Manifesting the Light, Part 2



"O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord," (Isa. 2:5).

 

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin," (I John 1:7).

 

Last week we talked about various names of Jehovah Elohim that were revealed throughout the Old Testament and how each name can bring new light into our lives.  We determined that we will use Isaiah 11:2 as a basis for our topic:   "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord."

After laying our initial foundation, we were only able to get as far as discussing the first of these:  the spirit of the Lord.  Let’s begin where we left off.

The Spirit of Wisdom

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him,” (James 1:5).

How does one gain true, godly wisdom?  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10).  Interestingly, the “fear of the Lord” is the last spirit that is mentioned in Isaiah 11:2.  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…” (Prov. 1:7).  True knowledge is also a spirit listed in Isa. 11:2.   See how intertwined these spirits truly are.   “The knowledge of the holy is  understanding” (Prov. 9:10b).  What is understanding?  Right!  It’s another of the spirits listed in Isaiah 11:2.   

We learn in math that if  “A” equals “B” and “B” equals “C”, then “A” equals “C”.   If wisdom is knowledge and knowledge is understanding, then wisdom is understanding.   They are inseparable, yet distinct.  You really can’t have one without the others.

When I met my husband, he already was in the habit of reading a Proverb for each corresponding day of the month.  Wisdom would pour from his speech and it was obvious that the source of such knowledge and understanding came from the Lord.  

Want to increase in your wisdom?  Walk with the wise.

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed,” (Prov. 13:20).

Listen to the counsel of your elders.  Hear the instruction of  your fathers and mothers.  They have wisdom for your life.  It has been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth so that we can do twice as much listening as talking.   If you listen and take heed, you will avoid much darkness, pain and sorrow.   Read through the book of Proverbs over and over again… one proverb a day to keep the darkness away and to increase in the light of God’s wisdom.   You will become a tremendous asset to others who lack wisdom.  They will seek you out and glean from your words.   And God will be glorified.

The Spirit of Understanding

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding,” (Prov. 4:7).

When the spirit of understanding illumines one’s mind, his or her entire countenance lightens up.  What was once difficult becomes easy.  I watched it happen over and over again when homeschooling my children.  When they didn’t understand a particular concept, the homework was hard and the grades reflected negatively.  However, once a concept was grasped, the homework was a “piece of cake”.

To understand means to separate mentally; to attend to; to consider; to deal wisely; intelligence, discernment, regard, perception; the ability to think skillfully.  The question is asked in Job 28:20, “Whence then cometh wisdom?  and where is the place of understanding?”

“With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding,” (Job 12:12).

“But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding,” (Job 32:8).

When men attempt to gain wisdom, knowledge and understanding outside of God, they can only derive it from the kingdom of darkness which has the power of deception. 

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.   Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,” (Ro. 1:21-22).

Want to access the true spirit of understanding from the Lord?  There are numerous scriptures connecting that understanding with the heart.   [e.g, Prov. 3:5, 8:5, 14:33, 51:14, 18:2].  When you lack understanding, you walk in darkness.

“Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart,” (Eph. 4:18).

How many times have you misjudged a person or a situation simply because you didn’t have all the facts and you drew the wrong conclusions?  How many times did your heart soften after your gained an understanding?  Understanding affects the heart.  It’s so important to us to hear someone say, “I love you”, but I often find it’s even more meaningful when I’m going through something, to hear a loved one say, “I understand”.  How many times have you been frustrated by someone not understanding what you were trying to convey?  

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding…” (Prov. 3:5).

The Spirit of Counsel

“Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out,” (Prov. 20:5)

.“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise,” (Prov. 12:15).

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety,” (Prov. 11:14).

It takes a certain level of humility to seek out counsel.  The proud do not want to acknowledge a need for help.  The fool doesn’t even know he needs help!  He is in so much darkness, he’s convinced his own way is right.  I have seen God’s spirit of counsel rejected and the consequences have never been good.  People will hear, but not hearken.  There were occasions in ministry when God actually restrained my husband and I from giving counsel to individuals who were contemplating some major moves in their lives and who were obviously bent on making the wrong choices.   But because they weren’t seeking our input, we had to remain silent [“you have not because you ask not”].   We understand by God’s Spirit that if we had said anything, we would have been releasing light into the situation after which, should they reject it, the negative consequences would have been even more severe.  Wisdom will tell you when to speak and when to have “shut mouth” grace.

Don’t be so grown up that you won’t receive counsel…from a multitude of counselors if necessary. 

Manifesting the Light of Jehovah Elohim



"And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord," (Isa. 11:2).

Elohim is a plural form of the word "God".   As Christians, we know and believe that there is but one God:

"And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord," (Mark 12:29)( cp. Dt. 6:4).

 

 ^"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism,  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all,"

(Eph. 4:4-6).

