God or Adam

Who’s in control - God or "Adam"?

Part V September/October 2000

Last issue we referred to Ezekiel 36:25-38. I would like to narrow down our examination to verses 25-28.

25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

 

Please notice once again that Yahweh is going to do whatever He wants to without making any requirements on our part to participate. This idea rather "flies in the face" of the present day thought that man has the ultimate decision as to his fate. If that were true we could obviously consider ourselves greater and wiser than our creator. That would certainly be a case of the clay telling the potter what to do.

What could scripture possibly mean in verse 25-Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. My contention is that the clean water is the pure unadulterated truth of the word from Holy Spirit that will show us all the filthiness and idols in our lives. Our righteousness is, in reality, self righteousness and is seen as filthy rags (menstrual cloths) in Father’s sight because it is not based upon His righteousness. Because so many worship a "God" who does not exist, who lives up in the sky and blesses us when we do good and punishes us when we do evil, we are idolaters. There is no such "God"!

In verse 26-28 we read- A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. The Father’s renewal is from the inside out, and is our guarantee that we will live life in another and higher dimension. Father’s plan is that we become one with Him, that there be no separation between us thus, insuring that the manifested power will be of Father and not of us. Why is Father doing such a refining work in us? To bless and benefit us? Not only no, but definitely no, and this is where our whole mind-set must be changed, to realize and discover that "it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil 2:13).

We are all familiar with the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37, however, I would like to examine this passage from a slightly different perspective than is normally done. After Ezekiel concluded his declaration of renewal for his people, he was transported in spirit to the valley of dry bones. Let’s look at this time in the realm of spirit and reality.

Ezekiel was brought face to face with the spiritual realm within his own being; heretofore unknown and unvisited. Why were these bones not buried and put out of sight into graves? The strong possibility is that these bones were never destined for the grave but to live!! Not only the prophet, but we also, need to discover the connection we have with all of mankind. The statement in John 12:32 by Yahshua Messiah clearly states His purpose for being sent as the Spirit/Man— "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Yahshua stated emphatically the Father’s will—that all would be saved!

Apostle Paul states in Acts 17:26,28 - "Father hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth....For in him we live, and move, and have our being.... For we are also the offspring of the Father." All mankind has a common ancestry and origin but, sadly, our religious doctrines have segregated humanity, denying our relationship to the rest of mankind. Men’s doctrines deny the teaching of Paul, making those they consider "outside of Christ" as parented by someone other than the Father. This kind of religious dogma can so easily relegate them to a burning eternal hell forever or annihilation, without the shedding of even one single tear. The name of the Most High God (El Elyon) has become vitiated by such despicable teaching. We criticize the Moslems whenever they fight a holy war (Jihad) calling them fanatics, but Christians are just as fanatical based upon their distorted view of the character of the Father. It appears that the only time "Christians" from different denominations will gather together is for some sort of "feel good" event like a concert, sporting event and possibly some sort of revival(?) providing the speaker has a "big enough" name. The idea that many people project is that Father is unable to "speak to my heart or into my life" through some "unknown" person be they either male or female. How sad! Why are we so moved by our feelings and not by the Spirit of Father? Baalam, because his spiritual eyes were blind had to be corrected by his jackass. Are we in need of the same correction for the same type of blindness? Read the passage in Numbers 22.

Many years prior to Apostle Paul’s revelation concerning the oneness of all mankind, Ezekiel was faced with the perplexing question; "Son of man, can these bones live?" Somewhere within our beings is this same uncharted valley of dry bones and Father is awakening each of us to face the challenge as Ezekiel was called upon to do. Ezekiel, attempting an escape, answered "O Lord thou knowest." However, Father commanded him saying, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, ' O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. ' 5 "Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. 6 'And I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.' " [Ez 37:4-6] Does not this prophesy suggest that "no one" from the past can be forgotten? Why does it seem that Father is waiting for so long to raise up all the bones? Could it be that He is waiting for someone to grasp the total scope of His will and purpose that is barely being realized within a "few people" today? Is it possible to imagine the spiritual dimension we can be brought into whenever these dry bones are brought to life within our own consciousness? We will then see the manifestation of the Noah’s and the Abraham’s and the Jacob’s and David’s and Ezekiel’s and a whole host of others who are to be a part of the whole house of spiritual Israel.

Can you receive that the Christ is not a single man? The concept of a single man causes us to retain the position that contributes to the many divisions which exist among Christians today as they wait for "him" to appear in the clouds of heaven. We read in Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. This "Christ" is a corporate man, made up of a people, all of whom have found their origin, identity and being in him. We must lose the "fly away" mentality and look for the Christ within. The word Christ, is the translation of the Greek word for anointed, it is not the Messiah’s last name. When Yahshua took the three disciples up the mountain (into that high place in the spirit), they witnessed the transfiguration of Yahshua. Their redemption was displayed before their eyes in its totality. Obviously, the bones of Moses and Elijah had more than enough time to become, but Yahshua saw them as part of himself and raised them up in his consciousness to fulfill his destiny. Yahshua fulfilled the law that came by Moses in himself. How did he do that? By recognizing the purpose and ministry that was fulfilled in Moses as an integral part of the total redemptive process instituted by Father. So Moses is present with Yahshua to fulfill his destiny and share in that same glory. Yahshua also challenged the religious systems of his day by defying the Pharisees and others. However, he was not the first one raised up to set the captives free and defy the enemies of the saints. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal and destroyed those who sought to enslave Fathers people. His bones may have been dry, but in fulfillment of the purposes of his Father for his life, Yahshua spoke life into those dry bones and breathed breath into them and they lived in Him (Yahshua).

