? He simply spoke it into existence, just as he did for everything that is. When he was confronted by darkness, he did not get mad, nor did he fight with the thing that did not fit his plan, but he simply said, "LET LIGHT BE," and light was. This is the way SPIRIT FUNCTIONS, and remember we are "spirit" dwelling in a body. Consider for a moment how God created mankind, for there was no stress or struggle involved but Scripture records, "AND GOD SAID, LET US MAKE MAN," and there was the man. This is how spirit functions and God has revealed all these things to us to guide us as to how we are to function.
We must recognize that everything we can see today came out of the invisible world of spirit, so everything we need today does not have to be manufactured in some processing plant, but is already there and available in the spirit world. But we continue to live as human beings even though we know that IN GOD we live and move and have our being. Jesus declared, "I and my Father God are ONE." The creator and the created could never be anything else but ONE, for they belong to the same infinite world of spirit. But of course, most times we consider we are different from God because we have a body, but God is spirit and has no body. However, your body and God are also connected as the Psalmist tells us in Psalm 139. "In thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was nothing there."
What is this "BOOK" that is mentioned in Psalm 139? It is our sub conscious mind, which we call our CONSCIOUSNESS, that began putting our body together by taking a single cell and fashioned and molded all our organs putting them in order. This consciousness functions day and night and never sleeps, it started your heart beating and has kept it going ever since. It is not some super machine, but is an integral part of our true spirit being we call our SOUL. We have never seen it, and we do not know what color it is, or what shape it has, but within this spiritual part of our being lies all the knowledge of the universe as well as the wisdom and power of God. If we cut our finger it goes to work silently supplying the skin cells and muscle cells required to heal the finger, and after a few days we even forget we had a cut at all. We were created in the likeness and image of God and that image has been stored in our consciousness, and if it is allowed it will constantly work towards restoring that image.
We notice that Jesus said quite a lot about FAITH and the impact it has upon our consciousness. The duality of our being is evidenced by the fact that we now have a CONSCIOUS MIND as well as a SUB-CONSCIOUS MIND. The truth is that we do not have two minds, only one, but most people have ignored the sub-conscious mind, thinking only about our conscious mind which we use every day. The difference between the two is this, we train our conscious mind through education and culture, out of which we form our attitudes and develop our emotional responses, enabling us to live our lives on our own terms. If I told you that 2+2=5 you would immediately tell me that I am wrong, because your conscious mind says the answer is 4. We program our conscious mind to suit whatever we happen to believe about God and everything else.
We may feel unloved because our parents are divorced, or because we believe we are not beautiful. You may say I am not clever as others are, so you do not attempt to do things because you do not believe you are capable of doing them. All these thoughts do not just float off into space, but as they are established in your conscious mind they are then passed on to your sub-conscious mind, which does not argue with what you have declared to be truth. Your consciousness receives such thoughts without question and because it has the power to create, it actually brings them into expression in your life as an effect. The child, who declares they do not know enough to pass an exam, will fail without a doubt, because our thoughts must find expression, in this case as failure. Our thoughts are very often the cause of an effect that will be manifest in our lives either as sickness, failure or sorrow and problems.
Usually we put the blame back on God for sickness or failure in some form or another, when the real reason for the problem, is that our thinking was not according to TRUTH. Negative thoughts of anger, jealousy, pride or uncleanness will all produce an adverse effect in our lives. Jesus came to the disciples who were in a boat walking on the water, and Peter completely disregarded what his conscious mind told him about NOT being able to walk on water, said to Jesus, "If that is you then bid me to come to you," or invite me to do what you are doing, that is to walk on water." So Jesus said, "COME," and Peter threw his leg over the side of the boat and began to walk on the water, but at a certain point his conscious mind kicked in, generating fear in his heart by telling him, "You cannot do this!" Immediately, that thought registered fear, and his consciousness brought forth the manifestation of that fear, causing him to sink." Did Jesus rebuke him for thinking he could walk on water? NO, he simply said, "O ye of little FAITH WHY DID YOU DOUBT," because you could have proved the others wrong, if you had not entertained a contrary thought."
Again the disciples were in a boat on the lake when a storm arose with a great wind that stirred up the water, bringing great fear into their hearts. Jesus was on board sleeping peacefully through the storm without any fear at all. The disciples awakened him saying, "Lord save us because we are all going to die by drowning." How could Jesus sleep while the disciples were having a minor heart attack? The truth for him was that it is impossible to sink the ship Jesus is in. The agitation of the disciples equated with the wind and the waves, so they could do nothing about the storm, for they were probably the cause of it. So Jesus introduced that glorious peace that was in his heart to the elements saying, "Peace be still," and they responded accordingly. What did Jesus say to the disciples? "Why are you so terrified, O ye of little faith." It becomes evident that mankind responds to outward circumstances while Jesus lived out of the serenity and peace that is the atmosphere in which the spirit of Truth functions.
It becomes evident that Faith is connected with TRUTH, "For the God of TRUTH has not given us the spirit of F-E-A-R but of power and of Love that will restore our true spiritual senses, giving us a sound mind." Fear is not generated by the spirit within us but by our own thinking, considering every external circumstance and then deciding what our reaction will be. Where true FAITH is based upon truth and established in our consciousness, it becomes a law out of which we live our lives. Some Christians have challenged me about the wisdom of going into countries where there are elements of terrorism operating, such as the Philippines and Indonesia. However, if I am walking in the will of God and doing what he has given me to do, why should I be afraid? Is God so helpless that he cannot protect me, and make it possible for me to do exactly what he purposes for me to do? To suggest otherwise is to downgrade God to that of a mortal human being.
In this world in which we live everyone is looking for more of something. This is particularly so in the realm of knowledge, so young people generally are not satisfied with their level of knowledge at the end of High School, so they go on to university to get a degree in some particular faculty. Christians are not exempt from this quest for knowledge either, but seek out theologians or Bible Teachers to learn more about spiritual things. However, what would you say if I told you that all the knowledge of the universe in already IN YOU? The Apostle John says, "But you have an anointing of God and you know ALL THINGS." Just a few verses later he continues saying, "The anointing abides IN YOU and you do not need anyone to teach you, because the anointing is your teacher and IS TRUTH."
There is no doubt that the Bible tells us that we do not need a Bible School or Theological College, to discover that within us there resides a faculty that knows everything there is to know, and also all the wisdom of God. In the knowledge department everything we need is already resident within us. Most people are familiar with their Conscious Mind, where we store our knowledge, and reference all we need to know for our business, as well as our family and our knowledge of God. However, Paul makes reference to our mind when he said, "Let this MIND be in you which in also in Christ Jesus." But it is perfectly clear that most people do not function out of the same "Mind" that was in Christ Jesus, because the thought patterns are so different and the knowledge base is not the same.
The conscious mind of man was formed in the Garden of Eden when Adam embraced a knowledge system called "Good and Evil." Before that event Adam knew nothing about these opposites, for in the realm of spirit there is no such thing as evil. There is only one spirit in this universe and that is GOD. Good and evil only exist in the physical material world, but not in the spirit world. Jesus stated the division between Flesh and spirit by saying, "That which is born of flesh IS flesh, and that which belongs to the realm of spirit IS spirit." Because man chose to embrace the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, his Mind underwent a dramatic change. Whatever he needed as a spirit man in the Garden he could bring forth out of himself.
At that time his MIND WAS ONE, Male and Female functioning in unison so whatever he desired, was available to him. He never had to plough the ground nor hunt for food in the garden; everything flowed out of his spirit being. The MALE and FEMALE Mind are actually the same mind functioning as one in the beginning, but another knowledge system called Good and Evil separated them. It was the conscious mind functioning in the "Woman" that brought about their expulsion from the Garden and their failure to function out of their true spiritual center, or consciousness, which could not be corrupted. So Eve acted out of her own knowledge gathered by her 5 natural senses, without reference to her true spiritual center, which was her sub-conscious mind. Since then the knowledge, wisdom and understanding of our conscious mind, is the result of our education, culture and religion, which combine to produce our intellect. Most of the programming of our conscious mind is done by mortal man, and includes the multitudes of opposites that good and evil have introduced into our thinking. However, our sub conscious mind has been impregnated with all the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of God almighty. Unfortunately, the conscious mind now has a potential for death and has the power to rob us of the Life we were given in creation, by spreading its poison in man thus destroying his life.
Paul gives us the answer to this problem of mind duality when he said, "And be not conformed to this world: (Do not allow your mind to be patterned according to the thinking of this world of illusion) but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, (allow a total and complete reformat of your mind) that ye may prove (or test and prove experientially) what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." The mind is a part of the Soul, and this is a part of the "Spirit Man" that we are. This duality of mind is the Male and Female of the man’s identity, which in the beginning functioned as ONE. The Male aspect of man is the sub conscious mind or our consciousness, which is impregnated with all the knowledge, wisdom, life and power of God, while the Female part is the conscious mind, which is dependant upon the sub conscious mind to bring to birth and into manifestation the thoughts and intents of our conscious mind. So man has the power to create the person we believe ourselves to be, rich or poor, to be sick or well, to be a failure or successful, to be good and evil, to live out of our true identity as Christ or to live as a mortal human being.
Here is the secret of sowing and reaping which we need to understand. Paul tells us, "Whatsoever a man sows, that is what he will reap, if he sows to the flesh he will reap corruption, but if he sows to the spirit he will reap life." Our thoughts are like seeds and our consciousness is like a garden in which we sow these seeds, and so every thought will produce a cause or an effect. That cause or effect will have either a positive or a negative effect in our lives. We cannot blame God for the pain or suffering, or the problems that are the result of thoughts we planted in our consciousness, for we planted them and we reap the harvest what ever that may be. The Psalmist understood this so he prayed, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Paul also tells us, "To Cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God and to bring every thought into captivity to the truth that is revealed in Christ."
We cannot finish this introductory section of this study without looking at the question of what we refer to as "healing," which is shrouded in confusion for most Christians. In Pentecostal and Charismatic circles we have known people who had what was called a "Gift" from God for healing. Some of these men have become very rich as they used this ability to make money, while others functioned out of compassion. However, this concept of a GIFT of healing comes from the early Pentecostal and Charismatic ministries who functioned through what was known as the GIFT MINISTRIES found in First Corinthians. Today, beloved I am here to tell you that every one of you has the ability to do everything that Jesus did. Firstly because he told us that we could do the things that he did, and then said that there would be even greater things than these that we would do. But let us leave the "Greater Things" for another time, and concentrate on DOING WHAT JESUS DID in his ministry on the earth.
Your "Consciousness" contains all the perfection in which we were created, our original DNA if you like, is still in tact and there is a power there that is constantly seeking to restore us back into that image. All it needs is for the carnal programming of our conscious mind to be deleted and replaced by the original mind of Christ, and the seed thoughts of our true identity will bring forth the manifestation. For as a man thinketh in his heart, that is what he is. Jesus went up to a man with a withered arm, and simply said, "Stretch forth your arm," and the arm shot out in response. Could Jesus not see that the man had a paralyzed arm? We would have said Lord be reasonable, this man’s arm cannot move, why don’t you fix those muscles and heal the arm so he can use it again. Yes that is what we would have said. At the pool of Bethesda Jesus found a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. He asked him nothing about his condition, as to what the doctors had told him. All he says to the man is, "Do you really want to be healed?" The man replies "YES" and so Jesus simply says, "Pick up your bed and go home."