Nevertheless, God can manifest Himself as three-in-one: principally, Father, Son and Holy Ghost:

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one," (I John 5:7).

Additionally, Revelation speaks of the Seven Spirits of the Lord:

"John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne," (Rev. 1:4).

"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God..." (Rev. 3:1).

"And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God," (Rev. 4:5).

"And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth," (Rev. 5:6).

Often the seven Spirits of God mentioned in the book of Revelation have been interpreted to be the same as the list of spirits given in Isaiah 11:2.  However, upon a closer examination and deeper study, there is nothing in scripture itself to give creed to this concept.   Seven is a number that carries significance and weight prophetically and symbolically.   This blog is not meant to cover the depths of that particular subject.  Suffice it to make the few following remarks and you can do further research for yourself if you are so inclined:

1.  The four mentions of the word "spirit" in Isaiah 11:2 are never capitalized.
2.  The mention of the seven "Spirits" has the word "Spirit" capitalized for a reason.
3.  If the seven spirits of Isaiah 2 [namely, the spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of counsel, the spirit of might, the spirit of knowledge and the spirit of the fear of the Lord] summarized all of God, then how do the following fit in?:

     -  spirit of grace [Zech. 12:10; Heb. 10:29]                -  spirit of faith [2 Cor. 4:13]
     - spirit of holiness  [Ro. 1:4]                                       -  spirit of adoption [Ro. 8:15]
     -  spirit of meekness [1 Cor. 4:21; Gal. 6:1]               -  Spirit of truth [Jn. 14:17]
     -  spirit of supplications [Zech. 12:10]                        -  spirit of love [2 Tim. 1:7]

We could add many more, including but not limited to the spirit of glory, the spirit of judgment, the spirit of prophecy, etc.  Similarly, there are many members of the Body, yet there is only one Body.  There are many congregations, but there is really only One Church.  

Elohim.  Let's turn things around and direct our lives and our light back to God.  In like manner that God [Elohim] said, "Let us make man in our image and in our likeness..." (Gen. 1:26), let the Body of Christ now say, "Let US reflect Elohim in Their/His image and in Their/His likeness...".    For this study we will use the seven spirits as listed in Isaiah 11:2.  Because God is Light, every spirit of God shines forth light.  Therefore, when we manifest any of these spirits, we are manifesting the light of Jehovah-Elohim, the LORD God.

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD [Jehovah]

 

First of all, if you don't have the Lord's Spirit, you are not saved [cp. 1 Cor. 6:17].  Jesus said that those who were not with him were against him [Mt. 12:30] and he leaves no room for a middle ground.  The spirit of the Lord is the spirit of Jehovah [Lord].   When you say you have the spirit of the Lord, you're saying all of the following and so much more:

- Jehovah Shalom.  You have God's Peace           -  Jehovah Tsidkenu.  You have God's Righteousness
- Jehovah Rapha.  You have God's Healing          -  Jehovah Rohi.  God is your Shepherd
- Jehovah Shammah.  God is always with you     -  Jehovah Nissi.  God is your Banner
- Jehovah 'Ez-Lami.  God is your Strength           -  Jehovah Jireh.  God is your Provider
- Jehovah Mephalti. God is your Deliverer           - Jehovah Yasha.  God is your Savior

If you're suffering in your body, the light from the spirit of the Lord Rapha can send healing to shine in that darkness place of pain, infirmity, sickness and disease.  If your bound by drug addiction, alcohol abuse, depression or any other form of darkness, the spirit of the Lord Mephalti is your Deliverer.  Each name of Jehovah is worthy of days of meditation and contemplation.  You have inherited so much just from the spirit of the Lord.   His Spirit brings you light, joy, peace, health, deliverance, protection, purpose, companionship, strength, and on and on it goes...   When you do not allow the spirit of the Lord Rohi to be your Shepherd, then you are walking in a place of darkness, trying to make your own way and lead your own life apart from following Him.   Any area in which the Lord's Spirit is not operating in your life leaves a door open for the spirit of darkness.   When the Prince of Peace is on the throne of your heart, the darkness of confusion cannot reign.  There are many analogies that can be made.   What areas of your life do you feel are still under the power of darkness?   What manifestation of the spirit of the Lord do you need to conquer that darkness?

"But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light," (Eph. 5:13).

God's light will manifest, or make obvious those things in our life that need to be reproved.  The prophet Isaiah could not see his own flaws and shortcomings until he was caught up in the presence of the Lord.  Up to that time he had been pronouncing judgments and woes on everybody else, but being in the light of God's presence caused him to see himself and say, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts," (Isa. 6:5).   God did not condemn the prophet; and God is not condemning us for our failures, sins or shortcomings.   What does condemn us?

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.   For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.   But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God," (John 3:19-21).

If you don't want to be condemned, stop running from the Light and run to it.  Man's reaction to the Light [truth/Christ] is what will judge him. 

We will continue next week by looking at how the spirits of wisdom, understanding and counsel can cause the Light of Jehovah Elohim to shine in and through your life.

 






















  

 

The Fall of Lucifer, The Rise of Man - Part 2

 

Man, like angels, are created beings.  Yet, man was made to be in the image and likeness of God.  Even the highest ranking of angels were created to be servants while men were made to become sons.

 

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is," (I John 3:2).

Read the entire first chapter of Hebrews.  Verse four says that Jesus was made "so much better than the angels".  Verse five indicates that at no time did the Father say to an angelic being, "Thou art my Son."  Angels are not to be worshiped, yet verse six speaks of Jesus saying, "let all the angels of God worship him".  In verse eight the Son is referred to as God and as such, has a scepter of righteousness as the scepter of His kingdom.  Only to the Son, not to the angels (vs 13) does God say, "Sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool."  The final verse explains that angels are ministering spirits, "sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation".  

 

When Jesus taught the disciples to pray, He told them to begin by addressing God as "Our Father" (Mt. 6:9).  However, calling God "Father" was considered blasphemous by the Jews and a cause for which they were ready to stone Jesus to death in John chapter 10:

 

^30 "I and my Father are one.

³¹ Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

³² Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

³³ The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God."

 

Last week we talked about the fall of Lucifer.  When he and the angelic host who followed him were cast out of heaven, there was no Redeemer or plan of redemption by which they could be restored back into the kingdom of God.  They comprise an entirely different kingdom - the kingdom of darkness.   They do not have hearts that can repent, or minds that can change, or a will to ever desire to serve and worship God again.  And there are those among men who have chosen to take on the spirit and likeness of Satan.  He has become their father [John 8:44]. 

 

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them," (2 Cor, 4:4).

 

How fortunate that God sent His Son to rescue fallen man!   He is not willing that any should perish, but that men would come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).  Thank God for the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.   Because of His victory, He became the firstborn among many brethren.

 

^15 "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ..." (Ro. 8).

 

Lucifer, who had been a light-bearer, permanently lost his position in God's kingdom.   Now he can only "fake" it by attempting to transform himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).   His light came from God, but when he separated from God, he separated from light.   Now Jesus has the position and title of Bright and Morning Star (Rev. 22:16).   His light will never go out; but rather, in His light we see light (Ps. 36:9).

 

We have studied in depth regarding the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we took a much deeper look into what He accomplished in Gethsemane as well as what His soul achieved while in hell for those three days His body was in the tomb [refer to www.echoesoftruthfromheaven.blogspot.com].   We know that as we behold Him we become like Him (2 Cor. 3:18).   

 

Let's look at Moses as an example.  Moses was unaware that forty days in God's presence caused his face to shine with the glory of God.

 

^29 "When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of the Testimony in his hand, he did not know that the skin of his face shone and sent forth beams by reason of his speaking with the Lord," (Ex. 34:29, AMP).

 

While the children of Israel had to go through the Levitical priesthood to stand in the gap for them and to present their offerings and sacrifices before the Lord, Moses himself... the one by whom the Law was given... did not have to go through the priests, including Aaron the high priest.  He met with God face to face in the tent of meeting just outside the camp (Ex. 33:11).    He showed us through Moses what would become possible for all His people.  The New Testament declares, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," (Mt. 5:8). 

 

It's time for the Body of Christ to get her eyes back on Jesus.  True transformation will only come as we behold Him.   Jesus Christ was the corn of wheat that had to die lest He abide alone (John 12:24).

Because He died and rose again, there is the promise of a harvest of souls... of sons of God who are restored to His image and likeness.

 

It's time for the Rise of Man!  More specifically, it's time for the rise of the Sons of God in the earth.  It's not enough that Jesus rose.  The whole earth is groaning and awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God (Ro. 8:19-22).  We're living in the end time when the full maturity of both kingdoms is coming to a head.  There will finally be a clear distinction between the sheep and the goat, the wheat and the tares, the children of light and the children of darkness.   You cannot straddle the fence; it's time to grow up and be what God created you to be.

 

Before we close, let's shed the light on Psalm 8:4-5.

 

 ^"What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour."

 

How can man be greater in rank than angels if he was made a little lower than angels?  When you look in the Strong's Concordance for the word used in this verse and interpreted as "angels", it is actually the word, "Elohim".   Remember where we saw that word used before?   Yes.  It's the plural name for "God" used throughout Genesis Chapter One. God refers to Himself in the plural when He says, "Let US make man in Our image and in Our likeness" (emphasis added).  Perhaps the translators were too nervous to express the scripture as it should have been written:  "For thou hast made him a little lower than Elohim...".    In other words, God made man a little lower than Himself.  Which is greater, a servant or a son?  Angels are servants;  men were created to be sons.

Therefore, o man, arise to your position of son-ship.  It's time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fall of Lucifer, the Rise of Man - Part One



Angels are created beings.   Today we're going to talk about a very beautiful and powerful archangel God made and named Lucifer whose name means "star of the morning; day star; lighter bearer or bringer".      Let's look at the passage in Ezekiel, Chapter 28, that speaks to the king of Tyrus, but is obviously referring to Lucifer:

¹² Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

¹³ Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

¹⁴ Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

¹⁵ Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

¹⁶ By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

¹⁷ Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

¹⁸ Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

 

 

Lucifer was perfect in his ways from the day he was created "until iniquity was found in thee" (vs 15).  What happened to cause a perfect being to fall and to be able to influence one third of the angelic host of heaven to follow him?  Was it simply pride because of his beauty?   What provoked Lucifer to want the worship that belonged to God alone?    What engendered such a vendetta in his heart against man in particular?

 

To answer these questions, let's take a deeper look into who Lucifer was and the position he held:

 

- full of wisdom

- perfect in beauty

- covered with precious stones: the sardius, topaz, diamond, bery, onyx, jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; all set in gold

- musical tabrets and pipes were built into his being ("prepared in thee", vs. 13)

- anointed to cover the glory of God  (vs. 14, God says, "I have set thee so").   In other words, God positioned Lucifer to cover Him in his glory.

- permitted to be upon the holy mountain (high place of God; mountains represent not only places of worship but of governmental rule)

- we cannot yet speak of what the "stones of fire" mean.  We do know that our God is a consuming fire and it might well represent the fact that God loved Lucifer and as some in the Body of Christ have indicated, the stones of fire may be within the very heart of God and may represent the passion and glory with which He loves.  

 

Lucifer was glorious.  See him as he was when he was created.  Watch him as he moved with every move of God because he was a covering.   God is Spirit (wind, breath).   Every time God moves, wind is created that blows through the pipes within the being of Lucifer.  Music pours forth from his being automatically.  God is Light.  Lucifer reflects the light of God and it radiates from the precious jewels that cover him.  See the rays of living color emanating in shades of green and blue, red and golden yellow, etc. as the light passes through the precious stones.  He's a regular light show of God's glory.  It may have looked like fireworks accompanied by heavenly music every time God moved and Lucifer's being responded.  Like the two winged cherubs on the Mercy Seat in the tabernacle of Moses from between which the Shekinah glory of God arose, Lucifer was anointed and appointed by God to be that covering and to move when God moved.  Everything that God did... everywhere that God went, the anointed cherub was right there and music was coming out of his being.  I believe this is how he led the heavenly choir.  It wasn't that he was standing in front of them like an orchestra conductor; but rather, the praise that came out of his being provoked a correspondent praise within the angelic host.

 

"Let Us Make Man..."

 

Everything God creates He  makes perfect.  When He made man, He gave mankind the ability to create as well.  He placed all the raw materials that man would ever need within man's grasp.  Look at man's workmanship from clothes to houses to cars to planes to computers, etc.  Nevertheless, man's works are not perfect.  So, from time to time, he will make a "new and improved" version of a previous work.   If you buy a computer this year, it may be obsolete next year.   Can you imagine having been the victim of the first "surgical procedure" as mankind was learning to "practice" medicine and the "healing" arts?  Wouldn't you prefer the "new and improved" methods?   But God is not like man.   He does not need to make "new and improved" versions of His own works.

 

When God created man, He was not making a "new and improved" version of angels.  He was making an entirely new order of being.  Unlike angels that were created to be servants, this new

order of being was created to be "sons".  Man would be made in the image and likeness of God Himself!

 

Remember how glorious Lucifer was?  Certainly as the anointed cherub who was designed to be in God's presence continuously, he had to have heard God say, "Let us make man in our image and our likeness".   Although Lucifer was an awesome and powerful angel, he was still just an angel.   And he understood that God was taking counsel within Himself to bring forth a new being that would out-rank him!   That's right!  You and I were created to out-rank.. not the devil... not the fallen angel... we were made to be even more glorious, even closer to God, even more like the Most High, than even Lucifer, the bright and morning star.  He was not going to be "top dog", as it were, after the creation of man.

 

I believe it was God's decision to make man that triggered something within Lucifer and caused him to begin to look at himself and think, "Why does God want to make man?  I'm beautiful.  I cover him.  I'm close to Him.  I lead the choir.  Aren't I worthy?  Haven't I earned the right or privilege. I should be like the Most High."  Can't you just hear the thoughts that must have been generated within the heart of Lucifer?   Iniquity was being birthed in him...

 

⁶ But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

⁷ And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

⁸ And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. - Genesis 2

 

When God created man, there was a mist that covered the entire earth.  In other words, the earth was cloaked in a cloud.  Where was the anointed cherub?  Why did he not accompany the LORD God as He formed man?  Job Chapter 38 talks about how all the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy when God began to lay the foundations of the earth.  But there was an angel that stopped singing.  There was an angel that stopped moving with the glory of God.  All of a sudden when God went right, this angel started going to the left.  At some point, Lucifer stopped bowing and worshipping the Most High God. 

