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The cross of
Jesus Christ is the most mysterious and spectacular event in history.
It is the foundation of Christian faith, and rightly so
for all the promises of God became reality at Calvary’s hill.
By the
cross, Jesus became the savior of the world. And
I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This
he said, signifying what death he should die. By the cross,
Jesus obtained the approval of his Father. Therefore
doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take
it again. By the cross, Jesus completed his appointment with
death and came to his glorified resurrection. And
[Jesus] became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which
is above every name. By the cross, Jesus obtained an
everlasting life. Knowing that Christ being
raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over
him.
It was via
the cross that Jesus became the first spiritually begotten Son of God.
Declared to be the Son of God with power,
according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the
dead. By crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus became master of
the universe and entered into that splendid, brilliant, immortal state
of being in which he now dwells. Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom,
and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
Since the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ the cross has stood as the ominous emblem
of anguish. But the cross is much more than just earthly pain.
Crucifixion is, in reality, the secret recipe for spiritual
excellence.
The cross
encapsulates the sapience of God. It is an ancient formula, giving
entrance to the dwellingplace of God. Those who are processed by it
will be ushered into the permanent inheritance of God. Like a
spiritual algorithm, the cross is a sequence of steps that lead from
human mortality, to the superlative perfection of begotten spirit
life.
This process
and its result were validated by Jesus Christ. At his physical birth,
Jesus was promised a transcendent destiny that far excelled the bounds
of earth. 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.
But God
intended that this inheritance should be conveyed through the
suffering of the cross. The Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ
was not some accident, failure, or freak of nature. It was ordained by
the wisdom of God, before the world began. All the plans of God
converged at the cross of Jesus, and were held in abeyance as Jesus
dutifully accomplished his destiny. It came to
pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he
stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.
Jesus well
understood the secret of crucifixion. He
knew that the cross would please his Father and also carry him to a
name that is above every other. Jesus wisely desired these ends more
than his earthly life. Who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of the throne of God. With his heart
fixed upon these glorious expectations, Jesus pursued the cross as the
entrance to an eternal of treasure. Behold, we
go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the
chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to
death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge,
and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
On the
cross, Jesus suffered and died. It is written
of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at
nought. But by the cross, Jesus came to his resurrection.
Crucifixion always leads to resurrection. These are two halves of the
same process; they cannot be separated. Therefore
will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the
spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto
death: and he was numbered with the transgressors.
By the
cross, Jesus came to possess all the magnificence of his Father. And
by this victory, he revealed the cross to be the celestial gateway to
spiritual perfection. We see Jesus, who was
made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honour. If any man will follow along on
this path, and complete the same crucifixion formula that Jesus
demonstrated, that man will come to the same result. Jesus
Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of
the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.
As the
firstborn Son, Jesus Christ is the blueprint for Sonship. The events
of his life are a pattern for you. All truth
is in Jesus, embodied and personified in Him. Ephesians 4:21
(Amplified).
Jesus
illuminated the crucifixion-resurrection process as the technique that
leads to spiritual magnificence. He is the pristine example of what
you are to become, and the proof that the process really works. Behold,
this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel. By
examining the cross of Jesus, you can discern the path that God
intends for you. Christ also suffered in your
behalf, unto you leaving behind a pattern that ye might follow in his
steps. 1 Peter 2:21 (Emphasized). You are expected to follow
his example, exactly. As my Father hath sent
me, even so send I you.
The cross of
Jesus Christ is a demonstration of the formula that produces
resurrected life. Those who find the courage to apply this formula to
their own lives, will come to the same result. To
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even
as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. That
is to say, if you do what he did, you will get what he got. Because
as He Himself is, we also shall be, in that world. 1 John 4:17
(Fenton).
Jesus Christ
came to the earth to be crucified, and by his cross he acquired every
spiritual treasure. And as it was for him, so it is also for you. You
have been called to the same process that Jesus demonstrated. If
we suffer, we shall also reign with him.
Jesus did
not do it all for you, like some supernatural whipping boy. Instead he
empowered you to follow his steps, and thus to become what he is. As
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.
The glorious destiny promised to the Sons of God will be
obtained individually, on the cross that God has ordained for each
life. And he said to them all, If any man will
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and
follow me.
This is your
trek to spiritual maturity. Whosoever will
lose his life for my sake shall find it. Christian goals are
not attained by the placebos of Denominationalism. Your Christian
dreams will be actualized only by your own cross.
Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my
disciple. This is the hidden and mysterious path to
resurrection for all the firstborn Sons of God. Consider
him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest
ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
When you
were born on the earth, you received a fallen, sinful, Adamic nature--
this is the grim legacy of Eden. The cross is the method that God has
prepared to separate you from this loathsome adversary. God’s
objective is the death of your self-will and Adamic pride. These
embody your enmity to him, your misunderstanding of his nature. Because
the carnal mind is enmity against God.
As your
carnality suffers and dies, your spirit will grow to full maturity. Put
off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your
mind. Your old nature must be consumed, and as this is
accomplished the Kingdom of God will open to your spirit. The cross is
the tool that will usher you into the presence and likeness of God. To
appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty
for ashes.
A modern-day
cross is a situation from the hand of God that has the power to kill
your Adamic nature. It will arrive as a predicament of agony and
bewilderment. It will emerge as a crushing foe, bent on terminating
your trust in earthly things. Your natural desires will be shattered,
your human goals broken and heaped.
Crucifixion
is the seemingly senseless destruction of your marriage, children,
business, or health. That which you value most is the price of
spiritual understanding. In this perplexing heartache your noblest
desires for your natural life will be stomped into rubble. They
were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the
sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being
destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world was not worthy.
As the
process begins, your carnality will rise to the challenge. It will not
give up without a fight. It will never crawl off and die peaceably.
Instead it will whip your thoughts into a frenzy of rage, resentment,
and revenge. Self-justification and self-righteousness will rally the
hordes of hell. In league with these, self-preservation will hasten to
their aid. These have roots that sink deep into human pride, and
together they will make war in your mind, and rip your heart from your
chest.
Jesus
described this warfare in plain, unequivocal terms. Speaking to his
disciples, he explained the secret of the cross. He said that his
crucifixion would be a deliberate experience in dreadful anguish, but
that it would result in a spectacular resurrection. The
Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and
of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days
rise again.
Hearing this
revelation for the first time, Peter rejected the concept of
crucifixion. Then Peter took him, and began to
rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto
thee. Peter spoke from the self-preservation of his carnal
mind. The carnal mind is the lackey of Satan, and Jesus rebuked this
Satanic adversary. He said to Peter, Be gone
under my authority, and keep on going, behind me, out of my sight,
Satan. A stumbling-block you are to me, because you do not have a mind
for the things of God but for the things of men. Matthew 16.23 (Wuest).
The carnal
mind doesn’t want to suffer, even if it is the wisdom of God. That
portion of you that rejects the cross, is Satan’s domain. That is
the portion that must die.
The cross is
an intense internal battle of spirit, heart, and mind. Most Christians
lose this battle, because when it comes they do not recognize it as
the gateway to spiritual immortality. Instead they are immediately
overcome by the visible circumstances, and erroneously conclude that
their pain is the result of misfortune or someone else’s wickedness.
They fail to see God’s glistening sovereignty behind the events, and
thus fail to follow the example demonstrated by Jesus Christ. We
preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the
Greeks foolishness.
This is the
“offense” of the cross. This lack of insight is a carnal blindness
that remains today as the single greatest nemesis of spiritual
victory. For the preaching of the cross is to
them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the
power of God. Everyone wants resurrection, but no one wants the
crucifixion process that produces it. For when
tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he
is offended.
Thus the
wisdom of God has offered the cross of life to every Christian. Are
ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? But most
summarily slap the gilded cup from his hand, and fail to drink the
permanence of their own spiritual inheritance. He
that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of
me.
If you are
to successfully negotiate the cross, you must undergo a change of
mind. Your carnal mind is to die, and the Mind of Christ must be
birthed. This is the death of “self-will,” regardless of how
noble, and the birth of “thy will be done,” regardless of how
painful. Father, all things are possible unto
thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but
what thou wilt.
As the
process begins, your carnal mind will react like the two thieves that
were crucified with Jesus. Like the first thief the carnal mind will
first reject the cross entirely. One of the
malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be
Christ, save thyself and us. Like the second thief the carnal
mind also recognizes that it is guilty. The
other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing
thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we
receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing
amiss.
The Mind of
Christ is neither of these. It is a sinless, new creature, that can
only be gauged by its capacity for self-sacrifice. Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ... being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross.
The Mind of
Christ will embrace the cross, simply because its Father has brought
it. This is the mind that was in Christ Jesus. He chose the cross to
comply with his Father’s will. Those who wish to complete their own
spiritual maturity must do likewise, and choose the cross when it
comes. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered
for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind.
If you
desire a glorified resurrection you must follow the footsteps of Jesus
Christ, exactly, regardless of how hateful or difficult it might seem.
Forgiveness and self-sacrifice are never easy.
This will
require that you realign your priorities. Natural goals must be
abandoned, while spiritual goals are shifted to preeminence. Adamic
life offers no permanent wealth. Its glory fades with every passing
day. But via the cross, your desire will turn to the spirit realm and
your hope will fix upon a new dimension. He
that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no
longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of
men, but to the will of God.
As the cross
takes hold in your life you will begin to yearn for heavenly things,
and a possession in the Begotten Realm. Your identity will shift to
the spirit Son who is being perfected within you. The things of earth
will become dross as you are swept with unquenchable desire to see God
as he is, to know him personally, to possess his fullness, to attain
his likeness. Ever brighter the vision will grow, and soon you will
cry out to God from a depth that did not previously exist.
One day,
after the cross has finished its earthly work in your spirit, you will
come to your resurrection. Arriving in that glorious state you will
finally attain your dreams, and see your Heavenly Father face-to-face.
Then you will notice an astonishing similarity, for you will find that
you have been changed into his very image. And from within you will
explode life immortal, power invincible, wisdom indefectible,
character irreproachable, and resurrection unstoppable. We
know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall
see him as he is.
Jesus Christ
illuminated and demonstrated the steps that lead through the cross to
this resurrected glory. He was alone. He was betrayed. He then
surrendered to his Father’s sovereignty. He forgave his adversaries.
He became a sacrifice to the will of God. By these steps he came to a
resurrection of unspeakable glory. The cross of resurrection can
always be recognized by these distinctive marks. When you see these
players stride into your life, take heart. You are about to exit the
mortal realm.
Jesus was
born in a stable, apart from the common amenities. As a child he was
not like the others; even his parents were often astonished. When he
grew up his mind turned to a lonely spiritual quest. The
Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the
wilderness forty days. He was despised in his own city. Jesus
said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own
country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. More than
once his neighbors tried to kill him. For a
good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou,
being a man, makest thyself God.
With a small
group of friends Jesus taught and traveled. And
they departed into a desert place by ship privately. But even
these could not understand him and were of no comfort. His friends
lived in a cage of carnality, doubly locked by spiritual blindness and
hardened hearts. Their goals were aligned to the earthly realm. Many
therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an
hard saying; who can hear it? ... From that time many of his disciples
went back, and walked no more with him.
To Jesus,
human fellowship was wearisome and unsatisfying. Thus it was that he
frequently sought to be alone. When Jesus
therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to
make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. In
the quiet solitude of prayer he communed with the only other being who
could really comprehend him. And it came to
pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and
continued all night in prayer to God.
The plan of
God required that Jesus should face his destiny alone. He needed to
develop a personal relationship with his Father. Thus he was denied
the support of human succor. In separation from the earthly, he
pursued the inner strength and confidence necessary for a future ruler
of the universe. He is despised and rejected
of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it
were our faces from him.
The people
around him could neither help him, nor relate to him. One of his
friends betrayed him, some denied him, but all forsook him. Then
saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this
night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of
the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Jesus
suffered a mock trial without the solace of a single ally. Then
all the disciples forsook him, and fled. Enduring the lies of
envy, he stood alone and was condemned to death by his own countrymen.
Behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What
think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. At the
end, even his Father deserted him. My God, my
God, why hast thou forsaken me?
As Jesus
demonstrated, the path to resurrection is a lonely walk. It began when
those destined for Sonship were separated from God and vanquished to
the earth. They were fitted with a carnal mind, and condemned to a
life that is enmity to God. Their Father was hidden from their eyes
and removed from their grasp. For the LORD
hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed
your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
But those
infected with carnality do not like to be alone. They hate it. Not
being able to perceive God, they turn instead to their own. The carnal
mind is a social animal. This mind is a weak and scared little tyrant
that must be stroked by its peers. Those ruled by it need constant
reassurance of their acceptance. Woe unto you,
when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the
false prophets.
For this cause the churches of today serve up food, fun, and fellowship; but truth, the cross, and resurrection are unknown. To Modern Christianity the crucifixion of Jesus is a gift, not an example. And now group interaction is substituted for the crucifixion process. They believe that by fellowshipping with the dead every Sunday, their selfishness, ignorance, self-pity, and bitterness, will somehow miraculously end. Behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
But social
schemes and silly doctrines cannot satisfy a longing, searching heart.
Neither can they sustain you when hanging on a cross of your own. When
you ache to know God personally, you will eventually move away from
the hype and shallow nonsense of church programs. Come
ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while. You
will crave to enter the presence of your Heavenly Father in private
communion. He that sent me is with me: the
Father hath not left me alone.
Discovering
the truth of Sonship, you will be hastily denounced as a heretic by
the organized church. If they have called the
master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of
his household? They will not be able to understand your quest,
and if you walk on alone without them, they will fear and condemn you.