What has such a command to do with "Healing," as we understand it today? The answer is nothing at all!! What is the key to these things that we call miracles, but which will be everyday occurrences on the earth as we grasp the truth Father is revealing to us today. When Jesus looked at that man he did not see what you and I would have seen, because we would have seen a crippled up body probably lying in a fetal position, and we would have walked right past him considering him to be past any kind of help. We would have gone looking for someone perhaps with a headache to see if we could help them. Jesus looked at that man as he appeared through the eyes of God. Standing up straight with no sign of any sickness in the likeness and image of God. So when Jesus planted that divine thought in his consciousness the power of God responded bringing forth a manifestation of what Jesus saw.
In my own ministry particularly in the Asian countries, I am called upon to pray for many people. My interpreter usually wanted to stand beside me to tell me what was wrong with each person who has come for prayer. But I told him that I do not want to know the nature of the disease whatever it is, because that puts my natural mind in gear thinking about the problem, when all I want to do is see what Father sees and my God-consciousness within me as well as in the person, has the power to bring forth the manifestation. What part do I play in such activity, is Des Walter the healer?? What a foolish question, for I cannot heal anything, but as I learn the WAYS of God I rejoice to see that God who is creator of all, is present in all his power and glory within my consciousness, waiting to be recognized and released into action, restoring all that creation has lost.
Jesus said, "I and my Father (God) are ONE." There are relatively few people who could say that today with conviction, as man’s mind has been programmed to believe that God is totally separate from man. The religious leaders of his day wanted to kill Jesus for blasphemy when he made that statement, so obviously they believed he was assuming a relationship with God that they did not believe was possible for any man to have. So Jesus functioned out of a Mind and another knowledge system that was different to the people of his day. It is the purpose of this writing to explore this OTHER MIND, which Paul said we should embrace and allow to function in us and regulate our life and behavior
The truth is that we do not really have TWO MINDS, but since the Garden of Eden man became a duality, as his mind focused on the knowledge of good and evil, which he was able to bring into manifestation, calling it "WOMAN," knowing that it was in fact a part of his own being. He declared that this woman was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, and "MANKIND" became A LIVING SOUL. The "Living Soul" is a Man whose MIND has been divided, with the conscious mind accepting good and evil as truth, causing the subconscious mind to bring into manifestation the dual issues of GOOD and EVIL, which it had not done before. The truth that is revealed to us in these early chapters of Genesis, is in the form of an allegory because there was no other way God could reveal these things to us. But its importance is absolutely vital for us to understand, in order to stem the downward spiral into which man has become trapped.
Man became a duality because the conscious mind in the form of the woman began to function apart from Adam who represents the sub-conscious mind of man or his consciousness. Notice that God did not recognize this "Woman" as a separate entity from Adam as he never called her Eve, as Adam did. Gen 5:1-2. He called THEIR NAME ADAM. It was Adam who called her Eve, for he said she is the mother of all living, meaning that all of mankind would now be born through the duality of the conscious mind of man, declaring good and evil as realities, and the subconscious mind. The result is that Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God but now man is being brought forth in the IMAGE OF MAN.
There are few people who understand that our "Mind" functions as two separate entities, with the emphasis on the conscious mind to the detriment of the SPIRITUAL or subconscious mind. Here is the reason for the multitude of divisions in the "Church" and the constant separating of Christians one from the other on the basis of doctrines. Beloved TRUTH is absolute and cannot vary because it is the manifestation of a PERSON called Jesus Christ. Truth is not some theologically devised dogma that must be believed to be a Christian. In fact Jesus told us how to distinguish between the real and the fake, but it was not by their doctrine, but "By their FRUIT you will know them." Because their consciousness will faithfully bring into manifestation the true Fruit of their lives, according to what they believe.
The term "Living Soul," indicates that the "SOUL" (Mind) now has a life of its own determining what is Good and what is Evil, what is right and what is wrong, independently of the Subconscious mind or God. This "LIFE" flows out of the knowledge system of good and evil but in the end it is found to be mortal and ends in death. This is the de-generation of mankind that has caused us to lose our sense of divinity, and the knowledge of our true spirit being. The conscious mind has been exalted and now rules the life of man, while man’s consciousness containing all the reality of God and his knowledge, power and wisdom, waits silently to be recognized. Prior to this duality Adam was in total union with God having a body of "LIGHT," and sharing in the creation of the animals in the Garden of Eden.
In order for us to grasp these truths our understanding is turned to the drama enacted in the Garden of Eden, as this "Woman" begins to function on her own for she has a mind of her own that functions on a different frequency to Adam, and decides to exercise it as she thought would benefit them both. Because she represents the carnal or natural mind, she is drawn to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, where she is captivated by this knowledge system that she believed would make them as gods. Her mind functions now as her adversary, and she is deceived into believing this knowledge will elevate them to a much higher position in relation to God. As a result of this, Adam’s relationship to God is changed and from within his own being comes the cry, "I am Naked," being "unclothed" by his altered ego, and fleeing in fear from the presence of God with whom he had been united for so long. The glow of the divine glory had departed exposing a physical material body that would hide itself from the divine presence.
Now we live our lives out of that false sense of identity being convinced that what we see in the mirror is who we really are, when in fact this is a false image. Now I want to take you "Inside" to see how this illusion of Life functions within us.

THE DUAL MIND
Let us begin by saying that man was created with a single mind and that is the Mind of Christ out of whom came all things in the beginning. Eph 2:10. But Adam went to sleep while all this happened and is still asleep until awakened by the voice of God. Until then we will continue to live the dream of our duality. The "Dual Mind" represents two spheres of activity. The conscious mind is the reasoning mind and functions according to what we have been taught by education and social interaction. Most of our decisions are made by our conscious mind.
However we also have a "Sub Conscious Mind," which functions without reason but operates even while we sleep independent of any conscious control. This mind controls your heartbeat and lungs and every other body function without any help from you. It is like a garden where we plant the seeds that represent our thoughts and our sub conscious mind accepts them and causes them to germinate and grow to produce a harvest. This mind has no reasoning faculty, which is evidenced by the fact that people under hypnotism who react to whatever suggestion the hypnotist may make.
The sub conscious mind or our consciousness functions independently of our five natural senses, but it does respond to intuition and is the seat of all our emotions and the storehouse of our memories. This consciousness will continue to function even while our conscious mind is asleep. It also will accept any information that is given to it and will not debate or argue concerning the truth or otherwise of what is put into it. Every suggestion given to this consciousness is accepted as truth and it will proceed to bring them to pass as conditions, experiences or events in our lives. Everything that has happened to us is based upon thoughts that form our belief system, and then brought into manifestation.
If you have indulged in fear, worry and other destructive forms of thinking, it will be expressed in negative forms in your life. This is because this mind is creative and is associated with God the creator of all things. Therefore it is Omnipotent, having the ability to create Love, Peace and Joy and make them available to us, as we desire them. But remember the reverse is also true, for when we speak of fear, sickness or any other negative thing they will also become evident in our life. It is also true that a suggestion cannot be imposed upon the subconscious mind against the will of the conscious mind. Our inner fears of sickness, Cancer or death, all become monsters that assume authority over us and invade our lives.
It is not the thought itself that invades our life, but the power of our consciousness to create the effect, then we will reap the results from our thoughts be they positive or negative. Now we have touched the very nerve center through which the religious world holds people in bondage to doctrines and man made religious laws. Once you establish a religious law in your consciousness it becomes the LAW OF YOUR LIFE and you will live out of it.
The greatest power in the universe has yet to be discovered by most people, for it is not in the splitting of the atom, but within each of us waiting to be discovered. There are some today that have stumbled upon this source of power, resident in every one of us, and have used it to become very rich as they sell their knowledge. This is typical of all knowledge and power that can be used for good or evil. This consciousness contains all the power of the universe, waiting for us to recognize its omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence. As we consider this power latent within us we discover that it is here we find God waiting for us to recognize he is there is all his power and glory. Could it be possible that the impersonal "I" of our true identity resides in this spiritual part of our being, just waiting to be activated.
Much of the pain and suffering we have endured is the result of our ignorance of how fearfully and wonderfully we have been made, and how marvelous are God’s works when he formed us in our mother’s womb, and that my soul knows quite well. Proverbs 23:7. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he, or as a man openeth his soul, so is he. The Greek word for "Heart," is Leb, and means, the esoteric (Hidden) man of the heart, which is Christ. It also refers to the soul or mind. Our consciousness includes all these things, so according to what we have programmed into our consciousness that is what we will be. If we are convinced we are a sinner and God is angry with us then of course we will do exactly what Adam did and hide from God. But if we believe and are conscious of the omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God of all creation dwelling in us as our consciousness then we can discover the enormous potential that we have dwelling in us waiting to be discovered.
All the knowledge and all the wisdom of God is in this sub conscious mind. The Apostle John tells us that we have an anointing and so we know all things. Then he goes on to say, the anointing that functions through our consciousness will also teach us all things, so that we do not need a man to teach us what is Truth, for our teacher is already within us. The conscious mind equates with the carnal mind, which is limited by the five natural senses, so it cannot know the things that be of God. But because the conscious mind is a part of the soul it awaits the transformation through our true consciousness. However, until these minds unite and function together we will not have the Mind of Christ.
As you establish thoughts in your conscious mind they become like seeds that are planted in your sub-conscious mind where they germinate and you will reap a harvest from them. So Jesus asked a question, "Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?" From this we realize that our thoughts become a CAUSE and every condition becomes an effect. Now we realize what Paul said, "Casting down imaginations and every high thought that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."
Man in his natural state considers the events of his life to be the result of "Luck" or "Chance," or even an accident. This is a state of mind that has no recognition of God in the circumstances of our lives. However, we need to understand that we live our life out of a "consciousness," which is a part of the spiritual capacity God has built into every man. This consciousness has been called our "Sub-conscious Mind," but regardless of what it may be called, it links our life either to the realm of God, or to the world that is around us.
When we read in Gen 1, that God created the heavens and the earth, and then continues on to say that, "Darkness was on the face of the Deep," this has reference to what we call our consciousness. It appears to be the connection between the Soul and the Spirit in our present condition as, "Living Souls." Our consciousness provides us with an in built realization that there is a GOD, even though we may not be able to define what, or who he is. This God Consciousness when combined with our life’s experiences will cause us to begin a quest to find, and to know God. Whatever we believe about ourselves or about God, is translated into our consciousness, and this becomes the law of our life. However, the darkness that covered the "Deep" brought us into a state of ignorance, through a lack of LIGHT or understanding. Many of God’s people have never understood that we have the power to declare our nature and being, and to bring it into manifestation. Adam was able to do this in the Garden of Eden, when he named the animals that were expressions of his emotions, giving to them their nature, as he declared it.
It has remained a mystery to many who feel alone, or unloved, or feel they are not equipped to handle the relationships and situations of life in which they find themselves. But the mystery is solved when we understand that whatever we declare in our consciousness actually becomes the law of our life. Unlike the animals who do not have this power, for they function out of instinct so that when a dog is born it does not have to be taught how to live and function as a DOG, for it is established in him by God. This is true for all of nature, so they do not have the problem of discovering exactly who they are, and how they must function. It is only man who can have an inferiority complex or a false sense of identity. Man was created in the beginning in the likeness and image of God, and was male and female functioning together as one. But as the darkness descended, we programmed our consciousness according to how we felt within ourselves, and not according to TRUTH. This has produced the conditions such as depression, anger, sickness and disease. However, not many people realize that they brought these things on themselves because they programmed their consciousness with false data.
. Some live in loneliness with a great lack of Love, or as one who lacks the mental ability to cope with the issues of life, declaring, "I am not very clever." In every case we have set the limitations of our life, and this becomes the LAW of life for us.
Scripture declares, "Without a vision the people perish, or they cast off restraint." Beloved we need a "Vision" or true understanding of our identity that cannot be declared out of the darkness of our natural mind, but must come to us by the spirit of God. The truth is, we have been created IN CHRIST JESUS, for we are God’s workmanship. Eph 2:10. It is only when TRUTH is revealed by the spirit that the false ideas of our identity and being, can be cancelled out. We have programmed our consciousness according to the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for we have all been deceived by the snake that represents the carnal or natural mind. Our concept of God is that if we do good then God will bless us, but if we do evil then God will punish us. This false God becomes our reality as soon as we embrace the concept of good and evil. As a result, we become linked to this world of illusion where all our realities are those that we can see with these natural eyes, which Paul says, are simply transient.
Once we understand that our life is based upon our consciousness we begin to "Turn to the Lord" to discover the Truth about ourselves. As a living soul we have no understanding of the realm of God or the spirit, knowing only those things that we can see, touch, taste, smell and hear. These things become our reality, linking us to this world which functions under the law of sin and death. Through our body we can transmit the spiritual reality of what we truly are, but only when we program our conscious mind with the TRUTH.
There are several issues we must mention here some of which are the sacred cows of religious belief that need to be exposed. Maybe you are one of those Christians who live by verses in the Bible. How many times have I heard people tell me, "I am standing on the Word of God," which is meant to tell me this is a very spiritual Christian. But actually the opposite is true, for how can a verse in the Bible change your life or circumstances. Jesus Christ did not come into this world from God with a Bible under his arm, and tell us that he wants us to read this book and then we would know everything we would need to know about God. NO, Jesus Christ was the message, for he said," I am the Way the TRUTH and the LIFE." He did not say, come to me, the historic Jesus and I will tell you the way to heaven!! He said, what I am in my true being is the WAY God intended man to live. He is also the TRUTH as to what Man really is, and also he is a manifestation of God, for he said, "If you have seen me your have seen my Father".
Many people are shocked when I tell them that the Bible as we know it today did not exist for at least 1700 years after Christ came into the world. It was not until the invention of the printing press that the Bible could be produced in any kind of numbers. No one in the New Testament days had a Bible under his arm. All they had was the first 5 books of the Bible and they were only found on scrolls in the synagogue. So no one was standing on verses in the Bible in those days. The truth is, that man has substituted READING THE BIBLE instead of HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD. Jesus said, "Man shall not LIVE by bread alone but by every word that IS PROCEEDING out of the mouth of God." But religion has put God up in the sky so he is too far away to hear his voice. But for those who know the Truth, that God dwells on every man whether they know it or not, and so we have access to that "Still Small Voice" within, every day.
How few people recognize that we were created and still are SPIRIT, even though we live in a body. Most people consider that we are simply mortal human beings who have been born and will die. This idea denies the reality of "something" that keeps our heart beating and our digestion functioning plus a thousand other things even while we are asleep. That something has the power to transform our food into living tissue, to take electrical impulses from our eyes and transform them, so we actually see what we are looking at. Allows a man to look at a ball coming towards him at 100 klms/ hour, calculating its trajectory and then hit it with a racket at the correct angle to return that ball accurately. All these things we just take for granted and a thousand others without any thought that we are more that flesh and blood. Beloved, there is within every man a consciousness capable of creating the heavens and the earth, as this has already been accomplished, then in your mothers womb it brought forth all the parts of your body when as yet there was nothing there. This consciousness started your heart beating and all the other body functions and has sustained them even while you were asleep or unconscious. If you will open your heart to hear the voice of that divine part of your being, you will discover the secret of LIFE that is resident in you IS GOD.
Hear the word of the Psalmist, who said,
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT THE INVISIBLE "i" THAT IS IN YOU IS GOD.
May your eyes be opened to behold that you have been fearfully and wonderfully made!
Written by Des Walter Dec. 2003




Our spiritual birth is a transition in consciousness raising us from our human-ness, to see the divinity of our being.

The Cross - Des Walter

THE CROSS Des Walter

I want to share with you today on the subject of the "Cross," because I think it is probably the most misunderstood aspect of the Christian faith. So I want to by-pass the traditional concepts that are the product of the natural mind and present to you the TRUTH as seen from God’s point of view.
We will begin in Hebrews, chapter 2, because we need to lay a clear foundation and discover how God thinks about things because the Prophet Isaiah said, "As far as the heavens are above the earth, so far are my thoughts above your thoughts." Have you ever thought about that? Here we have been living with our thoughts for so long, or thoughts we have received from others, that have formed the basis of our understanding about God. But you see, His thoughts are way above our thoughts. So today let’s put away our thoughts about the cross, and let God start to insert some of His thinking and then we may come up with an answer quite different to that which we have believed over the years.
Hebrews 2:6, "One in a certain place testified saying, what is man that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of Man that thou visitest him? You have made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor and you set him over the works of Thy hands." That is what God did when He created man. So it sounds like God had great confidence in the creation he called MAN. I do not see God making some alternative plan just "in case" it didn’t work out. No, it says here, "You crowned him with glory and honor. You have set him over the works of Your hands." - vs 8 - "You have put all things in subjection under his feet and You left nothing that is not put under him, but now, we see not yet all things put under his feet."
That is the sad note that comes in here. But then we rise back on to the plain of glory because the next verse says, "But we see Jesus". So what is God saying to us? Why does the Lord tell us not to dwell on what we consider to be our failures and shortcomings but to focus our eyes on JESUS? In order to answer this most important question we need to understand how we were created and what we were created to be. In Genesis 1:26 we read, "And God said, "Let us make MAN in OUR IMAGE and after OUR LIKENESS." The very first thing I want to impress upon you is that THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE! This MAN is not from outer space or some super creature different from every other man on the earth. There is no other MAN that God created and he represents all mankind on the earth in every generation. This is the reason why we need to look closely at what is recorded concerning the man (MANKIND) that GOD CREATED.
You will notice that in creation man did not have any physical material body, for he was created as spirit. However very few people today realize that the reality of their being is spirit. Even among Christians, most would deny this fact and declare they are mortal human beings. After 6000 years of living as flesh and blood in a material physical world, mankind has become convinced that they are mortal human beings. However the whole picture of man from God’s point of view changes when we realize that the FORM is not the REALITY.
Christendom is convinced that mankind has descended from Adam the man of dust and so teaches that everyone is born a sinner and under the curse of death. This puts SIN at the centre of all theology, which majors on how to deal with this issue, to satisfy God and "Go to heaven when we die." It is this focus that has distorted our understanding of the CROSS.
Because of our origin out of God we all have the capacity to create. From a child we begin to create the kind of person we believe we are. If we are convinced we are not very clever and cannot succeed in life that is exactly the kind of person we create and become. If I feel I am not loved we will create a very insecure person. If I believe the world is filled with evil and that I am subject to every problem and difficulty, I will be filled with fear and live in the hostile world I have created. So by ignoring the TRUTH concerning the Creation of man, and majoring on our physical birth, we have created an entity we call a "SELF." This "Self" is the source of all our problems, and locks us into this physical material world that is governed by the law of sin and death. However I want you to know that this "Self" is just an illusion and has no reality attached to it.
We need to get our eyes off the "self" that we created and consider the reality of what we are. Only then will we recognize the unreality of our assumed identity, which did not come from God, but which we believed ourselves to be. Some people say to me, "Well, I’m an alcoholic". And I say, "Well, you are very fortunate, because you know exactly how to live your life successfully. You are going to drink to excess and get drunk, and you are going to abuse people including your wife and family, generally cause a mess, because that is what alcoholics do. So if you declare you are an alcoholic, you have predetermined how you will act and what you will do, and nobody is going to blame you, because you are an "alcoholic", doing what an alcoholic does.
But, of course if we are Sons of God then we are going to live as Sons of God, are we not? Sons of God don’t sin do they? Sons of God cannot sin, can they? Whoa! Is that really true? Let us look in the First epistle of John, chapter 3. Now if I say something today and you can’t grab it, please don’t get angry, but do what Mary did and hide it in your heart. Just put it aside and say, "Lord, if this is you speaking to me then you will teach me in your time and it will be okay".
1 John 3:2, "Now are we the Sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what we shall be". In other words, John is telling us what is our true identity, for we are "Sons of God." This is not because of anything we may have done, but because WE CAME OUT OF GOD. But there is more to come, I mean, Sons don’t have children do they? Isn’t it Father’s that have children? Well, we’ve got to go beyond son ship, so that we can have children, then we become Fathers.
"Beloved we are even here and now God’s children. And it is not yet made clear what we shall be in the future, but we know that when he comes and is manifested we shall resemble and be like him, for we shall see him just as he really is." Notice whenever God thinks about man it is always connected to CHRIST.
And every one that has this hope resting on him Cleanses and purifies himself, because that is how he sees himself. Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. And we know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him is no sin". Verse 6, "Whosoever abideth in Him (in Christ), sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth has not seen Him, neither do they know Him". If you sin you haven’t seen CHRIST, and you don’t know Him. He has never become your identity; therefore, you will keep on sinning.
Now, verse 9, "Whosoever is born of God" (Are you born of God today? Come on, are you born of God? Amen? Not too loud now, just a little amen will do as someone may hear you. Are you born of God? Hallelujah! Then what does John say? "WHOSOEVER IS BORN or begotten OF GOD DOTH NOT COMMIT SIN, for God’s nature abides in him. The principle of God’s life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him, and he cannot practice sinning because he is born or begotten of God".
What is the SEED of God? Well, Christ is the SEED out of whom all mankind has come. Paul tells us in Eph 2:10 "You were created in CHRIST JESUS." Is He not also the SEED of Abraham, "and not seeds, as of many, but one …which is CHRIST!" Gal 3:16. The "Seed" speaks about generation, and in Psalm 90:1 Moses says, "Lord, YOU have been our dwelling place and our refuge in all generations." So we conclude that every generation of mankind has come out of God.
If Christ is your identity, if you are born or begotten of God and Christ dwells in you, then John says, YOU CANNOT SIN BECAUSE CHRIST CANNOT SIN! Well, you believe that, don’t you? Christ cannot sin and He is your identity. That is who you are, therefore I cannot sin. But remember, the "I" that I am talking about is not simply what the government recognizes me to be. They say this is Des Walter, born 70-odd years ago, and they know my address, where I live, who is my mother and father, and they recognize me by my photograph.
But the truth is that they do not know my true identity, because that is not listed on my passport. My identity is Christ. And if that is my identity then "I," that is the Christ "I", cannot sin. Are you hearing this? Does that explain what John is telling us? You never hear preachers preach on these verses. They always leave them out. NO, you can’t preach that, or we’ll have everybody think they are "going to heaven". Of course I mean NOW, and not after they die, because heaven is not a geographical location but a state of being.
Okay, we will go back to Hebrews now, having cleared up that little problem. "But we see Jesus." We have not yet seen everything under our feet. Why? Because we seem to be very slow to believe these things. To believe who we are, and to understand our true identity is very difficult, mainly because the Church has brain washed us into believing that we did not originate out of God, but out of the man of dust in the Garden of Eden.
Then in some cases, our parents added to our confusion, by telling us how far short of perfection we came in our actions, instead of helping us understand why we acted as we did. So all of these things began to produce a false identity in us, developing an attitude that we were sinners and God was angry with us. This in turn made us afraid of God so like Adam we have hidden ourselves behind our religious thinking, (trees).
To quell our fear of God and bring at least some measure of peace to our hearts, religion taught us to believe, that God recognized our hopeless situation and has come to our aid by killing his son on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, allowing him to be able to forgive us if we repent. Millions have grasped at this straw, but never found in it a release from their mortality.
But you see, it means that we have never truly discovered the seat of our problem, which is our false sense of identity, because we listened to all those voices. The hymn writer summed up our disillusionment in these words, "I’ve tried the broken cisterns Lord, but ah the waters failed, even as I stooped to drink they fled and mocked me as I wailed." Then after all this negative and misleading input I found that I had actually reproduced a "self," an identity which was nothing like Christ, but I called myself a Christian.
So, it says here, BUT WE SEE JESUS! Let us take a closer look at Him, "Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, THAT HE BY THE GRACE OF GOD SHOULD TASTE DEATH FOR EVERYMAN". Tell me, when did He taste death for everyman? Ah, you will say, "On the cross when he died as our sin offering," for that is what has been taught. But was not the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world? Rev 13:8. The word "foundation" is a translation of the Greek word "Katabole" which means "The casting down." The casting down was when Adam sinned. That’s when the Lamb was slain.
Now, let’s go back to Genesis 2. Isn’t it amazing how we have to go back to the book of beginnings, because we have got things so screwed up because we have never allowed the spirit to lay a true foundation for our Faith? We came in from the Matthew, Mark and Luke Gospels, because we thought that this is where the Good News was established, and that screwed us up again.
It was from these Gospels that we embraced the idea, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel, baptizing them, and teaching them, and make disciples out of them", and we said, "That’s our task". NO IT IS NOT! That was for Israel, because that is what Israel did. Israel did not evangelize the world, they proselytized the world. They went out to make disciples of Moses, because everybody they brought into any kind of relationship with God had to be circumcised, and keep the law. That is what Israel did. That is why they kept having an argument with Paul, because he wasn’t doing that.
Okay, so in Genesis, chapter 3, it says, "Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field, which the Lord God had made, and he said to the woman, Hath God said ye shall not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?’" Now, I’m not going to read it all because you know the story very, very well. Eve was out there talking to a snake and I mean, how crazy can you get?
Never talk to a snake because they are going to lie to you every time. They will tell you, "I’m your friend," and then they strike – and you are gone! So, this snake is not literal as Christendom has suggested, and neither is it "out there" but, IT IS IN US. It represents the CARNAL MIND. Eve was speaking out of her carnal mind. This was a conversation with her "SELF". You know that God never made a "SELF" don’t you? Eve discovered she had the ability to create her own world and so explored the knowledge that would allow her to succeed, the "Knowledge of good and evil." As she embraced that knowledge she produced a fantasy world, which would be dominated by the duality of Good and Evil, and man became A LIVING SOUL.
And, here in the parable, because this is a parable, and by saying it is a parable, I do not mean that it has no reality. I do not mean that it is a fable, but I am telling you this is TRUTH, but it is presented in parabolic form in order to teach us what we need to know, regarding the function of Spirit and the Soul.
So here we are seeing how man functions as a LIVING SOUL. The soul (Eve) has gone out alone seeking to develop its OWN LIFE apart from the spirit that is God. The life she now seeks was not created in the beginning, but is formed by her own choices to satisfy the desires of her own heart and mind.
The "Soul" being the feminine aspect of man contains the "WOMB," giving her the ability to BIRTH what ever she desires. But now she has abandoned her "husband" the SPIRIT and has become a prostitute, seeking "someone" or something with whom to unite in order to produce the desires of her soulish senses. Did you know that is where all prostitution begins? It begins with the soul expressing its own will and desires, while being driven by its own emotions. Beloved, once we forsake Christ (spirit) as the Lord and authority of our life, we will find the "snake" poised to complete the soul’s decent into the illusion of physical life.
The "Snake" represents the carnal or natural mind that has chosen to function apart from the authority of spirit. How accurate is the Scripture that declares it to be, "More subtle than any beast of the field?" The word "Subtle" is almost the same word translated "Naked," and is used in the Old Testament with that spiritual sense. Scripture says, Adam and Eve were naked but they were not ashamed. What did that mean? It means that while the union of soul and spirit governs mankind, as Adam was originally created, nakedness has no evil connotation.
So we understand that the subtlety of the "Snake" is expressed as a perversion of reality. By this I mean that nakedness in a child has no sense of evil connected with it, until they are instructed by the carnal mind or THE SNAKE, usually by the parents. From that time they spend the rest of their lives associating their body with evil in the form of sexuality. Have you ever-wondered how whole tribes of people lived for thousand of years without clothes, until a missionary told them it were wrong?
It is interesting to recognize in this regard that the soul represents the female part of man, and it is this gender that is the focus of sexuality. Hence the carnal mind now has excited something in man that is like a wild animal out of its cage and refuses to be tamed. Where did this all begin? In the Garden of Eden when Eve listened to the "snake," and lost what we call today her innocence.
The TRUTH is, she stepped out of REALITY and entered into an illusion generated by the carnal mind. This illusion revolves around the belief that our great need is to satisfy every desire that we generate in the realm of our soul. Here is the way it is expressed for us in the parable of the "Garden of Eden." After the mind was separated from the spirit, the lusts and desires within man lost all their restraint and now were able to take control and fulfill their own destiny.
"When the woman SAW that the tree was GOOD FOR FOOD, and that it was PLEASANT to the EYES, and a tree to be DESIRED TO MAKE ONE WISE, she took the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also to her husband."
What was it that motivated her to disobey God? Was it some literal snake hanging out of a tree? I think not. First of all her EYES saw something that captivated her attention, then desire began to arise in her that she must have that which now caught her attention. She reasoned in herself that it was good for food even though she had never tasted it before, so this was a "Mind activity."
She convinced herself that this tree would give her a wisdom she did not have, and so her will was energized and her actions now fulfilled her desire. She based her decision to disobey God on the function of her five natural SENSES, sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing, none of which are capable of discerning God, who is Omniscient, having all wisdom and knowing all things.
Thus Adam and Eve found themselves to be NAKED! No this is not a simple reference to having no clothing as the natural mind would have us believe. The PERCEPTION of man had changed. His ability to see into the reality of things was lost, and in its place they had created an illusion that today we call physical mortal life. MAN was not created as a physical being, for the man in Genesis 1:26 was not flesh and blood, for he was a pure spirit man. This should not appear strange to us because GOD IS SPIRIT and man came out of God.
Gone was the intimate fellowship man had with God in the Spiritual Garden of his heart, and instead man had created a whole new physical material world that was no longer a Garden, but a wilderness. When God had completed creation, Scripture says, "And God saw everything that he had made and behold IT WAS VERY GOOD!" But in the world man has created there is both GOOD and EVIL and the earth brings forth thorns and thistles. In this "world" man has to earn his bread "by the sweat of his brow" unlike the provision God made for man in a Garden that provided everything he needed.
You may wonder what all this about the Garden of Eden has to do with the CROSS. But in theology it is the concept of S-I-N in the Garden with all its spiritual consequences that is the focus of most theology. Christendom has provided its followers with FORGIVNESS through a sacrifice in which God kills his son, and sheds his blood without which he cannot forgive sins. Every religion has provided some way in which man can find absolution, be it by a trip to Mecca, or an abundance of good works to out weigh the evil we have done. Even in some cases by the offering of their children’s lives to some heathen God.
If we fail to understand the Truth revealed in the Garden of Eden by trying to put a literal interpretation on it, we will end up with a totally distorted view of the CROSS-of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When God created man, he was a "God-man". He was to be the dwelling place of God, so that whatever God is, that would be the expression of His life. So man was created as spirit until he explored a "world" that was outside God, who is spirit. The knowledge of good and evil is not a part of God for these opposites do not exist in the realm of spirit, only in the physical world.
As we saw recorded in Gen 1:31, everything that God made was VERY GOOD! Well may we ask, where did the devil and evil come from, if God did not create them?? Did God not plant the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? I don’t think so!! Gen 1:9 tells us, "Out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food. The tree of LIFE ALSO in the midst of the Garden, and the tree of the Knowledge of good and evil."
All the trees of the garden provided food and nourishment, but the Tree of LIFE and the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, were not in the same category. They represent a kind of probation for Adam by whom they would reveal the "thoughts and intent of the heart." Is not "Knowledge" the key to success in this life today? What about the quality of LIFE, where does it fit in our list of priorities today. Why to men push themselves almost to breaking point, risking a heart attack or nervous breakdown, so they can be rich. All this when we have access to the tree of LIFE, which is Christ. But alas that tree has little attraction for most people just as it was for Eve in the garden
Both of these trees are said to be "In the midst of the Garden!" Could these two trees be the same, depending upon the kind of mind we use to interpret them?? With a spiritual mind the TREE is to us, a tree of LIFE. But with the natural or carnal mind, that same tree becomes to us a tree of the knowledge of GOOD and EVIL, or a tree of duality. Seeing God as a BLESSER and a PUNISHER, as a Savior and a destroyer, as a Redeemer and a Condemner, as a Father and a Judge.
Remember in the Garden of Eden there are not two people there, for God called THEM ADAM. God did not call them Adam and Eve. It was Adam that called his wife Eve, who represents the soul. So the soul now takes the fruit to the Spirit and says to Adam, "Here you are, I want to share this "fruit" with you, because it can make us wise, and can even make us as gods". Now the Spirit has a dilemma.
Adam has a problem. What is he going to do? He can do one of two things. He can tell Eve, "You’ve blown it now, because remember God said, "The day you eat of that tree you will die." Now I am sorry for you Eve. I mean I love you very much, but listen, I’m not going to touch that fruit, because I know God. I am very sorry Eve, but you have blown it now, and you will just have to bear the consequences. I’m not having a thing to do with you or with the fruit."
Now he could have said that, but if he had, you wouldn’t be here today. I wouldn’t be here today. Why not? Because the soul would have been eternally separated from the Spirit, and there would have been no redemption. Can you hear this? Can you hear what the spirit is trying to teach us? Because the soul having sinned would have been separated from God and would have had to die, while the Spirit remained true to God and lived.
Can you hear this? So what did Adam do? Adam said, "Okay", and he took the fruit and ate it. He did not eat that fruit in rebellion. He did not eat that fruit because he was deceived by the snake! Are you hearing this? ADAM ATE THAT FRUIT BECAUSE HE WAS PREPARED TO DIE, SO THAT THE SOUL COULD LIVE.
Can you hear this? Of course, you know who Adam is, don’t you? THAT IS CHRIST for he is the ALPHA and OMEGA the BEGINNING and the END, the author and the finisher of our faith. That’s Christ. The MAN in Genesis 1:26, who was CHRIST, the WORD, that dwelt with God and was God. He breathed into the nostrils of this MAN, the breath of the same life that he had. That was the breath of God. That was the life of God. And, Adam said, "Okay, I am prepared to forfeit my life, in order that the SOUL might be redeemed."
Since that time man has lived as a living soul. That is not how man was created in the beginning, but he BECAME, a living soul. And we have lived out of our soul ever since being subject to the passions, emotions and desires within us, that have risen up to take control of our lives. How often have we cried out like Paul, "Who shall deliver me from this body of death?"
Now, look back to Hebrews 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for everyman". He tasted death for everyman. For remember that Adam was not a single person. Don’t think of that man created in Genesis 1:26 just as a single man. That was mankind. Adam represents ALL OF MANKIND. And what is the identity of MANKIND? CHRIST.
Luke 3:38. This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ, "Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of ADAM, WHICH WAS THE SON OF GOD". Adam the MAN, is the SON OF GOD. That is who MAN is. That is Christ. Can you see it? Isn’t it amazing? When somebody shows you these things, you say, "Why didn’t I see that before"?
We see what we want to see, and because our theology has been messed up we haven’t seen the truth, because we have not been looking for it. Jesus Christ came into the world and Paul said He is the last Adam, BUT HE IS STILL ADAM. God had vested Himself in His creation. There is no God outside of His creation, for God now has become the resident within all of His creation.
Wherever there is LIFE that is GOD - IN ALL CREATION. That’s why all men can be saved. Come on, it’s not because all men are voluntarily going to say, "Oh yes, I love God", because they really do not know who God is. So when we look at Jesus Christ, this babe that was born in Bethlehem’s manger, what do we think? Oh, he is not one of US. This is some strange creature from the heavenly realm somewhere. We don’t quite know exactly who He is, but they gave him a name and called Him Jesus, but most people are convinced he is not one of US."
Are you hearing this? Didn’t you consider Him to be something quite different from us ordinary people? And then the theologians came along and said, "Of course you know that God is a trinity?" We have God the Father, and now we have God the Son, whose name is Jesus, and we have God the Holy Spirit, so in fact we have three Gods.
Christians therefore conclude that if Jesus was God, then God must be a man also, but we can never be like him even though we try. This TRINITY Teaching is not Biblical but was given to us by the Roman Catholic Church and Constantine the Emperor of Rome in AD. 322 and became Church Doctrine enshrined in the Nicene Creed two years later.
I want to tell you the babe in Bethlehem was no different from YOU WHEN YOU WERE BORN!!! He was no different from me when I was born. He was born of a woman and I am born of a woman. He was flesh and blood and I am flesh and blood. I don’t know any God that is flesh and blood and who is born of a woman. God is Spirit and is eternal.
Now let us go back to Hebrews 2:10, "For it was an act worthy of God and fitting to the divine nature that he, for whose sake and by whom all things have their existence, in bringing many sons into glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect, i.e. bring to maturity the human experience necessary for his perfect equipment for his office as high priest, through suffering." That was CHRIST. He was made perfect through sufferings. Where was the suffering? Not simply at the Cross but they began when Adam took the fruit of the tree of good and evil. Now the earth was cursed but not the man. Oh, by the way, we had better look over here at Timothy 2:11 first, because people say to me, "Adam sinned so how can he be CHRIST who never sinned?"
Let the Apostle answer the question for us. Paul is speaking to Timothy his son in the faith, "Let the women learn in silence with all subjection". Hasn’t the church hammered that one? "But I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." So, what is Paul talking about here. Is it true that he has a dislike for women, saying they are not to teach in the church? NO NO, that is not what he is saying.
He is saying, "Don’t let the SOUL preach!" Of course, that is different all together. In some Churches you have a man standing in the pulpit, who wants to be called "father" but he is dressed like your mother, and He is just a LIVING "SOUL" ( the female aspect of mankind,) expressing itself. And God said, "Get Him out of there! HE’S NOT SUPPOSED TO TEACH."
And how many preachers do we have in the pulpit that still minister out of the soulish realm? And the soul is still teaching and preaching. That’s what Paul is talking about, not that you women can’t teach or preach, not that you have to be silent, and can’t say anything in church, no, no, but it better not be out of the soul, because God says look at the problems "Eve" caused.
"For Adam was first formed, then Eve, and ADAM WAS NOT DECEIVED". ADAM WAS NOT DECEIVED. Underline it if you want to. He WAS NOT DECEIVED! "but the woman being deceived was in the transgression". So you can see that I am not attributing sin to Christ! Can you hear that? Paul tells me, Adam was not in the transgression. It was not the Spirit that sinned, it was the soul, and that is why you always read in the New Testament concerning, "the salvation of the soul", "save our souls" - SOS. Why? Because your SOUL NEEDS SAVING AND NOT YOUR SPIRIT. So Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
You see this is a foundation that needs to be laid in your understanding, before you will understand the cross, so we need to hear the VOICE OF GOD and not the words of man. You need to understand these things, how man functions, how sin came into the world. Sin came into the world through the soul and not through the spirit. And you see, when God created man, He created Him SPIRIT in his own likeness and image, MALE AND FEMALE, or SPIRIT and SOUL united as one.
And if God is Spirit, we must also be Spirit, having come out of God, but after six thousand years of human history we have become convinced that what we see in the mirror is "I," and this is not true. You cannot see me for I am Spirit. You see the body that I live in, and that is what the government identifies as being me. They identify your "body" by your birth date, parents and photograph. But they can’t identify your Spirit because they cannot see it. But we need to develop our spiritual identity in this life, because that is what cannot die but will continue on. If you have a spiritual identity in this life, you will have a spiritual identity in the next life. For we are part of a "Melchizedek order" and therefore there is no beginning and there is no end. Hallelujah!
Heb 2:14, "For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also Himself likewise took part of the same." He was flesh and blood. Jesus was as much a man as I am a man. He could not be any more M-A-N than what he was, because he was flesh and blood. So we need to understand this because otherwise, Christianity is totally confusing. The Gospel that has been preached by Christendom all over the world says, "Give your heart to Jesus and confess your sins, then believe He died for your sins on the cross, and ask Jesus into your heart and you are born again and a son of God." These are the doctrines of men. How can a mortal man suddenly become a Son of God just by giving assent to certain facts?
God never did create a "Mortal Man." God only ever created ONE SON and that was in the beginning. Gen 1:26. That is the only Son God created and he was neither mortal nor was he physical. Here is our problem; we think that MAN IS A BODY and simply "Flesh and Blood." Eph 2:10, says "You are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus". When were we created? In the beginning when God created his only Son, for every other man was IN HIM. This means that the identity of every man must be the same as the one from which we have come, and that is Christ, for you were created in Him.
Who or what is Christ? The word Christ is translated from the Greek word "CHRISTOS" and means "Anointing." The anointing is the likeness and the image of God, giving us the ability to manifest God in this world. It allows us the ability to bring the invisible God down into the visible world and to make Him known to men. Christ is not the "Name" of any person, because it belongs to the spiritual realm from which all men have come, and not the physical material realm.
So, it says here, Heb 10, "Wherefore, when He (Jesus Christ) cometh into the world he says, "Sacrifice and offerings you did not require, but a body hast Thou prepared me". God never required that men should offer sacrifices at all. Jer 7:22. But, you gave me a body! Why did God give him a BODY? The answer is, because GOD IS SPIRIT and so if he wants to express himself in THIS PHYSICAL WORLD, it is essential that he have a BODY. From creation MAN was always intended to be the DWELLING PLACE and the expression of God.
Man expresses what "he" is through his body, but most people have never yielded their BODY to be an expression of God. When Jesus Christ came into the world he said, "I come to do thy will O God." The only sacrifice God is interested in today is a LIVING SACRIFICE, and not one that is DEAD. Paul says we should, "Present our BODIES as a living sacrifice unto God which is our spiritual worship." Otherwise we can never fulfil the purpose for which our body has been given to us.
So, if I believe I am an alcoholic I will get drunk, because I will express what an alcoholic is. If I believe I am a sinner then that is what I will express through my body. Isn’t that right? You keep telling a child, "You’re bad, and you will never be any good," and what will they do? They will be bad because to them it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. So now we understand, GOD WANTS YOUR BODY, through which to express Himself, and not for you to express what you think YOU are!
This is a truth Israel never understood, for thy offered the BLOOD and bodies of animals to God, but never made their own bodies available to him, through which to express himself. But when Jesus came he made his body available saying, "In the volume of the Book it is written of me, I come to express thy will O God." God did not desire BLOOD SACRIFICE at all, but wanted a BODY that would be a "living sacrifice," and not a sacrifice that was DEAD.
Okay, turn back to Ezekiel, chapter 16. I haven’t got time to go through this chapter. However I would like to, because it is a very interesting chapter revealing the Jewish or Hebrew concept as a superior nation that enjoyed a very special relationship with God. All the other nations were considered to be heathen. One day two heavenly visitors called on Abraham telling him they were going to destroy Sodom and Gomorra. Abraham pleaded with them but in the end he was content to trust God.
We tend to read the Bible as if it were just a history book instead of bringing a spiritual message to us today. Fire in the Bible speaks to us of the cleansing power of God, which is not destructive. So religious people like to dwell on God destroying these evil cities. We read of their destruction by fire, but the preachers never tell you the end of the story, because they believe it is dangerous to preach GRACE.
In Ezek 16:47 the Prophet tells this chapter He tells Jerusalem that they were WORSE than Sodom and Gomorrah. He said one day you will see that I am restoring them to their former glory. Hallelujah! The Grace of God hath appeared. Okay, Chapter 16, verse 1. "The word of the Lord came to me saying, Son of man cause Jerusalem to know her abominations and say, Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother was a Hittite". Listen to this. This is not a history book. But Israel thought they were the chosen of God because Abraham was their Father. But God reminds them concerning their natural ancestry.
In Matt 23:9 Jesus tells us, "Call no man your Father upon the earth, for ONE is your Father (God) which is in heaven." Our natural generation has little to do with our true origin, for this reason people in every land pray saying, OUR FATHER which art in heaven!
He said to Israel: Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite, and that is why you have the problems you have, because of what you believe about your origin. And yet, when Jesus came they kept saying, "We are of our father Abraham". And what did Jesus say? "You could have fooled me. Abraham loved me, but you want to kill me, so how can you be his children?" All right. So you see, Israel came out of a heathen father and a heathen mother, but where did we come from? Can you keep your finger there again?
Turn to Galatians. Like I say, if we put these verses together where they belong, they always mean far more than if we just read them independently. We are talking about our origin. We are talking about our mother here. Do you know who your mother is? Well, I'm going to tell you.
This is Gal 4:25, "For this Hagar" (which was the Egyptian slave woman that Abraham took to bear what he thought was going to be his heir), "is Mt. Sinai in Arabia and answers to Jerusalem, which is now, and is in bondage with her children". This is true even today! "But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all". Come on, you need to underline that one. That is your mother, JERUSALEM, WHICH IS ABOVE.
The "Jerusalem, which is above" was the city that Abraham looked for. It says here he was a pilgrim and he was looking for a city. What kind of a city was Abraham looking for? "A city that has foundations and whose builder and maker is God". What does a "City" speak to us of? In the natural it speaks to us of the center of commerce and commercial activity.
So Jerusalem, which is "above," must be the centre of GOD’S ACTIVITY. And where is the center of all divine activity? Christendom will tell you that it is in a beautiful place up in the sky called "heaven." But this is not true, for the divine activity is centered IN YOU! YOU ARE GOD'S CITY! And all divine activity is centered in you. Whatever God is doing in this world, even in terms of bringing all the nations unto Himself, will be done through a PEOPLE! WE ARE THAT PEOPLE! YOU ARE THAT CITY! YOU ARE THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM!