 

 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High," (Isa. 14:14).

 

Lucifer was not happy about the creation of man.  He was jealous.  Pride told him that he should have been the one.  If God was standing in a cloud upon the earth when He created man, then the heart of Lucifer was telling him to ascend above the heights of the clouds.  When God said He would make man in His image and likeness, the heart of Lucifer said, No! I will be like the most High!

 

Something began to permeate the atmosphere of heaven that did not belong in God's kingdom of light.  A darkness was birthed.   A darkness that infected one third of the angelic host as Lucifer lost his light and took on a new nature, the darkness of pride, jealousy, rebellion, etc.  He had to be separated from God and all those that followed him had to be evicted.   And the darkness came and lodged upon the face of the deep...

¹² How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

¹³ For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

¹⁵ Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

- Isaiah 14

 

We will continue this next week...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Settling the Issue of Pre-Existence

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul," (Gen. 2:7).

"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit," (I Cor. 15:45).

Our mainstream Christian denominations do not teach about the pre-existence of man.  Some in the Body consider it cultish to believe that man existed before he was born.   How do we rightly divide the word of truth when we hear scriptures like these that follow:

1.     Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

2.     Ephesians 1:4, "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love."

3.     James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

There are those who have asked:  If I'll have a life after death, did I have a life before birth? Interesting question.  What do you think?  The Church is divided on this issue; so, come and let us reason together and trust the Spirit of understanding to enlighten our hearts and minds.

Father of Lights

There is a difference between creating something and procreating or fathering something.  If God is the Father of lights and we are the children of the Light, when did He beget us?  If you have been studying with us, you already know the answer to that question from previous sessions.  We believe God released "lights" which are spirits when He said, "let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven... and it was so" (Gen. 1:14,15).  This He did before He created the sun, moon and stars in verses 16-18.    

"Let us make man..."  (Gen. 1:26)

Before we go further, let's open up a revelation about God in Genesis Chapters 1 & 2 (KJV).  Notice that the word "God" is always alone in chapter one?  What change do you see in chapter two beginning with verse seven? 

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul," (Gen. 2:7).

The original word for "God" in Genesis 1 & 2 is "Elohim".  It is a plural form of the word, "Elowahh".  In other words, our Bible could more accurately read, "In the beginning Gods created the heaven and the earth."  Don't get nervous!  We're not teaching polytheism.  We believe in one God; but God speaks of himself in the plural when He says, "Let us make man in our image".  How can we reconcile that with our belief in One God.  Simple.  

There are two kinds of "one-ness":  an absolute oneness and a compound oneness.   God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit; "and "these three are one" (I John 5:7).   When God puts a husband and wife together, there are considered "one flesh" (Gen. 2:24); yet, they are two separate individuals.  We are one Body in Christ.  We make up a compound oneness or unity.

God the Father utilized His Word to make all things.  The Word was with God and the Word was God, yet the Word became flesh and dwelt among us while the Father remained above.  After the initial act of creation was completed, the Word was still at work in Genesis Chapter two and was called "LORD" God because it would be the Word that remained in the earth doing the will of the Father in Heaven.  Christ would not return to His former glory until after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.  So Jesus prays, "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was," (John 17:5). 

The original word for "Lord" is "Jehovah" or "Yahweh", and all throughout the Old Testament the Lord was there and making himself known to His chosen ones.  Some of the familiar compound revelations of His name include

-  Jehovah Elyon: the Lord Most High (Ps. 38:2)   

- Jehovah Jireh: the Lord our Provider (Gen. 22:14)

- Jehovah Kanna: Lord Jealous (Ex. 34:14)        

- Jehovah Rohi: the Lord our Shepherd (Psalm 23)

- Jehovah Nissi: the Lord our Banner (I Chron. 29:11-13)

There are actually more than forty compound names of Jehovah.  Yet, Jesus the Christ came and fulfilled them all and was made "both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36).

Man is a created being.  He was formed by the LORD God.  Therefore he had a beginning.  The man was formed from the earth.  Into the inanimate clay form, the LORD God breathed His own breath to cause man to became a living, breathing, "nephesh" or soul.  It was not until that moment that "man" came into existence.   By creating a soul, God gave man the ability to be self-aware.  He became aware of something a spirit never had before:  a "humus" or "human" body with senses that gave it the ability to experience this earthly realm.  Now, that soul would develop and sense its own vitality, appetites, desires, mind, will, and sensations of pleasure. 

By having a body made from the dust of the ground and a newly created soul, man was now "different" from God, yet in God's "likeness".   The word "man" in the original is the word "adam".   So, our Bible could actually have read, "Let us make Adam in our image and in our likeness".  Adam was like God, but he was not God.  He was the son of God (Luke 3:38).  Note:  the lineage of Jesus is reckoned through Joseph in Luke 3:23-38.

GOD BREATHED...MAN BECAME

Here is a vital revelation for you.  Man [-kind] came into being by the breath of God, not the word of God!  The only part of man that was spoken into existence was his spirit.  God said, "let there be lights...".   While the Holy Bible calls God the Father of Lights, He is never referred to as the "Father of man".    As a matter of fact, some "men" have the devil as their "father".

"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it," (John 8:44).

When God was ready to create man, He did not say, "Let there be man!"   He never spoke man directly into existence, but rather, He spoke to Himself saying, "Let us make man.   Could God have spoken man into existence?  Of course.  See how He created other living creatures (Gen. 1:20, 24).  Notice how animals live and move by instincts programmed into their DNA alone.  They are bound by God's Word and therefore they cannot be held accountable for their actions (i.e., animals don't go to hell).  They are subject to the domination of man.  They respond or reaction from instinct alone.  That is not true of man.

God's word is so powerful, it cannot return to Him void.  If God had used words to make man, those words would have bound man to be exactly what the Word wanted him to be.  There would be no free will and no ability to fail because the first Adam would have been the "word" made "flesh"!   God didn't make His word flesh in the first Adam, but in the Last Adam.  Therefore the scripture testifies,

"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit," (I Cor. 15:45).

Note:  Jesus' spirit was formed by the Word of God and was in-fleshed in His body.  God's word is spirit and Jesus was given the Spirit without measure.   This is what made him 100% God.  However, He also received the BREATH of life which originated with God and which caused man to become a Living Soul.   So this is what made Jesus 100% Man.  The Son of God was also the Son of Man.

I know these are deep waters and I hope you're able to swim in them.  We're laying a scriptural foundation every step of the way.   Beloved, I believe you are reading this and receiving revelation because it's time.  Jesus wants to bring you into the light of knowledge and understanding.  He said to his disciples before His ascension, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now," (John 16:12).  Isn't it time we begin to chew on the meat of the Word and not milk only? 

Having said that man was created by the breath of God, not the Word of God.   Yet Jesus the Christ is both Son of God and Son of Man.  He is the Word made flesh (not the Word made "soul").  Now, we are in Him if we have received salvation.  So, now I'm going to have you look up a scripture and see if it doesn't carry more meaning to you than it would have before this teaching.

I Peter 1:23

1 Peter 1:23, "

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, 

which liveth and abideth for ever."

Now, if you fully grasped this lesson and you looked up and read the above scripture, you should be shouting!  Meditate fully on what the Holy Spirit shows you.  You'll be blessed.

Next week our subject will be "Defining the Light" and we'll see how the light shines through the seven spirits of God as spoken of in Isaiah 11:2, Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5 and 5:6.



The Power of Darkness, Part Two

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places," (Eph. 6:12).

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you," (Luke 10:19).

I believe we are living in the last days.  Second Timothy, Chapter Three warns us that in these "last days perilous times shall come" (vs. 1).  The chapter then goes on to describe what these times would be like and then verse twelve reveals "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution".

History tells us that, excluding Judas Iscariot who committed suicide, all the original apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ died as martyrs.  We know that James, the brother of John and one who was in the inner circle of Jesus, was the first to be killed (Acts 12:2).   The ruler of the darkness at that time was Herod and when he saw that the Jews were pleased with the death of James, he had Peter arrested and thrown into prison, meaning to kill him also.

Nevertheless, the church went into unceasing intercession on Peter's behalf and God supernaturally delivered him.  What would have happened if the church had not prayed?  What might have happened had the church prayed for James?    We know that Peter was eventually crucified upside down, but the church had exercised power over the enemy's power to deliver Peter until he had fulfilled his number of days upon the earth.

Look at Luke 10:19 above.    Jesus gives us power [exousia] over all the power [dunamis] of the enemy.  The two words for power in the verse are not the same.  The power that Jesus gives us is "the right or the authority or the strength to exercise jurisdiction" or His dominion, over all the miraculous power, strength, or violence of the enemy.

Some Christians teach that Satan has no power; but all you have to do is look at the world we're living in and you'll see his hand working upon all seven mountains of influence in society [religion, family, government, business, media, arts and entertainment, and education].  Jesus was manifested in order to "destroy the works of the devil" (I John 3:8).  Read Second Thessalonians, Chapter 2.  There is a Wicked one coming, "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders," (vs. 9).  Deception is coming upon all those who love not the truth.  Increased persecution is at the door of every true Christian.  Jesus tells us plainly in John 16:33b, "...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Prayer matters.  Sometimes prayer can save a life.  At other times it simply strengthens us enough to endure the suffering that is coming.   Jesus prayed in Gethsemane.  He knew there was a bitter cup to drink; and even when He was victorious in prayer, He still had to drink the bitter cup.  It was the hour and power of darkness that prayer prepared Him to face.  

Don't stop praying or believing God, regardless as to how God chooses to answer your prayers.  In these perilous times, many Christians will be thrown in jail or killed.  Churches in various countries even now are being forced to close.  I suggest to you that it's not necessarily a bad thing... as long as the people of God remain true to Him.

In Chuck Pierce's book, The Future War of the Church, he shares a vision God gave him of the traditional church structure.  He saw the church becoming more and more rigid and controlled; God was calling people out of that structure and into a new one called My Kingdom Authority.  The old structure began to look more like a prison than a church while the new structure was made totally of light and became more and more glorious as each person moved into it.  The book was written in 2001 and he prophesied that over the next twelve years God would be establishing this new structure and once it was completed people would rapidly transfer into it.  That timing brought us to the year 2013. 

Are you sensing what God is doing?   It's a time for the light to shine in this dark world like never before.  The Body of Christ is coming together across denominational lines.  God is breaking down the barriers that have divided His Church and He's making us one.  Many home fellowships are being established as believers are learning to "exhort one another daily, while it is called Today..." (Heb. 3:13).   The writer of Hebrews further admonishes us to not forsake "the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching," (Heb. 10:25). 

Do you see the day approaching?  What day is he referring to?  Perhaps it is the day of the Lord.  Unlike the days of creation when He brought forth new things, that Day is a day of destruction in which  He "erases" all the things that went wrong... even the memory of it from our minds [Isa. 65:17; Rev. 7:17; 21:4].    Amos 5:20, "Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?"  A time will come when the sun will be darkened, the moon and the stars of heaven will not give their light to the earth (Isa. 13:10).   Because we are children of the light, that day is not supposed to overtake us as a thief (I Thess. 5:3-5).  In the end, the power of darkness will be destroyed  by the very brightness of Christ's coming ( 2 Thess. 2:8) and when the Lord establishes His eternal kingdom and the New Jerusalem, there will be no darkness there (Rev. 21:23; Rev. 22:5).

The signs of the times are manifesting on an earth that is travailing and awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God.  Earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, erratic weather patterns, and what man has dubbed as "global warming" or "climate change".   Indeed the earth will heat up [Luke 12:49; Acts 2:19; 2 Pet. 3:7; Rev. 8:5,7].  These curses are the result of man's sin and rebellion against God; therefore no political power or scientific discovery can avert the judgment that is upon us; only repentance.  Nevertheless, as the book of Revelation outlines for us, the more judgment comes to bring men to repentance, the more they will curse God and harden their hearts against him. 

The beauty of this time is that clear distinctions are being made between sheep and goat, wheat and tare, light and darkness.   It will be known to which kingdom each person belongs.  The light will make everything manifest.   Those who are sealed by God may suffer but they will stand strong. Revelation 13:7 speaks of the enemy being given the ability to "make war with the saints, and to overcome them...".   Nevertheless, Jesus  has told us not to fear them "which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell," (Matthew 10:28). 

Jesus faced the hour and power of darkness and emerged victorious.   He lives within us.  We too shall triumph in the Lord.  I encourage you to live for Him, not day by day, but moment by moment.  Jesus saw a joy beyond the cross and it gave him strength to endure the suffering.  Let's look beyond the darkness and recognize what awaits us on the other side!



The Power of Darkness, Part One

"When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness," (Luke 22:53).

"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God..." (Acts 26:18).

"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness..." (Col. 1:13)

"For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee," (Isaiah 60:2).

We live on a dark, fallen planet.  There is no question that evil men are waxing worse and worse.  There is much confusion over what is right and wrong.  People no longer discern the difference between good and evil.  Our moral compass is broken.  Many even in the Church have taken on a humanistic worldview and no longer rely on the Bible as their source for understanding truth and how we should live this life.  Television has been called the devil-vision and hell-a-vision as programs
continually spew out debaucheries, blasphemies, perversions, violence, adulteries, lies, immoralities,
witchcraft, liberal political agendas, etc.  Christianity is mocked and God's name used in vain.  There is no fear of God.   As the darkness increases it would seem like we're losing the battle; but be assured, we're not!

A number of attempts had been made to kill Jesus before the time appointed for him to die. Read the story of one such attempt in Luke 4:28-30.  The angry mob had literally thrust Jesus out of the city and "led him unto the brow of the hill whereon the city was built, that they might cast him down headlong" (v. 29).  How did He escape?  It was not the hour for the power of darkness to prevail.  In another incidence recorded in John 8, Jesus' message so upset the Jews that they took up stones to cast at him, meaning to stone him to death.  Yet He escaped, "going through the midst of them" (vs. 59).  How?  It was not the hour for the power of darkness to prevail.

When the "hour, and power of darkness" came into the life of Jesus, he understood that God had a purpose for it and that he would have to submit.  It would appear that the darkness would destroy Jesus by beating, whipping, bruising, crucifying, piercing the Son of God.  Yet, for all that the power of darkness was allowed to do, it could not overwhelm the Light!  Instead, He gained all power over all the power of the enemy.  He died and rose, never to die again. 

We know what darkness is.  We've experienced its power of sinful pleasures and addictions.  We've eaten the fruit of disobedience.  We enjoyed the lust of our flesh, the lust of our eyes and the pride of our lives.   As sinners, we were not just living in the darkness, we were the darkness! (Eph. 5:8).  We were of our father, the devil (John 8:44).  We were under his power and did not have the ability to break free on our own.  God send His Son to translate [pick up and carry] us out of that kingdom and into His own.

We know that darkness pre-existed creation.   The darkness predates our world; it predates mankind.  The origin of sin, sickness, death,  misery, emptiness, depression, confusion, and all the evil that darkness represents is not of this earth.  What is the source of darkness?

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil:

I the Lord do all these things,"  (Isaiah 45:7). 

"God is light, and in him is no darkness at all," (I John 1:5).  How then could a holy, righteous, pure and loving God create darkness and evil?  It only makes sense by looking at the original language of scripture (using a concordance) and by the revelation of the Spirit of God.

There are different words used in Isaiah 45:7 for "form", "create", and "make".   So, let's look first at clues from the concordance:

1.    Form - [3335, yatsaq] - to "pour out", to melt or cast as metal; by extens., to place firmly, to stiffen or grow hard.
2.    Create - [1254, bara] - to "cut down"; select, choose, dispatch
3.    Make - [6213, asah] - to do, accomplish, execute (-ion); exercise, labor, procure, maintain, perform, prepare, provide

What do we make of these definitions? 

 1.    Light was "formed", or poured out.   Light poured out of God and that which was "formed" was cast into the image from which it came.  Hence, He is the "Father" of lights.  

2.    He "created" darkness and evil.  Something was "cut down" for darkness and evil to be "created".  We know that Lucifer and one third of the hosts of heaven were cut down, or thrown out of heaven after pride and self-exaltation was birthed within the archangel (we'll do a full teaching on that later).  When God created angels they were given a faculty called "free will" or "volition".  Man would also be given this faculty which leads to the ability to select or choose.  Without being given a "choice", angels and men would be mere puppets.  God wanted us to love and serve Him willingly and out of love, not because we were forced to.  

3.  Peace was "made".  When God made man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, He also placed the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil within man's reach.  The only commandment man had to keep at that time was "do not eat of this tree".    It was mankind's test of obedience and he failed.  Yet God made peace with fallen man.  He provided coats of skin even though man lost his paradise.  God prepared from the very beginning to bring forth the One who would become the Prince of Peace and restore mankind back to Himself.   It took much labor to provide for our peace and reconciliation, but God maintained a people through whom He would accomplish His will.

There are secret principles you will need to understand as we go deeper: 

1.     God did not speak the darkness or the evil into existence.  They are part of an unspoken creation. 

2.    The darkness and the evil did not come out of God's being.  Because words are spirit and anything that God says carries His character and nature, He had to find a way to create darkness and evil without either speaking it.   God is not evil.  He is holy, righteous and just.  He is love.

The apostle Paul tries to bring understanding to this concept in Romans Chapter Seven.  When speaking about the Law, he states that he would "not have know sin, but by the law".  He is not saying that the law is sin, but that the law made him conscience of something outside of itself.  The darkness and evil makes us aware of something outside of God.   It's a difficult concept to grasp.  Please pray for the Holy Spirit to bring illumination and revelation.
   
Let's talk about light and dark as natural phenomena for a moment.  In the natural, all light leads back to a source:  the sun(light); a flashlight; lamp light; candle light; fire light, etc.   You can flick a switch and turn on a light bulb.  But you can't flick a switch and turn on darkness.  You can't locate an earthly source for darkness.  You can only create a dark room or other place by shutting out the light.  God separated the light from the darkness and gave darkness a time to prevail.  Therefore, evening comes; darkness comes.  Yet even in the darkness, God gives us the light of the moon and stars.  In the darkness we form sources of light by which to see.  The darkness comes because the sun "goes down" and disappears beyond the horizon.  It's still shining somewhere; and it will come back around again.  But in the meantime, in the natural, you are living in an hour and power of darkness.  You cope with it because you find sources of light.

But what of spiritual light and darkness?  All true spiritual light comes from the "Father of lights" (James 1:17).  Many Christians believe that when Satan and the host of fallen angels
were cast out of heaven, they were thrown into the earth and that is why the earth was covered with darkness and was without form and void.  What we know for certain is that Satan showed up in the Garden of Eden in the serpent who was used to tempt Adam and Eve to disobey God.  With that one act of disobedience, the power of darkness entered into the human experience.

Next week we will ask and answer more questions about the darkness and the Day of the Lord that is coming.

"Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light," (Amos 5:18).