It is absolutely imperative that we put off our individualism and see our corporate nature in "the Christ." Are we not all created in Christ (Eph 2:10)? We all have the same spirit! If this were more than just knowledge and became a reality, we would stop acting like we were on opposing sides, ready to destroy those who did not agree with our ideas. Apostle Paul states it clearly in Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. Every person who has fulfilled the purposes of Father in his life regardless of when he lived forms a part of "Christ," growing up into Him, not outside of or separate from him. Unity of the faith does not mean that we must agree completely with whatever they consider is "the faith." As long as we argue from the point of view of knowledge, unity of the faith is an unreachable goal. Yahshua said clearly, "I am the truth." Truth cannot and must not be considered a system of knowledge. It must be related to the person of the Christ. Truth must be appropriated to express the Christ, and this can only be done experientially. The measure of the Christ in your life will determine the measure of truth that you can say is yours. If we are not centered in reality, there is little hope of entering into that corporate sense of being which is the Christ. Meanwhile, the old bones of yesteryear remain in the graveyard waiting for us to realize our union with them and allow it to burst upon our consciousness. Whenever this happens, we will prophesy to them and bring them to life completing their incorporation into the Christ.

Considering there is no past, present or future in Father, He dwells in the eternal now. Therefore all His purposes are linked together regardless of time or the persons involved. Yahshua came to incorporate humanity into a kingdom which he said "was not of this world." This kingdom had been spoken of by many of the Old Covenant prophets and was not a new idea with the coming of Yahshua Messiah. Even king David was not separated from Yahshua, as he established the kingly order and it was declared of him in Act 2:30 ...that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. Because of Adam’s disobedience, death entered into the world which was passed unto all men. Scripture speaks of death reigning and having authority over all men until someone came who could conquer it. The only way the power of death could be broken was if a man could die and then return to life and be seen by other men. This is exactly what Yahshua Messiah did. His total victory is to be manifested in a people who realize the same consciousness and identity that conquered the foe called death. What about those who have died since Yahshua came? Has Father made any provision for those who were born too early; before the solution was revealed? As Hebrews speaks about the Messiah’s death, burial and resurrection in chapter 2:9 ... that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Surely, this must cover all those from Adam to this present day. To exclude them from this promise of immortality would make Father totally unfair and arbitrary in His judgement. When, where and under what circumstance we are born is not in our control, so Father must accept some responsibility for the conditions under which some have been born. Those born into heathen countries with no scriptures to show the way; or never hear the gospel; are all these to be excluded from the victory in Yahshua. I would certainly think not!!

Because he has conquered death, he has become the "first fruits of all them that sleep" (1Co 15:20). Therefore, we know that those that have died are included in Yahshua’s victory over death. He did not overcome death for his own benefit, but that the power of death could be broken for every man. While Adam lived in harmony with Father he was immortal and "death" could not exist. When he lost the sense of his identity in Father, as "I Am," and entered another consciousness that assumed an identity not related to life, he immediately became subject to death. The process is exactly the same for each of us.

The only one who can bring the dead back to life is the Christ. The only way we can "prophesy" to the dry bones, is to enter into the realization of the Christ as our own identity. This truth is stated clearly in 1Jn 4:17 ... as he is, so are we in this world. The word of the Father to us is the same as it was to Ezekiel "prophesy and say, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!"

That is the only word that has power to bring life to the dry bones. No one from the Aaronic priesthood had the power to conquer death for the bones of Israel were strewn across the wilderness before they entered Canaan. It would require a new priesthood that was established on the power of an endless life. This is the Melchizedek priesthood that is being raised up in this our day, but that brings us to another subject that will be covered sometime in the future.

It appears to me that the teaching of the church has implied that because we have been "born again" we are going to heaven and the rest of the world, the cults and the heathen, can just go to hell and be eternally separated from the love of Father. Not only does that project an extreme arrogance, but it displays a tremendous amount of ignorance of Father’s nature and character. Can it be that Father is only interested in those believers who are alive on the earth today? Can we simply ignore the millions who have lived and died because of the transgression without experiencing the redemption of and reconciliation to Father? Has Father arbitrarily relegated those millions to obscurity, eternal punishment and annihilation? How is it possible to conceive of a salvation that does not include all men? Did not John the baptizer specifically state in John 1:29 "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (cosmos)!" Why not get honest and stand guilty before Father for our selfish and conceited notions we have of the character of the Father.

My thanks once again to Brother Des Walter for his shared insights. It will be interesting to discover what Father has on tap for next issue.

Frank

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Thoughts from Barbara

Loved Ones,

In the recent Life Notes, some hard things have been shared as well as some revelations that seem unbelievable. I hope we have learned that there is no bottom to God’s well of knowledge and revelation.

I believe it is obvious that we as a church have believed that the cross is our destination until we die and then we go on beyond. True, Jesus’ destination in his physical body was the cross but that was THE door to better things! If we stop at the cross then He has suffered in vain! The door had to be opened so we would have access to the Father again and become like Him. We were created in His image but when Adam sinned everything was turned upside down and self or flesh became more important than spirit-life. Father is now turning us upside-right so spirit life is more important than self or flesh. "Adam" is going to die. