I have walked a few steps down the road of life. In so doing the conclusion I reached as far as my being is concerned, is as follows.
I find nothing in this earth of the material nature worth fighting to obtain, Nor have I found a man made organization worth embracing to the point of being a member. This has not always been the case. I have been called Pastor, and loved as a Brother in the Lord. However I find as I meditate upon the Scripture. There is but one Church and one Body with the Lord Jesus Christ being the headship of both.
I find it sad men in their quest for recognition are so intrusive, they try to divide the body of Christ. Putting themselves up as something they are not. Each member of the body will experience the victory and glory of Christ who conquered man’s adversary, bringing victory to all.
It is not the works of the flesh, nor the intellect of man. It is Jesus Christ the chosen Son of God in whom all men are made free. Each in his own order. Never early or late but in the plan of God and for the Glory of God. Each individual will find His/Her abiding place in the I AM that I AM.
Just as Moses when God chose Him, His natural mind responded with a reason why He couldn’t do as God ask. However God overrides all of our shortcomings when He calls us to do His will. Man says I can’t but the Christ within performs the will of the Father in all things. This is the same Christ, which gave Jesus the strength and power to express “Not My will but thine” concerning the cup set before Him. He was not chosen to express the will of the flesh and blood man Jesus. He was chosen to express the will of the Father. This is where we are today. We are not chosen to express our will but as a Son, we are to express the will of the Father. Laying all things aside, We offer self to the cross.
Our senses face the same fruit Eve faced in the garden, The ways of the flesh is tempting and promises to make one wise. The end result of partaking of the fruit is death. Death in this case is being unaware of your true identity in the Spirit. Not knowing who you are, or why you are in the earth. Groping around in the dead works of man trying to find life, and peace. Which consequently is not to be found. Life cannot and does not exist outside the source of life, which is God. He, alone gives life. However the serpent, (or the mind of man,) is still the adversary; continually speaking lies, prompting self and ego of man to self achieve. To be as God to know good and evil, and to have the ability to choose for their own well being, what is the good and perfect way of life. In the midst of it all, man still finds himself ineffective, when it comes to giving life and preventing death. He spends countless hours plotting ways to bring riches to his house. Then He spends vast sums of money trying to find the key to extend His life, or restore His ageing body back to its youth. As the preacher says “All is vanity” The excessive pride of man, his ego always reaching out for notoriety. Like a Hollywood star always wanting to shine the brightest among their peers. To be noticed and admired.
What is it man can do to come forth in peace with himself and others. One of the first steps in my opinion, is reconsider the religious doctrines handed down from generation to generation. Ask the Father to show you the path He ordered for your life. You will be amazed how much the carnal mind has tried to change the Word of God to benefit its belief. Most of the organizations are founded by men wanting to peddle their own beliefs. Separating themselves from others, causing division among the Saints. In Proverbs we read “He who separates himself seeks his own desire; He quarrels against all sound wisdom. 2. A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind.” Prov 18: 1-2 (NAS)
This brings us to the understanding it isn’t some way devised by man but The Father of us all created all things, and all things will return to Him. You might consider the fact in order to return to something you had to be there before. Could we consider the fact we are sent as a vessel to be the expressed image of God? Yes it is true Jesus Christ is the expressed image of God. We read in Colossians 1: 15-20 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by and for him. 17. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18. And he is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy (authority over all others) 19. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20. And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or thing in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (NIV)
So we can say with all assurance that Jesus Christ was God made visible. He had all the fullness of God dwelling in Him. All authority over all other authority. All this was manifested so as to reconcile all things both on earth and in heaven. He shed His blood on the cross to accomplish this. Now lets hear what the Spirit is saying to us. All is accomplished through Jesus Christ. There is no other way but through Him. This brings us to the question why are we here? “We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Isn’t this wonderful We are here because we were created in Christ before the foundation of the world. Can you hear what the Spirit is saying You are God’s workmanship. You are Spirit man, in a flesh body. You are a skilled worker of God, sent to do the works of the Spirit. How often have you heard a minister say a person wasn’t healed because they lack faith. The Lord whispered in my ear early the other morning “Don’t ask me for faith” This got my attention right away. I lay silent waiting for the explanation to come. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the firmly held belief of things not seen. All things are yours, walk in what you have.” We are the body of Christ. We have all things both in heaven and earth. Oh hear this dear reader. You are created in Christ for good works. The Father has given us all things that pertain to life. We are not to seek that which has already been provided us. We are to walk in the Spirit, For we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit of Christ. Can we see, He has given us all the benefits, For we are the Body of Christ, each a member. All that Christ was given belongs to us. I find in the book of Hebrews chapter 3: 1-6 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. 2. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses just as the builder of a house has a greater honor than the house itself. 4. For every house is built by some one, but God is the builder of everything. 5. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future, 6. But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house, and we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and hope of which we boast. (NIV)
The question one must ask themselves do we share in the holy calling? The only way we can share in the things of God, is by fixing our minds on Jesus. He was flesh and blood just as you and I, However he was God conscious. He obeyed the Father and always did Father’s will. Adam was the first man who became self conscious, Jesus was the first man to be God conscious. Who are we going to follow. Self conscious leads to death. God conscious leads to death of self, and life and immortality in Christ. You see the faith we have is not our faith it is the faith of the Son of God. Because we are in Christ we have faith in Him. We are in Him so it is His Faith. He is the head we are the Body. Each a member of the body of Christ. Therefore we are the house of God. Have you noticed how men will spend large sums of money to build a building and call it the house of God. He will go all out to have everything in it beautiful. This is His vision of God. He believes it to be a place of refuge or a holy place. Open your eyes Child of God this is not God’s Church or His building. It is one of the idols man has set up and calls it God’s house. YOU ARE GOD’S BUILDING NOT SOME BUILDING CONSTRUCTED BY MAN. The beauty of it is the Spirit of Christ is living and abiding in you. He is in the Father where we all live, move, and have our being. Pet 2:4-5 As you come to him, as to a living stone which has been rejected by men but is choice and precious in the site of God, 5. you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (NASB)
Man’s mind is like a rushing river, rushing from one conclusion to another. Always trying to find an answer, but never stable long enough to hear the Spirit speaking to him.