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. You will be
maligned and ousted, just like Jesus Christ. They
shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that
whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
This
separation is a necessary part of your crucifixion. For the gaggle of
nominal Christian denominations will never have room for the Sons of
God. The election hath obtained it, and the
rest were blinded.
Spiritual
maturity is not a spectator sport. It is not acquired by observation.
It is not found in group interaction. Get thee
out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house,
unto a land that I will shew thee. Spiritual maturity is a
personal, individual effort. It is a solitary path that clings to the
high promises of God, though this path is veiled to the masses, and
alien to the earth. The men that were with me
saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they
fled to hide themselves.
Christ in
you can only be birthed alone, at night, and apart from thronging
church agendas and the sticky fellowship of groups. Conception and
childbirth is an intimate process. It is a solitary walk, devoid of
the acceptance and approval of your peers. This is the environment of
crucifixion and resurrection.
As you fix
your course on a distant star, the comfort of human fellowship will
wane to a mere memory. They were strangers and
pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly
that they seek a country ... that is, an heavenly. Occasionally
you will espy another vagabond on the earth. But those who embrace
their own cross, will find their only true solace with their Father
and Brother. Truly our fellowship is with the
Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Like Jesus,
you will experience your cross alone. The work
is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from
another. As you approach Calvary’s hill, your earthly gems
will be stripped away. The things you valued most are taken first.
Your friends will desert you, your family will flee, and your church
will renounce you. At my first answer no man
stood with me, but all men forsook me. Alone, you will cry out
to God and even he will not answer.
Destitute
and forsaken you will hang for a time, bewildered, suspended between
heaven and earth, rejected by one and not yet acceptable to the other.
Under the cover of this darkness your carnal nature will be ripped
from your mind, and your spirit will reach for things that have never
entered the thoughts of man.
The cross is
a lonely path to the heavens. Narrow is the
way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. But
this bloody stake is the workshop of God. And there his Sons are
forged into living beings. I sat not in the
assembly of those who make merry, nor did I rejoice. I sat alone
because Your powerful hand was upon me, for You have filled me with
indignation. Jeremiah 15:17 (Amplified).
Every Son of
God will experience the same loneliness that Jesus endured. Rejection
and crucifixion create a womb of instruction where carnal distractions
are minimized. In this sealed environment you will be taught, tested,
and prepared for the glories of resurrection. Let
the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the
head of him that was separated from his brethren.
Jesus walked
the shores of Galilee, dispensing blessings, healings, and teachings
of life. For these things his neighbors hated him. And
they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they
might do to Jesus.
Jesus
demonstrated a new standard of Godlikeness. He was becoming master of
the universe, not merely mouthing old doctrines. Measured by his
example, the established clergy fell woefully short. Jesus’
possession of wisdom and power made them crazy with jealousy and
greed. If we let him thus alone, all men will
believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place
and nation. Thus they resolved to kill him by craft, while
concocting for themselves a veil of pretended innocence. Then
assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders
of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called
Caiaphas, and consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and
kill him.
For envy,
Jesus was betrayed by his own church. By stealth these religious
cowards sought to destroy the only perfect man on earth. And
they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves
just men, that they might take hold of his words. Quietly they
joined forces with the civil government. The
Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians
against him, how they might destroy him.
Satan then
joined the Machiavellian plot and enlisted the aid of Judas. Satan
himself personally supervised the betrayal of Jesus Christ. Then
entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the
twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and
captains, how he might betray him unto them.
As the
treason of Satan entered his veins, Judas’ mind was darkened. Judas
was conscripted to the conspiracy, betraying his Savior and friend.
Cloaked with feigned affection, Satan’s poison struck to the mark. Jesus
said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
At a trial
convened by the unregenerate, Jesus’ friends lent themselves to
lying and subterfuge. Now the chief priests,
and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus,
to put him to death. The crowds he had blessed now shrieked for
his destruction. And they cried out all at
once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas.
Jesus was
betrayed by his closest friends, his neighbors, his church, and his
nation. By treachery he came to his cross. So
Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them,
and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
But all this
betrayal was planned in the counsel hall of God. The cross of Jesus
had been devised by his Father. Truly the Son
of man goeth, as it was determined. Jesus was well aware of
this, foretold it, and walked a path that would bring it about. Ye
know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of
man is betrayed to be crucified.
Jesus knew
the deceitful workings of man, but trusted in the workings of God. I
know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He
that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. His
betrayal was ordained and orchestrated as an essential part of his
crucifixion process. Jesus knew from the
beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. Arranged
by the wisdom of God, betrayal is the fuse that ignites the cross. Behold,
the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of
sinners.
Betrayal is
a breach of trust, an attack from an ally, the failure of a friend. It
is an exquisite pain, like no other, the very essence of suffering.
When betrayed by a friend, you are plunged into devastating despair.
When that which you love suddenly hates you, your foundation dissolves
and your world collapses. Pride falls face to the dirt. Trust expires
as a wisp in the wind. In a single stroke you are brought under siege,
you lose a partner, and the secrets of your heart are made common in
the streets. Trust ye not in a friend, put ye
not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that
lieth in thy bosom.
When
betrayal strikes, your confidence in the flesh and hope in this life,
are made casualties. And this is in fact the very objective of God.
When your earthly hope dies, all your desire shifts to become centered
in the heavenly. For this cause betrayal is an essential component in
the crucifixion that God intends for you. Betrayal is the perfect tool
to accomplish his plan. Think not that I am
come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her
mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Betrayal is
your personal and heavenly escort to the cross. And this is God’s
love for you, for the cross always leads to resurrection. Ye
shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and
friends.
Betrayal is
a catastrophe that initiates the sequence of events that will result
in your spiritual perfection. When you are betrayed by your spouse, it
is for your resurrection. When you are betrayed by your children, God
has deemed to make you perfect through suffering. When you are
betrayed by your parents, you have been personally selected for
immortal glory. When your friends betray you, you are pushed through
the veil, into a new and living knowledge of God.
Though it is
a pain without peer, betrayal is your selection for spiritual
excellence. When you find yourself betrayed by your companions, then
God loves you as much as he loved Jesus. Let
these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be
delivered into the hands of men.
Besides the
betrayal that comes from without, there is also that which comes from
within. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, treachery was
injected into the human race. Satan betrayed Eve, Eve betrayed Adam,
and they all betrayed God.
God then
cursed the mind of man, fusing it to the betrayal that had birthed it.
This “carnal” mind is the lowest form of animal life on earth.
Only it is capable of perversion, idolatry, and rebellion against God.
Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed
above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly
shalt thou go.
As Satan was
in Judas at Gethsemane, so also Satan entered the carnal mind of man
at Eden. Like its father, this mind is deceived by its own beauty. It
worships itself. All men have been betrayed by this slithering
adversary. Thine heart was lifted up because
of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy
brightness.
Every Son of
God that returns to the heavens will have experienced the betrayal of
the carnal mind. You and your friends were born as bondslaves to
arrogance, lust, and rancor. You have
been led astray by selfishness, blindness, and greed. Men
of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is
godliness.
All these
betrayals originate from the cursed carnal nature, whether in you, or
in your fellow man. GOD saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination
of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Even
those who will betray you have themselves been betrayed by this
Satanic legacy of Eden. The cares of the world
and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches
choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit. Matthew 13:22
(Amplified).
Babylon, the
mother of harlots and abominations, is sitting upon your shoulders.
Babylon is the carnal mind. For by thy
sorceries were all nations deceived. While dripping hypocrisy,
she has stolen the very garments that should have adorned your spirit,
and placed them upon the flesh. That great
city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and
decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! Her wiles
have ruled your life as a deceitful tyrant, opposing the truth and
wisdom of God-- all men have felt her lash. Who
opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing
himself that he is God.
The cursed
mind of man is guilty of every drop of blood ever shed. In
her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that
were slain upon the earth. A conniver of self-preservation, she
naturally disdains the cross. For she saith in
her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. But
God has other plans. For when crucifixion comes, it is this Edenic
curse that will die. Alas, alas, that great
city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Another
internal betrayal is found in the wretched body of man. In Eden, God
cursed the physical bodies of Adam and Eve. Their previously perfect
bodies began to hate them. They brought forth disease, decay, and old
age. Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in
sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and
thistles shall it bring forth to thee.
Ultimate
betrayal is endemic in the carnal mind and dying body of man. You and
your friends have been betrayed from within, by these curses of Eden.
You trusted in a youthful body, but it has betrayed you becoming old
and sickly. You trusted in your own mind, but it has brought forth
weeds. The cursed Adamic nature is a cauldron of treachery and
self-destructive cravings. It is the betrayer of all men.
Betrayal is
a special potion in the pharmacy of God. It is an extraordinary brew
that provides the opportunity for victory without the side-effect of
inflated self-righteousness. In conquering an external enemy there is
pride-- the conquering hero of a foreign foe is lifted up and exalted
by his peers. But pride is counterproductive to God’s plan for you.
So he has arranged for you to war instead against the inward foes of
betrayal and personal failure.
When you
betray a trust, you fail your friend. When you betray the word of God,
you fail yourself. When you are betrayed, your life is fused to the
failure of another. These situations produce remorse, the most bitter
of human emotions. Overcoming this failure and remorse generates only
gratitude and humility. Pride is impossible. God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
To deal with
the guilt, shame, and horror of your own failure, or that of a friend,
is a grievous battle. The warrior who slays these fearsome foes is
mighty indeed, and yet steeped in meekness. He is awash in the
celebration of victory, but with a spirit prostrate before God. The
LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as
be of a contrite spirit.
Betrayal is
a necessary ingredient in the elixir of the cross. It evokes the death
sentence for your carnal nature. By its action your carnality is
unveiled and escorted to the cross, where it can be killed. The result
is victory with humility. By humility and the
fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
Betrayal
comes from within you, and may also come from without. In either case,
it is the wondrous plan of God, leading through the cross to
resurrected life. Such is the preparation of the kings and rulers of
the world to come. Humble yourselves therefore
under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
When Jesus
Christ was confronted by evil, he normally defused it and defeated it.
But when he came face-to-face with his own crucifixion, he did
nothing. There was no escape. He did not change the situation.
Instead, he surrendered to it. The ability to accomplish this amazing
feat came from his perfect understanding of his Father’s total
sovereignty. Abba, Father, all things are
possible unto thee.
Jesus Christ
had a personal, almost tangible knowledge of God’s unlimited power
and infinite wisdom. He knew that absolutely nothing could enter his
sphere of experience, except that which his Father allowed. Jesus
answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it
were given thee from above.
Jesus also understood that the cross was essential for his own spiritual perfection. He knew that his personal goals in the spirit realm were to be achieved by his cross. Possessing this knowledge of God’s sovereignty and plan, Jesus could surrender to his own death. Knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God.
Jesus Christ
had the power to avoid the cross, yet he chose not to. Then
said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which
my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? As a ready slave
to his Father’s will, Jesus took no action to save himself. Thinkest
thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give
me more than twelve legions of angels? Jesus felt pain like
other men, but still embraced the wisdom of his Father’s plan. The
Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither
turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them
that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
Jesus could
have halted the crucifixion process at any time, but this would have
terminated his own spiritual wealth. Instead he chose surrender to the
cross that his Father provided. I lay down my
life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay
it down of myself. Sweeping aside his personal desire for
self-preservation, Jesus pressed his heart into the mold of his Father’s
will. Father, if thou be willing, remove this
cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Though he
died on Calvary’s hill as a common criminal, Jesus never surrendered
to this apparent failure. He was attacked by Satan and condemned by
the Jews, but he never surrendered to them. Jesus was betrayed by his
people and executed by the Romans, but he gave them not the slightest
heed. For Jesus was not a criminal; neither was he crucified by the
people, the Jews, the Romans, or even Satan. Jesus Christ was
crucified by his Father. Him, being delivered
by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken,
and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.
God alone
was responsible for sending Jesus to the cross. We
did esteem him stricken, smitten of God. His crucifixion was
the pleasure of God. It pleased the LORD to
bruise him; he hath put him to grief. The people who drove the
nails into his hands, obeyed the commands of God. Thou
[God] hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed
me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands
and my feet.
Jesus died
on the cross while staring into the eyes of his loving Heavenly
Father. Suffering, he was not threatening, but
was making surrender unto him that judgeth righteously. 1 Peter 2:23
(Emphasized). He looked beyond all the horrible, visible
circumstances, and surrendered personally to his Father’s love and
superior wisdom. Father, into thy hands I
commend my spirit.
As with Jesus your spiritual goals will be obtained by your cross. And as he demonstrated, when the cross comes into your life, you must surrender to it. This is necessary if you wish to obtain the same result. The power to accomplish this, will flow from your own personal knowledge of your Father’s total sovereignty.
God operates
every human mechanism; he has ordained every event. What?
shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive
evil?All actions in the created realm are but a sequence of
events, emanating from the throne of God, to accomplish his purpose. According
to His purpose Who foresees and energizes all things, which have been
prepared to accomplish the intention of His will. Ephesians 1:11
(Fenton). He has orchestrated every facet of your problem. For
thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.
When the
cross comes into your life, your Father is responsible. The
LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the
LORD. Sure you can see physical causes, real events done by
real people. But these circumstances were devised and directed by God.
Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch,
and mine own clothes shall abhor me.
The cross is
not accidental. It is not an anomaly. It is not the work of humans. So
now it was not you that sent me hither, but God. You are
crucified by the wisdom and hand of your loving Heavenly Father, and
all for your eternal blessing. Now is my soul
troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but
for this cause came I unto this hour. Just as God crucified
Jesus, so he also intends the same for you. Suppose
ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather
division. For from henceforth there shall be five in one house
divided, three against two, and two against three.
Surrendering
to the cross was the only conflict ever seen in the life of Jesus
Christ. O my Father, if this cup may not pass
away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. This will be
your war also. The ability to see God as the doer of both good and
evil is the greatest battle you will ever face on planet earth. This
peculiar knowledge is the essence and prize of spiritual conquest. Let
us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and
let me not fall into the hand of man.
Spiritual
maturity can be measured by your knowledge of God’s sovereignty. The
unregenerate blame their fellow man for evil. Christians blame the
Devil. But the Sons of God know that evil is the issue of God’s
wisdom. Surely the wrath of man shall praise
thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
Like Jesus,
you must come to see the hand of God manipulating every visible
circumstance. As you succeed in this battle, you can surrender to his
superior wisdom. Then with your gaze locked on the result that he has
in mind, your victory is assured. For our
light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things
which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are
eternal.
When
problems arise in your life, analyze their origin. If your problem
originates from within you, kill it. God has placed evil into the
heart of man as a spiritual exercise. You must never surrender to evil
within you. You must never join in evil actions. You must destroy
every malignant thought that arises from within your own heart. Be
certain that all your actions conform to the written word, and that
all your thoughts are aligned with the living spirit of God. So
kill the evil desire lurking in your members, those animal impulses
and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin: sexual vice,
impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed. Colossians
3:5 (Amplified).
On the other hand, if your problem originates from outside you, then do everything in your power to remedy the situation. Rebuke the deceitful. Support righteous relationships. Forgive your accusers. Pray and plead for a virtuous solution. Leave no foothold wherein Satan can later accuse you through the wiles of remorse. And having done all, then surrender-- to the mysterious, sublime, and benevolent wisdom of God. My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
When the
cross comes into your life, surrender to your Heavenly Father,
personally. Disregard the visible causes. Let go of your human desires
and embrace your new situation as God’s perfect plan for your
spiritual perfection. Resist not evil: but
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other
also.
As you
surrender to the cross of God, your carnality will die. Let it go.
Leave off the rebellious justifications of wounded pride. Do it
quickly, and spare yourself additional pain. When
they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not
his legs. Make the decision to die for your trust in God,
knowing that he can raise you from the dead. Yield
yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead. Begin
to earnestly prefer God’s will, to that of your own. Seek the
comfort of his perspective on the situation. Casting
all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Soon your
life will take a permanent turn towards resurrection. Your hope will
reach to the borders of a new land, and your spirit will begin to walk
in the new, wondrous, and living wisdom of God. For
although he was crucified through weakness, yet is he living through
God’s power. For although we are weak in him, yet shall we live with
him, through God’s power unto us. 2 Corinthians 13:4 (Emphasized).
The voice of
surrender is silence. A mind unravaged and lips speaking peace are the
evidence of a heart that is quiet before God. The surrender of Jesus
Christ could be heard by his silence. Who,
when he was reviled, reviled not again. During his trial and
crucifixion, he was quiet. Jesus refused to acknowledge the lesser
powers that had amassed against him. He declined to dignify their
petty allegations. And the chief priests
accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked
him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they
witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate
marvelled.
Jesus knew
that his cross was ordained and orchestrated by his Father. And by
silence, Jesus starved his human desires for self-justification and
self-preservation. He gave them no voice. Speakest
thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee,
and have power to release thee? Quietly Jesus endured the shame
and pain of crucifixion, with his heart fixed on the miraculous
purpose of God. And he said unto them, If I
tell you, ye will not believe: and if I also ask you, ye will not
answer me, nor let me go.
Jesus’
silence was the evidence of inner peace, though immersed in agony. He
shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the
streets. It was the proof of his complete surrender to his
Father’s will. He was oppressed, and he was
afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth
not his mouth.
When
crucifixion fills your life, strive to be silent. Do not yield to the
devilish temptation to wail of your mistreatment. Clamoring for
fairness, justice, retribution, or the death of another instead of
yourself, is victim thinking-- it is contrary to your personal
spiritual goals. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs;
like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Dragging your
self-pity from door-to-door, looking for someone to take it in, is
evil. It derides the wisdom of God. The tongue
is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members,
that it defileth the whole body.
Your ability
to refrain from complaining is the measure of your surrender unto God.
So also, whining is the evidence that you do not understand the
sovereignty of God, or the process of the cross, nor do you comprehend
its glorious result. Teach me, and I will hold
my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
Give no
voice to the accusations or self-justifications that arise from within
you. O that ye would altogether hold your
peace! and it should be your wisdom. These will only fuel your
internal enemies, prolonging your battle and your pain. If
anyone thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue, but
deceives himself, his religious worship is worthless. James 1:26
(Williams).
When you
encounter the cross, surrender quietly to your Heavenly Father. Stand
in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be
still. Selah. Silent surrender indicates that you have stopped
blaming the tools, for the actions of the workman. It is the evidence
of spiritual understanding and strength. Keep
silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength:
let them come near; then let them speak.
Silence reveals tranquillity in a storm-- a state of calm amidst waves of anguish. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. Silence is the offspring of your surrender, the sound of spiritual victory. Let him sit alone uncomplaining and silent in hope, because God has laid the yoke upon him for his benefit. Let him put his mouth in the dust. Lamentations 3:28,29 (Amplified).
Never in
human history was a man more underestimated, maligned, and defrauded
than Jesus Christ. Who did no sin, neither was
guile found in his mouth. And yet as Jesus pursued his own
resurrection, he forgave his wicked accusers and slayers. Then
said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Jesus taught
that forgiving is essential for spiritual maturity. When
ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your
Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. He
made forgiveness an art. If any man will sue
thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. He
taught that retribution of any sort, is unacceptable to God. Lord,
how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven
times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times:
but, Until seventy times seven.
Jesus’
disciples found forgiveness a difficult concept. Lord,
wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume
them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye
know not what manner of spirit ye are of. But Jesus demanded
that they all follow his example, exactly. A
new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have
loved you.
Forgiving
sin against you will inscribe on your heart the character of God. It
will make you like him. For I will forgive
their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. As
forgiveness flows from you, you are actually emulating the creator of
the universe, and attaining Godlikeness. Be ye
therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Here is found the necessity of betrayal and sin against you. When it arrives, it gives you the opportunity to purchase Godlikeness for yourself. For it must needs be that offences come. Without the pain of sin against you, you could never become what Jesus Christ is. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
But how do
you forgive heinous, blatant, willful sin, when it is slapped in your
face and thrust through your heart? Once again, the answer flows from
your personal knowledge of God’s sovereignty. You must understand
that your crucifixion is of God, not of men. You must cultivate the
ability to see the benevolent purpose of your Heavenly Father, lurking
behind the anguish. Forgiveness is not an anesthetic for pain, it is
an acknowledgment of God’s higher purpose. It is a simple
declaration that God loves you, that he is in control, and that he has
purposed this pain for your eternal benefit.
When you
come to the cross you must forgive your accusers and conspirators.
Like Judas they have been selected by the divine will for a miserable
task. Your crucifiers are prisoners of their own carnal minds. They
are tools of Satan, in the hand of God, for the destruction of your
flesh-- and they are incapable of having it any other way. For
who hath resisted his will?
Understanding this, you can acknowledge God’s sovereignty and
forgive them, for they cannot affect your destiny in any fashion
unwanted by God. Forgive, I pray thee now, the
trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil:
and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the
God of thy father.
No man needs
to ask your forgiveness. You need to give it for your own good.
Whether it is received or not is meaningless. If
ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive
your trespasses. Withholding forgiveness for any reason is
simply your hateful carnal nature, clinging to its own pride.
Any sins
that you cannot forgive will continue to live in your heart, providing
sustenance to your own carnality. With this ongoing nourishment you
will hang on your cross forever, as a bitter, hypocritical, mean,
back-biting unbeliever. Forgiveness is your minimum due, and
withholding it will hurt no one but yourself. Only you will steep in
the torment you retain. And his lord was
wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all
that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also
unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother
their trespasses.
While
walking around on the earth, Jesus Christ had the power to forgive
sins. The Son of man hath power on earth to
forgive sins. This power he has now given to you. Whose
soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever
sins ye retain, they are retained [in you]. You are commanded
to exercise this power of forgiveness for your own well-being. Forgive,
and ye shall be forgiven.
This is your
key to the Begotten Spirit Realm. And I will
give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou
shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou
shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. If you retain
the condemnation of your fellow earthlings, then you bind yourself to
the earthly realm. But if you loose away the sins of your mortal
companions, then you will be loosed from the earthy, and ushered into
the new, living abode, of the risen Sons of God. Forgiveness is an
essential element of the cross. With what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
In early
times, God ordained sacrifice as a method of restitution and the
symbol of resurrection. An animal was killed and the carcass burnt. As
the flesh was consumed, the flames and smoke curled into the heavens.
While life on earth was ended, a new existence simultaneously began in
another realm.
As an
ancient technique, sacrifice represents a process that transforms
flesh into spirit. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was just such a
ritual sacrifice, the greatest ever made. By sacrifice, Jesus’
earthly life ended, but it was this death that enabled his
resurrection to a new life in another realm. The
God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
The
sacrifice of Jesus illumined the primordial wisdom of God. He was a
forerunner, the first example of immortal perfection, gained through
sacrifice. For it became him, for whom are all
things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory,
to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
The sacrifices of the Old Testament symbolize the plan of God for his developing Sons. The two major sacrifices conducted each year were Passover and Atonement.
Passover was originally instituted in Egypt. During the Passover the firstborn Egyptians died, but simultaneously the firstborn Israelites were given life. Passover thus symbolizes death to Adamic slavery, and life to the firstborn Sons of God. I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt ... and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.
The
sacrifice of Atonement originated in the Wilderness of Sinai. This
sacrifice involved two goats. The first goat represents forgiveness.
He received all the sins of Israel and then was released into the
wilderness. The goat shall bear upon him all
their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the
goat in the wilderness.
The second
goat though sinless, was sacrificed, and his blood was carried into
the Most Holy Place. There, within the veil, his blood was sprinkled
upon the Ark of the Covenant and came to reside upon the golden throne
of God. Then shall he kill the goat of the sin
offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail
... and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat.
Passover and
Atonement are an ancient code, showing that the death of an old life,
leads to the start of a new. So also, the cross of Jesus Christ proved
that earthly sacrifice leads to glorified resurrection. Jesus Christ
fulfilled the sacrifices of both Passover and Atonement within his own
life. As Passover he died so that his firstborn brothers might live.
As Atonement he was slain, forgave the perpetrators, entered within
the veil, and finally came to rest upon the golden throne of God.
Sacrifice is the doorway to another realm.
The power
for self-sacrifice is the power for resurrection, they are one and the
same. The internal spiritual strength that empowers you to forfeit
your rights and desires in this life, is the same power that will
raise you from the dead. I lay down my life,
that I might take it again. This wisdom is the recipe of God
for your eternal perfection. Which hope we
have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which
entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us
entered, even Jesus.
Sacrifice is
the final step of the cross and thus of extreme importance to you. Ye
also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices. Your spiritual
maturity and perfection will be gained by sacrifice, just as Jesus
demonstrated. Walk in love, as Christ also
hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a
sacrifice to God. If you follow the path of the firstborn Son,
you too will become a sacrifice unto God. This will be accomplished
during the dark days of loneliness, betrayal, surrender, and
forgiveness, that come from the cross.
As the cross
takes hold in your life you will be molded to the Passover experience.
There your old fleshly nature will be terminated and your spirit
liberated unto life. Neither shall the
sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.
Then you
will come to Atonement, where forgiveness and sacrifice combine to
produce resurrection. As you forgive, your carnality will die, and
your spirit will be loosed inside the veil, being made worthy to sit
upon the golden throne of God. Precious in the
sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. The sacrifice of
your carnal nature is the prerequisite to immortality. I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service.
Sacrifice
requires the death of both “good” and “evil” in your life.
This is represented by the two goats of Atonement. Like these goats,
your “evil” must be sent away to die in the wilderness, and your
“good” must be sacrificed. Merely abandoning your vile habits is
not an acceptable sacrifice to God. This cannot produce the intensity
of heart required to resurrect your spirit. If
ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the
lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he
be pleased with thee, or accept thy person?
God wants the “good” things in your life as well. He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. He wants your prized possessions, even some of the goodly blessings that he has loaned you. Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering. Neither is God shy about using evil to accomplish this objective. Because the fruit of sacrifice is not good or evil, but life from the dead.
Good and
evil both grow on the same tree, and this is the Tree of Death. By the
sacrifice of both good and evil, this tree is cut down, and your
spirit loosed from the curses of Eden. For he
that is dead is freed from sin. After good and evil are both
sacrificed in your own personal experience, only then will your spirit
pass to the Tree of Life. Likewise reckon ye
also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God.
If you are
to follow the path of Jesus Christ, then one day, by the sovereign
work of God, your life will become engulfed in profound heartache. He
shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the
sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer
unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. By his wisdom,
wickedness and betrayal will rise against you, and your life will
plunge into bewildering anguish. This pain is real and enduring, and
in it you will cry out to God from a depth that did not previously
exist. The sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
The cross
will cost you the good things that you hold most precious. These are
your spouse, children, parents, health, business, trust, and all pride
of accomplishment. Neither will I offer burnt
offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. God
will kill all the things that you value more than him. Wherefore
kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded
in my habitation, and honourest thy sons above me?