The "Heavenly Jerusalem" is the feminine side of God through which he births his sons. Just as Sarah was the vehicle through which the promised seed was to come. Isaac was the natural seed but Christ was the SPIRITUAL SEED.
This is where God's center is. This is where His temple is. This is where His throne is, and from that throne he is functioning today. YOU ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD! Do you hear that?
Go back to Ezek 16:4. "And as for thy nativity, in the day that thou wast born, your navel was not cut". What's he talking about? See, we have got to get beyond the ink on the paper. We read that and say, "Ah, poor kid". But what is the spirit trying to say to us? We cannot be connected to any earthly origin or it must of necessity pollute the pure stream of LIFE that flows from God.
It means he was tied to his mother, that is, the umbilical cord, if that is not cut, you will continue to be fed from the natural realm, and remain a part of your mother and never be free. God was telling Israel, you and your mother are going to remain one, and she was a Hittite. You want to be a Son of God? Well, then you better let God cut the umbilical cord connecting you to any human origin. How can we be a part of the Melchisedek Priesthood if we are tied to any earthly origin? Melchisedek is without FATHER and MOTHER and without beginning or end.
Abraham is coming back from the battle of the kings and somebody meets him called Melchisedek, who was the King of PEACE, and not the king of war. Abraham had been out there fighting and he comes back and meets the King of PEACE. Do you realize that God has ways of doing things that we haven't dreamed about yet? When He wanted to deliver Israel from the land of Egypt, God didn't give them all an AK-47 rifle. God didn't train them in jungle warfare or whatever, but he released the nation of Israel from Egypt without firing a shot.
They walked free from their captors, and not even a dog could bark against them. That is the KING OF PEACE. The wars and all the fighting in the world are not our problem. Jesus told us not to resist evil, the reason being that evil has no reality and there is only ONE POWER in the universe, and that is GOD. Man is functioning out of a false sense of identity that says, "I want, I need, I'll have to get".
And so, let's go on in Ezekiel, "Thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee, and you were not swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these things unto thee, to have compassion upon thee, but you were cast out into the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou was born." Beloved, if you can't identify with that you are not honest. Haven't we all groaned and been discouraged by our natural heritage and what we believed ourselves to be. I can tell you I was. When I was at school I felt like I wasn't going to make it. It was all too hard for me. And, as I grew up beyond that and went to work, I believed everybody else out there was bigger than me, better than me, and I believed I was inferior to everybody else.
This is what the Prophet is talking about. It was like you were in an open field when you were born. But I want to tell you something. Psalm 139 tells me that when you were in your mother's womb, Father molded your being. He brought the parts of your being together when there was nothing there, and He formed you for Himself.
And when you were born, you did not come out into some cold, sterile ward with a smell of disinfectant around you - Father was there with His loving open arms and said, "Come on, you are my Son. You're my Daughter. I made you for myself, and I have a tremendous plan for your life"! Ah, but we forgot that didn't we, and went out like the prodigal son to make a life for ourselves. Let's go on a bit further; otherwise we are not going to get through this. I want you to look now at Ezekiel, chapter 36.
GOD’S RESCUE PROGRAM
Ezekiel 36:22, "Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen wherever you went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified IN YOU before their eyes".
Please ponder the words for they express so much. But you may say, "This was for Israel and not us today". We are certainly not natural Israel, but WE ARE THE ISRAEL OF GOD and ABRAHAM’S SEED. (Gal 3:16,19) We are those that God has called unto Himself to be what natural Israel could never be. We are that HOLY NATION. We are a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS. We are those things NOW. So, He says, "I am going to sanctify Myself in you before the eyes of the heathen". Now, how is He going to do that? I mean, haven't we all sinned? Haven't we all done all sorts of things that have violated the Law of God putting us under the curse of God?? Well now listen, and I will show you how He is doing it.
Verse 24, "I will take you from among the heathen and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you to your own land". The first thing he needs to do is to separate us from the "heathen" in the world. What's your own land? This does not involve some "rapture" lifting us physically on to "cloud nine," leaving the sinners to endure awful punishment here on earth! NO, Paul tells us, "He has raised us up and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus N-O-W." Our feet do not leave the earth, but our consciousness functions in the spiritual world. So what is this land into which God is gathering us.
You are the heavens and the earth. That is what you are. God says, "I will bring you into your OWN LAND, which I have given you. At the moment your "land" or body is controlled by the natural mind, unless it has been renewed in the Holy Ghost. Did you know that? You get a little pain, "Ooo, I think I've got cancer". You blow your nose three times, "I think I've got hay-fever". And you get it, because your mind controls your body. But God says, I am going to give you back your own land, and you can get rid of the enemies within, that have oppressed you. But the question is HOW is God going to accomplish such a thing.
Verse 25, listen to this, "Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you". I thought He was going to get a lamb and kill it or a bullock or something. Surely He must want blood to be shed, because He is going to sanctify Himself IN YOU! He says, "I will tell you what I am going to do. I am going to sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean". Can you hear this? He says here that "you SHALL be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you". God is not saying, "I want you to quit being an idolater, and stop sinning and be good". NO! He says, "I am going to sprinkle the clean water on you".
What do you think He is doing today? He is sprinkling the CLEAN WATER OF THE PURE RIVER OF LIFE on you. It is the clean and pure water of the WORD, beloved! This is not "water" that man has contaminated with his carnal thinking that has no power to cleanse us from all our filthiness. This involves no list of Do’s and Don’ts but just a simply statement, "I'm going to sprinkle clean water on you and that CLEAN WATER will make you clean from all your filthiness"! Come on, this is truth, and God is cleansing you right now as you hear his voice speaking the pure Word. It is taking away from you that sense of "Woe is me for I am undone". That sense of "Oh God, I'm a dirty rotten sinner and please, forgive me?" He is taking all that from you, so you can stand up in the presence of God and say, "My Father, my Lord, and my God"!
Verse 26, He says, "I will put a new heart in you. I'll give you a new heart, and a new Spirit will I put in you. And I will take away the stony heart". You get a transplant out of this! You think man was the first to think of that? God was the first one to transplant hearts! Of course he is not speaking of the pump that circulates blood to your body! He said, "I will give you a new heart", because the heart is the centre of man. The heart is that out of which we function. It is the soul of man. That is what the heart is, and the heart determines how you live. If you have a hard, stony heart, then you will be angry and you will be a destructive person in your life.
The NEW heart God has for us is a heart of LOVE, that will allow you to love your enemies, and to LOVE GOD. It will extend Grace to all and condemn none. That is the kind of heart God will give you. I will give you a heart of love that will bind you together like you have never been bound together before. I will give you a heart that won't leave any gaps in the seats when you fellowship, because you will want to be together. Then you will understand, "That there is a bit of me in you, and there is a bit of you in me". The Spirit that is in you, is the same Spirit in me, and your Father is my Father. Come on, WE ARE ONE!
He says in verse 27, "And I will put my Spirit in you and cause you to walk in my statues and keep my judgements and do them". This is the Spirit of the Living God. No longer will we be LIVING SOULS as ADAM became, but we will be LIFE GIVING SPIRITS able to quicken the dead. And He said, "YOU WILL LIVE OUT OF THAT SPIRIT, because I will put that Spirit IN YOU"! The Spirit that activates God, THAT IS GOD, I will put in you. That will make you "Gods," under the Most High God. We won't replace God. Don't run away with that crazy notion. That is what people out there try and tell us, because they think this is blasphemy, just like the Jews in Jesus day, who tried to kill him for the same reason. Jesus upset them when he said, "I and my Father are one". Jn 10:30.
you to wal"I will put my Spirit in you and cause k in my statutes and you will keep my judgements and do them". This is not writing Ten Commandments on a piece of stone. This is not God writing them on the wall and saying, "this is the law I want you to keep". God is not saying that here. He says, "I will put my Spirit in you and you WILL walk in my ways." You will not have to try to walk in my ways, because my Spirit will function in you and you WILL WALK in the ways of God. Can you hear this? For this is the gospel, and we have not even mentioned S-I-N nor have we spoken about sacrifice at all. Now, you can begin to understand why I am telling you all this before I talk about the cross. Beloved we need to understand this.
And He says here in verse 28, "And you will dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers and ye shall be my people and I will be your God". Isn't this good stuff? Is it doing you good? Ah, the struggle that I had in my life to get rid of all that stuff we call sin. I struggled against my bad habits and failures because I did not want to continue to do them. I was like Paul who said," The things I want to do, I am unable to do, but the things that I do not want to do, these are the things that I find myself doing." God help me! "How can I be delivered from this body of death?" Then Paul says, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord".
Here is the answer to our entire struggle; it is through the INDWELLING CHRIST, the NEW HEART and the NEW SPIRIT that the change will take place. This is the Gospel. "I'll save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen". I am going to leave it there, but you can read the rest of the chapter.
Can you understand what the spirit is saying to us today through the Prophet Ezekiel? God says I will replace the "control" within you by rising up the CHRIST. This is your true IDENTITY and with that new heart and spirit, your will walk in my ways and you will be clean. In Christ you will discover the inexhaustible supply capable of meeting every need.
I want you to understand that God does not need the shedding of LITERAL blood to set you free. Christendom has tried to convince us that God has always demanded BLOOD Sacrifices. But remember what Jesus said when he came into the world. "Sacrifice and offerings and offering for sins you did not desire and neither did you have pleasure in them." Heb 10:5 & 8. (See also Jer 7:22)
But there are some who will quote Heb 9:22 to support the necessity of BLOOD SACRIFICE. " And almost all things are BY THE LAW purged with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission." Now if you are still UNDER THE LAW then, YES, you will need a blood sacrifice. But we are under a NEW COVENANT of GRACE and physical BLOOD has no place there. The idea of blood sacrifice came from the Hebrew concept of God under the Old Covenant. Christendom has just continued the Hebrew concept, thinking that God still demands PHYSICAL blood before he can forgive us.
What would you say if I asked you, "What is the blood that cleanses you from sin?" Most Christians would say, "Well, it would be the physical literal blood of Jesus when he died on the cross". Do you mean the blood that was in the veins of that man called Jesus'"? "Yes". But he was a mortal man and the blood of a mortal man cannot save you from sin. Anyway that blood fell to the ground, so I don't know how he would pick it up and take it into the Most Holy Place, according to the analogy of the tabernacle. It had to be something else.
In John 6:53 Jesus said, "Except you eat the FLESH of the Son of man and DRINK HIS BLOOD you have no life in you." Do you think Jesus was asking us to be cannibals? I don’t think so and therefore he was not speaking about LITERAL BLOOD or LITERAL FLESH. The "Flesh" of Christ is the SUBSTANCE OF WHAT HE IS and the "Blood" of Christ is his LIFE. Whatever I eat in the natural is assimilated into my body and becomes "ME." So in the spiritual sense, as I eat the substance of what he is, that is what I become.
Jesus says finally regarding eating his flesh and drinking his blood, "He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood, dwelleth IN ME and I in HIM. As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that EATETH ME EVEN HE SHALL LIVE BY ME."
TO SUM UP WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
We began this study by discovering man’s origin. WE found that man was created SPIRIT with no physical body, for that was to come later in Gen 2.
Now, I want you to turn to John's gospel, chapter 3, and verse 14. And this is Jesus speaking now about the cross. And he said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up". As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, in exactly the same way, the Son of man had to be lifted up. So, I want to know now, what is this serpent that was lifted up in the wilderness and what was it all about?
Let's go back and see. Numbers 21:5 says, "And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread'. They were saying to God that they had enough of eating this bread they had to scrape off the leaves of the tree every morning. I mean we would like to get back to normality with a choice of some kind. Surely Lord, you can give us something better than this, and while we are at it, we would like to mention that we are getting tired of banging on this rock to get a drink of water. They really were arguing with God.
In verse 6 it says, "The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much of the people of Israel died". This is not a history book. Can you hear this? This is not recorded here just to tell us that Israel did this and Israel said that, and you know, a bunch of snakes came in amongst them. See, we consider the things we read in the Bible are like children's stories, because this is what we tell the children in Sunday School. We tell them the story about the serpents in the wilderness, and we tell them about the baby Jesus born in Bethlehem. We tell them about Noah and the ark, but we never tell them what the truth is behind all of these things, because we don't know ourselves. So, let's have a look at this.
Now this is heavy stuff, I mean, here are these people arguing against God, and God sends a bunch of deadly snakes that bite them and kill them. Wow! What a God we've got. I thought my Father loved me. I thought God IS LOVE. Well then, surely there must be something more behind the words we read. First of all, if you want to do a little study, you will find that the word for snakes there, or fiery serpents, is the word "seraph" and more than one is "seraphim", the "im" is the plural suffix in the Hebrew language.
Now what is the function of the seraphs? Well, in Isaiah 6, you can read for yourself, that when the prophet went into the temple he saw the Lord high and lifted up with his train filling the temple. The sight so overcame him that he cried out, "Lord, I'm a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips, and Lord have mercy on me". At that very moment a seraphim flew across to the altar and they picked up a live coal and brought it over to Isaiah and touched his lips and said, "Your iniquity is cleansed and you are purged from your sin." Your lips are now clean and you are clean, and there wasn't any sacrifice there, because the seraphim are the guardians of God's holiness, and they also take care of the fire of God. They were in charge, if you like, of the fire department, not putting it out, but keeping it burning. You see, it was the fire that cleansed him. Again, please notice there was no blood sacrifice. He was cleansed by fire, not by blood sacrifice.
So, the Lord released these seraphs, and they began to bite the people and as a result something in them began to die, because they represent the fire of God. However, the fire of God is not destructive. The fire is God's means of transforming you. So, these people needed a little clean up, so what better way of doing it than by God's sending his fire. It was not to destroy them, BUT TO CLEANSE THEM, and to make them to be what God intended them to be. In answer to the cry of the people, Moses turns to the Lord, asking for direction.
The Lord said to Moses, this is what I want you to do. You see those things, whatever they are that are biting the people, causing them to die, well I want you to make one of those out of brass. Now brass in the Bible always speaks of the judgement of God. What does the word "Judgement" mean? Well, it comes from a Greek word "KRISIS." If you put a "C" in place of the "K" you are very close to the meaning, "CRISIS."
A crisis is something that happens in your life causing you to pause for a moment. You are going along in a certain direction at about 100 miles an hour and suddenly something happens in your life, and God pulls you up. That is a CRISIS. And in that crisis, you are given time to assess the situation and say, "Hey, where am I really going." Is this the direction I want my life to take? It's a CRISIS. It allows you to reconsider your direction, and to think about where this pathway that you are on is leading you. From the spiritual point of view it means a "setting right" of that which is wrong, or a correction if you like. Again let me say, God’s judgement is not destructive but is positive in its purpose.
So, you see, these people needed to find an answer to their problem. Not just the problem of the snakes, but the problem of why do we keep griping against God. Why do we keep getting angry with Moses for bringing us out here? Is there an answer? Yes sir, there is an answer. God said, "Moses make one of those things out of brass, and then put it on the top of a pole. Then erect the pole right in the middle of Israel, and anybody that has been bitten by those serpents, all they have to do is LOOK at the brazen serpent on the pole and they will live."
SALVATION, beloved, is LOOK and LIVE. That's what Jesus is telling us in John 3. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, in the same way must the Son of mn be lifted up.”? Oh, well then who does the serpent on the pole represent? The answer must be, "The one who died upon the CROSS who was lifted up just like the serpent in the wilderness." This is Adam from the Garden of Eden. What in the world is it that makes you sin? What is it that every time I want to do good I can't do it, but I find that I am doing the thing that I don't want to do. What is causing me to live like that?
NO, it is not some external entity called the devil, but it is the Adamic consciousness that functions out of the NATURAL or CARNAL MIND. It is that Adamic nature that has come to us through our natural generation, because we look back at our parents and say, "Well, that's where we came from." But when we say that, we are denying our true identity that we came out of God. Remember God did not create a MAN OF FLESH AND BLOOD. We were created as SPIRIT and even today we are still spirit in the reality of our being. So, this Adamic consciousness remains in us. That is what is killing us, the Adamic consciousness or the carnal mind, that Paul tells us IS DEATH.
1 Cor 15:45, "And so it is written. The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a life giving Spirit". They are both Adam, but one is a LIVING SOUL and the other has the ability to GIVE LIFE or is a LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT. So, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up? What has been killing us? ADAM or the Adamic consciousness that tells us we have come from Adam and so we believe we are sinners and under the curse of God. That's what has been killing us? Now we need to know what provision has God made to remedy our situation?
2 Cor 5:21. "For he (that is God), hath made him (that is Christ), to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." He made him, TO BE SIN, or the MAN OF SIN. NO, God did not make him TO SIN, because remember Paul said, "It was not Adam that sinned, it was Eve". She was deceived and she took that fruit in rebellion against God, but Adam had his eyes wide open when he ate that fruit, and he did it deliberately, because he knew the consequences of his eating and HE had in mind YOUR SALVATION AND MINE. So now God has made Jesus Christ, to be that LAST ADAM. The MAN OF SIN, who is the cause of all our problems, ultimately bringing us into DEATH, now willingly embraces the CROSS.
So now, let's go back then, to Luke 22:37, which says, "For I say unto you, this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, and he was reckoned among the transgressors". So this is what still had to be accomplished in him. He was reckoned among the transgressors for the things concerning me have an end, or have a predetermined expectation, if you like, probably would be a better translation. And they said, Lord, behold here are two swords. And he said to them, that is enough. And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the Mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said to them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast and kneeled down and prayed, saying, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done". What is the cup that he is drinking? Well, back in the Garden of Eden he took the fruit from Eve, and he ate it, not in rebellion nor in deception, but with his eyes wide open. He knew the consequences both of eating that fruit of good and evil, and also he knew what would be the result of abstaining from eating the fruit. Do you realise what would have been the result if Adam had not shared the fruit with Eve? Let me tell you. If Adam had refused to join Eve in eating of the tree of good and evil the soul would have been eternally separated from the Spirit and there would have been no salvation for any man!! Think about it!
Now God is saying, to the LAST ADAM I want you to carry this through now to its final conclusion and take that LIVING SOUL into death. That is the "cup". Now, I want you to lay down your NATURAL SOULISH LIFE, because if you do you will release all humanity from its power. You will release humanity by destroying the power of death. So Father says, "My Son, are you willing to lay down your physical soul life now?" Are you willing to become at this moment a LIVING SACRIFICE? NO, not a dead sacrifice as they all were in Israel’s history.
And in the agony of that moment it says he sweat as it were, great drops of blood, falling down to the ground. The agony - for the salvation of all men is here at stake. Because God said the day in which you eat that fruit, you will die. Well, Adam's physical death didn't accomplish anything for us 930 years after he left the Garden, except in type form, so we read, AND ADAM DIED.
But NOW we are looking at the reality of what we read concerning the FIRST ADAM in the Garden of Eden. Adam’s death is not a punishment as religion suggests, but MANKIND’S release from the POWER OF DEATH. Adam had to die before Christ could arise in us constituting us LIFE GIVING SPIRITS. But here he is now, as the LAST ADAM.
So, of course, when Christendom preaches the cross they say, "Now this is God's lamb, the Lamb of God, which is the sin offering for all mankind". But we already read that Jesus said, "Father, you didn't want sacrifice and offerings and offerings for sin." You didn't want that. That wasn't what you wanted at all. How can we then make him a sin offering? HE IS NOT A SIN OFFERING. He doesn't have to be a sin offering. I have already showed you how God can make you perfect, and it has nothing to do with literal physical blood. Because the blood that will make you perfect, had already been shed. When Adam took the fruit of that tree, he slew the Lamb of God.
The LAMB OF GOD is not a woolly creature with four legs and wool on its back. The LAMB OF GOD is the NATURE OF GOD, because a lamb is a defenceless creature. It says, "What do you want to do to me? You want to hurt me, you go right ahead. You want to shear me and take the wool off my back, you go right ahead, I can't stop you. You want to kill me, go right ahead". That is what the "Lamb Nature" of God says. There are many people in this world today, maybe thousands, who have mocked God and defied him to destroy them. But God did not destroy any of them. Could he have done so? Of course he could!.
Those people bring retribution on themselves, because whatever a man sows, that is what he reaps. Sow to the flesh and you will reap corruption. Sin and its consequences have nothing to do with God. But Christendom considers that SIN has outraged God, demanding that he give his only begotten son as a sin offering, instead of destroying mankind. It's like God says, "I'll tell you what I am going to do. I can't forgive you unless I have a BLOOD SACRIFICE so here is the deal. This time an animal sacrifice is not sufficient, so I will kill my only SON on the Cross of Calvary. Then when he is dead and his blood has been poured out then I will be satisfied, and forgive only those who repent.
This is what the Church has taught for centuries and Christians have believed it, even though in so doing they have defamed the character of God. But this cannot be our God of LOVE! Would you kill your son to provide salvation for somebody else? I don't think so. But let us just think about what we are saying for a moment.
Jesus taught us in Mark 11:25-26 that when we pray we must forgive all those who have wronged us. In fact he goes further and says that if we do not forgive others then our Heavenly Father will not forgive us. But now we are saying that this same "Heavenly Father" will not forgive mankind unless there is a "BLOOD SACRIFICE," and that sacrifice is his only SON. In Matt 18:24-27 Jesus spoke about a man who owed his master much more than he could every pay back but his master FREELY FORGAVE HIM THE DEBT.
These parables all display the character of God and are very instructive, but we have taken little notice of them choosing to believe the distorted character of our God presented to us by preachers and teachers, rather than the Truth Jesus revealed. Notice in this passage of Scripture it was the UNFORGIVING MAN who had himself been freely forgiven that was cast into prison, not because of any debt but because he failed to reflect the same grace that had been shown to him. In this he defamed his Heavenly Father before others. How many times in the New Testament did Jesus tell people that their sins were forgiven? It was not on the basis of the Cross, for that was still in the future. The woman taken in adultery was condemned to die under the LAW but Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you."
Christendom has presented such a harsh demanding God to the world who demands Blood Sacrifice before he can extend forgiveness to anyone, and even then only if certain conditions are met. Failure to comply with these conditions results in this God burning you forever and ever in "hell." This God is presented to mankind as "YOUR LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER." Who in the world could LOVE such a Father, and be proud to be his children?? No wonder the heathen are multiplying far more than Christians.
WHAT IS THE TRUTH
JESUS CHRIST WAS NOT THE SIN OFFERING. He was made to BE THE MAN OF SIN or the LAST ADAM, which is responsible for our mistaken identity, and the illusion of our physical mortality in and this physical material world. The Adamic consciousness has locked us up through the carnal mind to believe we are just mortal human beings born in sin, cast out of the Garden of God, and living under the law of SIN AND DEATH.