It is hard for one to be still, yet this is what we need to do. Be very still and know it is the Father working in you. He is not far from you. Even in your mouth.
There are so many diverse teachings concerning Christ, and His dealing with man. It is imposable for the carnal mind to sort it out. We have or at least I must say I have reached a point of understanding, where I know trusting in the Spirit, to reveal it is the only way we will know. “Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord.” Is a reality we must adhere to.
When I was growing up it was during the depression of the thirties. Most families were rather large during those years. When one child out grew clothes there was another one who could wear them. We called it hand me downs. And I must say they served the purpose. I can see where most Families today do the same thing with their beliefs. One set of ideas is handed from one generation to another, It served the purpose but like the hand me down clothes, there comes a time when it wears out. I think the old religious systems handed down has reached their point of not being useful anymore. It served it purpose, and I know God permitted it for a season. But it is time for a refreshing. A renewing of our minds. A grasping of the reality of our true identity in Christ, and Christ in us.
On August 20 1933 I was born, my parents named me Billy Edward Green. From that day until this, is how I am identified, Of course the Government recognizes me by their means, social security number, Army records etc. And for years I accepted this as who I was. The Churches I attended believed we were all sinners lost and without God in this world. Until we did their ritual on being saved. Then we were to do our best until Jesus came again. Of course they had set rules of what you could, or could not do. Sadly there are multitudes still in bondage to this kind of thinking. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying here. I am aware each one must be birthed the way the Lord chooses for them. There is still a move of God’s Spirit taking place in the individuals belonging to denominations. But we are witnessing a pulling away from the formal religious order. I believe there is a hunger in the hearts of the people for truth as to who they are and what God is doing in our midst.
One statement we can make without hesitation is Our God is love and those who walk with Him will manifest love for His creation. The trees of the Lord will bring forth fruit of the Spirit. This is their season to come forth and feed the nations. The river of life will flow from the belly of the Saints. Hand and hand Heaven and Earth will proclaim He is Lord. There will be no moor hand me downs, All, All, and again I say All will have the reality of their dwelling place in the Father. Old orders and man made plans will be completely passed, placed in the same place Father put all our sins. As far as the east is to the west, we will remember the failures and struggles no more.
This is Love the substance of our Father, each one covered with the covering of Love. We have awakened to a new understanding in God. Every step we take, we must hear what the spirit is saying. Walk softly before Him. Walk in the purity of our heart, not our emotions. All of our thoughts, and acts, must be submissive to His will. My desire is to walk in the reality, that we were, we are, and we will be. Just as He was, He is, and He will be. “Praise God” We are a cloud of witnesses He ordained. We are His people, where He is there we are also. God is opening our eyes, to behold the beauty, of His appearing in His People.
We do not fear because of this day. We have the words of life, and death, in our mouth, He is telling us to keep our eye upon Him. This is the day He is unveiling Himself in His glory. He is God in control of both good, and evil. He is God, He take the evil and uses if for our good. He does not see light and darkness, He is light and the darkness must keep it’s bounds. You are going to see men stand in God proclaiming life. Death is destroyed. We see the heavens, and their host rejoicing. This, is a wonderful day. This is the day of the Lord. He put His Word in our mouth, to proclaim without fear among man. We are rejoicing in the Spirit of life. God didn’t put us here to suffer. He put us in the earth too bring it back to harmony in Him. When we look to the Christ within we see no shame, or condemnation. I believe every experience of the past, was a type, and shadow, of things that now appear. You are His expression, His Body. He filled You with Himself. You are not alone, He has chose you to express Himself. He is bringing us to an understanding of completeness in Him. He may choose a vessel in order to bring understanding to a multitude. Yet He doesn’t honor that vessel anymore than He does the multitude. This mighty God, He planed it all, spanned it all out, and is now unveiling Himself.
He permitted all this we see as a great turmoil, He sees as a great victory. He created vessels for His use. He created some to abide and express Himself in. You will not have the frustrations of the world, when your understanding is enlightened. You are a vessel in the hands of God. He ordered every step you take. There are some who feel they had a will to accept or reject salvation. They didn’t, choose to be born. Didn’t choose where they were going to be born. Didn’t choose their parents, or their, siblings. In the plan of God He knew you. You were a vessel, He chose in Christ. When it was time for you to be an expression of Him, He chose you to be born. In that day, in that time, in that hour. Not To fulfill your will, or someone else’s will, but to fulfill His will, His plan. He ordered your steps. You, were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. This world is not your home. Rise up put on your house from heaven.
Bill