By the cross
your satisfaction in earthly things will be removed, and human goals
will wane to a distant memory. To survive this transition you must
seek the ability to die well, focusing on the spiritual goal, and not
on what you are losing. I count all things but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things.
When the
cross finally ignites in your life, consider it carefully. Your first
reaction will probably be retaliation, that is, you will demand the
sacrifice of someone else. Due to some wicked betrayal, it will seem
that he or she should be unforgiven, abandoned, and destroyed.
But to
follow the will of God you cannot sacrifice another person-- you can
offer only yourself as a sacrifice. And they
loved not their lives unto the death. What is being
accomplished here is your own death, the death of your carnality, the
death of your earthly joy, the death of those things that are valued
by mortals. It is only by this death that your spirit is empowered for
resurrection. Whatsoever toucheth the altar
[of sacrifice] shall be holy.
Conversely,
if you cling to self-justification and self-preservation, you will
remain fused to your own carnality, and terminate your own
resurrection. For whatsoever soul it be that
shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from
among his people.
When
approaching the cross, take the fork in the road that requires you to
deny yourself-- this is the only avenue to spiritual maturity. Why
do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to
be defrauded? Seek to give grace and forgiveness, especially to
those who do not deserve it. Being reviled, we
bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: being defamed, we intreat. Suffer
the wrong yourself, no matter how unfair. He
saved others; himself he cannot save. The way that leads to
Godlikeness will be the path that saves someone else’s life, never
your own. Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Also, be not deceived concerning the little sacrifices you think you have already made. Most of these are only a preparation for the cross. The cross is a significant event, of life changing magnitude.
You have not
been to the cross until you have wept before God with the same three
cries of anguish that Jesus demonstrated during his crucifixion. This
process begins with, Not my will, but thine,
be done. It then enters the tortuous valley of, Father
forgive them; for they know not what they do. And the process
is not complete in you until you have come to, Into
thy hands I commend my spirit.
The principle of sacrifice can be seen operating in many important areas of truth. These include the New Covenant, the food for priests, and the building of the Tabernacle.
Sacrifice is the essence of the New Covenant. As you complete your sacrifice on your cross you will accomplish the destruction of your own carnality. This will ratify the New Covenant in your spirit. For where a covenant is, it is necessary for the death to be brought in, of him that hath covenanted. Hebrews 9:16 (Emphasized). This New Covenant is the promise of resurrected Sonship. By your sacrifice your spirit is numbered amongst those who will come to the first resurrection. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
Sacrifice is
also used to generate the food for the true priests of Israel.
Self-sacrifice will energize your spirit with verve and vitality. The
priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor
inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made
by fire. Priests eat only what they kill. So also, the
spiritual males of today will thrive on the sacrifice of their own
Adamic natures. The earthen vessel wherein it
is sodden [your carnality] shall be broken ... all the males among the
priests shall eat thereof: it is most holy.
Sacrifice
also supplies the building materials for your new habitation in the
spirit realm. Like the Tabernacle in the wilderness, your spiritual
maturity is built with the materials you offer to God by sacrifice. Speak
unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every
man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
By willing
sacrifice, God will take your most valuable possessions. This
is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and
brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. God
then uses these same materials to build a new spiritual habitation for
you. The more you slay and eat and give to God, the larger the house
that you will have. So shall they make for me
a sanctuary, and I will make my habitation in their midst. Exodus 25:8
(Emphasized). The greater your sacrifice, the greater will be
the character, wisdom, and power that you will ultimately possess. With
what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
All the
generation of the firstborn Sons will be sacrificed to the will of
God-- these are the brothers of Jesus Christ. Then
Herod ... sent forth, and slew all the children that were in
Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and
under. These will find their only true fellowship with their
own kind, with those other few who have eaten the same sacrifice, at
night, in the lonely mount of God. Then Jacob
offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat
bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
The
sacrifice of your carnality on a cross of devastation is the plan of
God for your spiritual perfection. Do not be alarmed when the knife is
brought to your heart. As with Jesus, this is the proven wisdom of God
working for your eternal spiritual wealth. Rejoice,
inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his
glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Trust your
Heavenly Father and embrace your sacrifice as a priceless gem, a
permanent, personal possession in the spirit realm. For
to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Begin to thank him
for your destitution. Not for a destruction by evil, but for counting
you worthy of immortal glory. I will offer to
thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the
LORD.
To share in
this sacrifice will cost you dearly. But sacrifice, via the cross, is
the only possible path to resurrection. For
whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose
his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Death by
crucifixion is slow-- it is not accomplished in a moment. It takes
time, which provides you the opportunity to re-evaluate your life.
With nails in your hands and feet you are skewered to a painful
situation. The death of your earthly joy becomes certain and
unavoidable. Time drags on. Soon you stop struggling to free yourself.
The human sphere becomes profane and unsatisfying. Your earthly hopes
are dashed to pieces, it all fades, the dream dies. For
what is exalted and highly thought of among men is detestable and
abhorrent, an abomination, in the sight of God. Luke 16:15
(Amplified).
Then slams a
great stone slab upon your own will, burying your efforts for human
pride and gain. The person you were and the goals that you had, move
forever behind you, as sealed in a tomb.
Then comes
the change in your spirit. If you have followed the steps of Jesus
Christ, all your hope turns suddenly to resurrection. Your dream takes
root in another realm, the realm of spirits, raised from earthly death
into the incorruptible glory of Christ. For if
we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall
be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
Then before
you stretches a new vista of permanent resplendence, and a myriad of
new possibilities which could never have entered the mind of the
mortal you were. We had the sentence of death
in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which
raiseth the dead.
This is the
cross, to trade your life in this world, for resurrection in another.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Resurrection
can only be obtained through death. Thou fool,
that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die. It
requires the death of your fallen Adamic nature, and this is
accomplished at the cross. If, by the Spirit,
the deeds of the body ye put to death, ye shall live. Romans 8:13
(Young’s Literal).
Jesus
demonstrated this. He completed a sequence of events that were
prescribed by God’s wisdom to kill the Adamic nature. Completing
this process resulted in his glorified resurrection. For
a covenant over dead persons is firm. Hebrews 9:17 (Emphasized).
Like
following a map, Jesus passed alone through betrayal, surrender,
forgiveness, and sacrifice. By these he came to his cross and so
arrived at the treasure of God. When they had
fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the
tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead.
When Jesus’
earthly life was shattered, it produced the eternal outshining of
resurrected glory. The way of the cross is God’s recipe for
resurrection. He is not here, but is risen:
remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The
Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be
crucified, and the third day rise again.
By the cross
of Jesus, God certified the crucifixion-resurrection process. The
Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are
witnesses. Jesus Christ is the consummate proof that Adamic
crucifixion leads to resurrection. Now is
Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that
slept. Those who wish to obtain a similar result, must conform
to this same example. That I may know him, and
the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead.
As proven by
Jesus, death by the cross is your only means to the ascendant
spiritual glory of resurrected immortality. There is no other way to
life. Others were tortured, not accepting
deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.
Like a
brilliant beacon, the success of Jesus illuminates your path. His
victory is the reason for your faith. That
Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise
from the dead, and should shew light unto the people. If you
will follow this path you will come to the same result, and obtain
your own resurrection. For since by man [Adam]
came death, by man [Jesus] came also the resurrection of the dead.
The triumph
of Jesus made it possible for you to vacate Adamic failure and follow
his steps to immortal glory. When you partake of his life you are
empowered to follow his example through the cross to resurrection. Jesus
said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. The promise of
this resurrection is the awesome splendor of Christianity. It is the
power and promise of God for you. The
exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to
the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he
raised him from the dead.
Resurrection
begins slowly, imperceptibly. As your carnality is crucified there is
a daily awakening that takes place in your spirit. This is the
maturing process of spiritual gestation. Being
put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.
When trust
and hope in God arise from the ashes of your earthly dreams, your
spirit is completing its gestation and rising in resurrection. The
Spirit is the life-giver, the body is worth nothing. John 6:63
(Fenton). As your Adamic carnality is slain by the cross, there
is a steady internal birth of resurrected life.
Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by
day. This is spiritual victory, that leads unto life eternal.
Having stript off the old man, together with his practices, and having
put on the new, who is being moulded afresh unto personal knowledge,
after the image of him that hath created him. Colossians 3:9,10
(Emphasized).
This
internal resurrection is the development of spiritual maturity. Those
who complete this maturity during their earthly lives, will be called
to the first physical resurrection. This will occur at the start of
the Millennium. In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
This stellar
scene will be the glorification of the firstborn Sons of God. They
who have been accounted worthy that age to obtain, and the
resurrection that is from among the dead ... they cannot even die any
more ... and are sons of God, of the resurrection being sons. Luke
20:35,36 (Emphasized).
These Sons
will be suddenly thrust into a state of shimmering brilliance, being
vested with eternal life, infinite wisdom, and all the power of
creation. This corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality. Each
will arise with distinction and a unique signature of radiant glory. For
one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the
resurrection of the dead. Raised into splendor, these firstborn
Sons will inherit all the fullness of God their Father. He
that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and
he shall be my son.
The
incomparable grandeur of this glorified resurrection beckons from
beyond the capacity of human imagination. But this is the goal of God,
the destiny he has conceived for man, and the purpose for
Christianity. Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no
power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign
with him a thousand years.
At the end
of the Millennium there will be a second physical resurrection. Those
people who did not complete the process of the cross during their
earthly lives, will be raised up to begin again.
The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were
finished. All those who remained spiritually “dead,” will
be summoned to this resurrection. And I saw
the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and
the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the
books, according to their works.
This second
resurrection will prompt the start of the “Second Death,”
symbolized by the lake of fire in Revelation 20. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire. The “Second” Death will bring to maturity the
second-born Sons of God, just as the “first” death is now maturing
the firstborn Sons. And the Devil who deceived
them was hurled into the lake of Divine fire, where also were the
beast and the false prophet. ... Then Death and the Grave were thrown
into the lake of fire: that is the second death, the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:10,14 (Fenton).
The Second
Death will simply reassemble all the maturing elements of Satanic evil
that you now see in the world around you. Once reunited, these will
re-ignite the crucifixion process for the rest of mankind. In
loneliness, betrayal, surrender, forgiveness, and sacrifice, all men
will eventually be introduced to the cross and all will come to
resurrected life. In the dispensation of the
fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth.
The cross is
a sequence of seemingly impossible events, each being contrary to
human reason. Jesus could call twelve legions of angels, yet he was
captured by a band of thugs with sticks. Jesus could command the
weather, yet he yielded to the Romans. Jesus had blessed the earth
with healing and truth, yet he was maligned, falsely accused, and
condemned. He had done nothing wrong, yet he was executed as a
criminal. They have spoken against me with a
lying tongue. They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and
fought against me without a cause. For my love they are my
adversaries.
These events
seem as bewildering contradictions to carnal men. They appear as
illogical extremes that cannot be reconciled. These dichotomies are
clues to a mystery. They are the fingerprints of a spiritual work.
Like signs to a supernatural gateway, they point to another dimension,
the realm of begotten glory called Sonship. They
that sow in tears shall reap in joy. By this cryptic wisdom of
God, the cross is your secret entrance into the begotten Body of
Christ. Then he said unto them, O fools, and
slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not
Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
Jesus
explained this irrational, crucifixion-resurrection relationship in
his Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are dichotomies that describe terrible
events which lead to wonderful results. The Beatitudes are a
description of someone being crucified. They depict the crucifixion
and resurrection of the Sons of God. And he
opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, blessed are the poor in
spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The poor in
spirit are those who have been to the cross. They will walk alone
with God, far from the throng of man’s giddy religious nonsense. Blessed
are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from
their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil,
for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy:
for, behold, your reward is great in heaven.
Those who
are betrayed will pass their earthly lives in mourning, but
this is the path to resurrection. Blessed are
they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Those who surrender
to the cross are the humbled who will inherit the stars. Blessed
are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Those who
are crushed by the cross will learn to forgive, and obtain the
character of God. Blessed are the merciful:
for they shall obtain mercy. Those who are sacrificed
will have their carnality consumed, and by this purity shall enter
into the presence of God himself. Blessed are
the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Those whose
earthly pride is drained from holes in their hands will generate a
weeping craving for righteousness. This anguish of heart is the
prerequisite for resurrection. Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they
shall be filled. To be pierced by the cross is the path to the
opulence of limitless spiritual wealth. Blessed
are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Jesus made
peace by his death on the cross. Having made
peace through the blood of his cross. This is the process to
perfection for all the Sons of God. Happy the
peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9
(Emphasized).
The
character of God must be written on your heart, or it is not written
in your life at all. For this purpose, the cross is the stylus of God.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the
fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened
unto you.
The cross is an ancient formula, conveying the power to rise from the dead. It is a celestial intersection, where Adamic death turns to become spirit life. It appears as a consuming grief that is contrary to the laws of mortals. But if you look beyond the circumstances, you will see the explosive wisdom of your loving Heavenly Father, calling you to share his immortal splendor.
When your
carefully arranged world suddenly erupts into irrational chaos, you
have entered the secret passage that leads to the spirit realm.
When this occurs, follow the steps of Jesus Christ. To arrive at his destination, you must respond exactly as he demonstrated. Cast off the stunted and impotent doctrines of Organized Religion stand alone with your Heavenly Father. Endure the betrayal. Surrender your earthly desires. Forgive your adversaries. Make yourself a living sacrifice. Then reach for a new life in another realm. From now on let no person trouble me, for I bear on my body the brand marks of the Lord Jesus, the wounds, scars and other outward evidence of persecutions. These testify to His ownership of me! Galatians 6:17 (Amplified).
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