And so, you will notice a change after Jesus was arrested by the soldiers in the Garden. He has accepted the will of the Father to take "mortality" into death thus releasing the SPIRIT (CHRIST) to be manifest in all mankind. So now men were able to subdue him, which they were not able to do before this. Now they mocked him by putting a robe on him and a reed in his hand and a crown of thorns on his head, and announcing this one to be the KING of the Jews. But notice there was no retaliation.
He was made to carry his cross up the hill to Golgotha and there they nailed his hands and feet to the cross, and he did not resist. He was led as a LAMB to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. Just as he took the fruit from Eve, so now he willingly yields his will to God
NO NO beloved, this is not the SON OF GOD for it is impossible for a SON OF GOD TO DIE. This is the Last Adam, tasting death FOR EVERY MAN, and in so doing he is destroying that which has the POWER OF DEATH, the CARNAL MIND, setting us free. There is no substitution involved here; Jesus Christ is not dying on this cross INSTEAD of you and me. NO, he is dying their AS ME, and as every member of the human race, for that is what he represents in the Garden of Eden. This is where ADAM the "LIVING SOUL MAN" dies, and the LIFE GIVING SPIRIT which is C-H-R-I-S-T comes forth out of that death.
Many times I have surveyed that scene on Golgotha’s Hill as the Spirit brings the truth into clear focus for me. My whole life and destiny are to be found here so I watch every movement with great intent. And, I am watching this one on the cross, because you see, this is so very important to me personally. Jesus told us clearly, "If the SON shall make you free, then you are absolutely free!"
So I am determined to walk free from the enslaving influences that are in my life. So I am looking at that cross, and there he, but even in his hour of suffering he takes care of his mother, and says to John, "See this is your mother, and Mother, I want you to see John, who is going to look after you". I mean, that is how much grace he displayed even at the time of death.
Then I see him speak so graciously to one of the thieves who were crucified with him. But the time of his departure was at hand, and I hear that victorious cry come from his lips, IT IS FINISHED! Then he surrendered his spirit unto the Father as he died. I stood there trying to contemplate what it was that was FINISHED. Like a soft vesper blowing across the meadows, I heard a voice within saying, "The power of sin is broken, and also the power of death, for here DEATH is swallowed up in victory, and you are free indeed."
The spirit can never be released without death, for it is death that releases the spirit. As in the natural, so in the spiritual. Can you hear this? The "Alabaster Box" of precious ointment must be broken to release its perfume. The BREAD (Body) must be broken so that others may eat and live. ADAM the man of dust must be brought into death before the LIFE GIVING SPIRIT WITHIN, CAN BE RELEASED. The TRUTH begins to unfold before my eyes not from the lips of some preacher, but as the Spirit of God lights up the scene before me to reveal all its sacred treasures.
So, I'm watching and looking at this man dying on that cross and I say to myself, "There is something familiar about him. I don't know what it is, but I think I know that man that is dying on that cross". So I step a little bit closer and I'm looking, and suddenly I say to myself, "I know who it is…. that's ME." That's why I could recognize him. THAT IS ME DYING ON THAT CROSS"! I do not just see Jesus Christ dying on that cross, but I saw myself identified IN HIM. Of course, now CHRIST the ANNOINTING has been released through death, because that is SPIRIT.
Now Jesus bows his head and all movement stops, he is dead! BUT THAT IS ME! HE DIED AS ME!!! So if YOU died in him YOU must also be dead. ADAM IS DEAD! The one who prevented me from being free, by enslaving me to sin IS NOW DEAD.
But this is not the end of the story. I am very interested to see what is going to happen now? His voice remains etched in my memory as he cries, "IT IS FINISHED". But the depth of meaning in these words has yet to fully dawn on me, but I believe it. Loving hands come and take that body down from the cross and they wrap it in the grave clothes, and they take it away. They go down the hill and I follow them, because remember that is me, and I want to know what will happen to me.
Over the years I have been asked many times about, "what happens after we die?" Well, if you will follow with me we will find out together the answer. The people carrying the body come to a burial cave on a rich man’s property, and they lay it gently on the rock shelf inside. Then in deep reverence, they walked out. And I am still looking because, that is ME! That's ME lying there in that cave.
Now I am outside, because the soldiers are rolling that big stone over the mouth of the cave and they are sealing it with the Roman seal! I remembered Jesus spoke about the THIRD day being the day of resurrection so I settled down to wait because I must know what happens to me. So as it dawns toward that third day I am watching. Suddenly I notice the stone has been rolled away already. And I look inside, and there is two angelic beings sitting there. These are like the "cherubim," one at each end where the body of Jesus had laid, the same as the MERCY SEAT ON THE ARK. And they say to me, "Who are you looking for"? Without hesitation I reply, "I'm looking for Des Walter". They reply, "Why seek ye the living among the dead"? I stand there trying to grasp what I am hearing, so they repeat it. "Why seek the living among the dead? This is the place for the dead and not the living".
So I go outside with my head is spinning and I am confused. I don't know what's happened now, because there is nothing there. I know I saw that body lay there on the rock shelf, and the cave sealed with a great Rock, but now, there is nothing there except the grave clothes. I mean, I thought there would at least be a little heap of dust there, but there is not dust! If there had been it would have been in Rome by now, and they would be charging you for a look! I want to tell you, I've looked in that tomb, and THERE WAS NOTHING THERE! Jesus and Des Walter have gone FOREVER, NEVER TO RETURN.
But my search is not finished yet, because I must know what's happened to me. I'm still looking, and I hear voices. Here comes Mary and she is talking with the gardener, and says, "Listen, I know we buried Jesus of Nazareth in there, but his body is gone. Did you take his body away, or do you know who took it? And do you know where it is now, because I want to know?" And this man looks at her and he says, "Mary", and she knew who it was immediately. She knew that it was the Lord. I heard that conversation so I know he is alive but I still do not understand. By this time others have come and the whole town is talking about the empty tomb.
The questions are still in my mind about what happened to ME. Notice that it was the women who first discovered Jesus Christ was ALIVE. Eve (the soul) had been searching for her beloved down through the ages, and now she has found him! Of course they told the disciples who were not convinced so Peter and John decided to run to the tomb and see for themselves. They also found the empty tomb!
A little later I am walking along the road to Emmaus with a few of the disciples and I am listening to them talk as they journey. Along that road a man joins the group and they walk together. He begins to talk to us and we get to talking to him, and all the time he is talking I am looking at him, and I am thinking to myself, "I know him from somewhere. I am certain I have met him before. But I can't remember who he really is. Finally we come to our destination and we ask him to come in with us and have a meal. The stranger was given the honour of breaking the bread.
At that very moment It was like a light was turned on within me and to my amazement I discovered who that person is. THAT'S ME! THAT IS ME! FOR I had RISEN IN CHRIST! And, CHRIST HAD RISEN IN ME. Des Walter, that character that was born 70 odd years ago in Atherton, in North Queensland, that had failed so many times along the road of life, no longer existed.
My life up to that point now seemed like a DREAM from which I had been suddenly awakened. There was a real sense of unreality about my past life just as if it had been some ILLUSION.NOW the whole experience of the Cross-burst upon my consciousness in stunning reality. The person I thought I was that was a mortal, physical human being expressing soulish life, had made me a prisoner of a false identity.
I believed I was born and that I would die. I believed I came from Adam and so was a sinner and God was angry with me. My Sunday School teacher told me one day to kneel down and repent of my sins and ask Jesus to come into my life, which I did. But life was a constant battle with me wanting to do good but evil was always with me. I believed what the preachers told me, that I was born again and a Son of God, but I had little evidence to convince me. But now I have found my true identity and that is CHRIST.
What about Jesus, what happened to him? Well, he died because he was flesh and blood also just like me. There was NO physical JESUS that rose from the dead. How glad I am for that, because otherwise I would also have gone through the cross and remained the same mortal human being I was before.
Flesh and blood do not exist beyond death, for they are a part of the illusion of life in the world of good and evil. Beyond the grave the only reality is SPIRIT. That spirit is eternal and is God that fills the universe. The "Grave" strips away the illusion so that all that fills the universe. The "Grave" strips away the illusion so that all we have left after that is R-E-A-L-I-T-Y. Heaven has nothing that is physical or material attached to it, for it has no physical location and is not a place to which we can go. The "City Foursquare," and the "streets of gold," is simply parabolic language, just as are the 12 gates of Pearl.
We have been deceived into believing that the FORM is the reality. Our body beloved is not the reality of what you are, for you were created as SPIRIT in the image of God. This is where the concept of "God being a MAN" comes from, bringing many Christians into IDOLATRY. For the Commandments tell us that we are not to make any GRAVEN IMAGE or any likeness of anything that is in heaven or on earth or even in the water under the earth. Jesus tells us that "GOD IS SPIRIT and those who worship him MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH."
Beloved, the truth is that we do not have to CONTINUE IN SIN ANY LONGER. Can you hear this? The MAN OF SIN, Adam was crucified on the cross? The L-A-S-T ADAM died 2000 years ago. We were created in Christ Jesus in the beginning as SPIRIT and that is the reality of our being. Christ is the Seed of God in every man but for so many the illusion of reality remains centered in the body of dust, and so they continue to live as sinners and under the law of sin and death, instead of the "Law of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus."
Thus for many the CROSS-brings no release from the bondage of our mortality. The best Christendom can offer is that in the cross there is forgiveness for sins, but no power to keep you from sinning. Beloved this is not the Gospel that is the POWER OF GOD unto Salvation, for Sin continues to reign denying the Lordship of Christ and allowing death to exert its authority over us. Religion’s focus on S-I-N has distorted the message of GRACE, keeping us in bondage.
Do you still have problems trying to do the things you want to do? And saying, " I can't do the things that I want to do, but the things that I don't want to do they are the things I am doing". Do you still have that problem? You can't blame Adam anymore - HE'S DEAD. But, he's fooled so many people in the world that he is still here. I want to tell you, you have been listening to Christ today, not because it’s Des Walter writing this, but because Christ dwells in me expressing him through me. HE LIVES IN ME. And you see, He has redeemed me with his precious blood, HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD! What is the blood that has saved me? IT IS HIS LIFE! FOR THE LIFE IS IN THAT BLOOD! That's the blood that saved me - IT IS HIS LIFE.
Beloved, I do not want you to worship the cross today. I want you to worship the Christ that has risen from the dead. And, as you worship that Christ, I want you to understand whom you will be worshipping? You will be lifting up the saints, which would include yourself for CHRIST is you identity. It is Christ in you, which is the HOPE OF GLORY. This is God dwelling IN YOU, having removed that false identity that you thought you were, which is Adam.
Having cut the umbilical cord that linked you to humanity and mortality. Believing that you were born and would one day die, that you came from the dust, and you are going back to the dust. He cut that cord for me, and showed me that my ORIGIN and identity was IN HIM. He will do the same for you as you open your heart to the truth we have shared together.
Paul’s testimony is now my testimony and the testimony of all those who have been raised from the "dead."
"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I LIVE, yet it is not I that live, but CHRIST THAT LIVES IN ME, and the life that I now live I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." Gal 2:20.
And, I lift up my hands now, to the Everlasting Father, full of grace and truth, which now dwells within me, expressing Himself as Des Walter. THAT'S THE GOSPEL!
May God bless you, and help you understand in your spirit, that which God is saying to you today.
Be encouraged and be blessed, Des Walter Jan. 2001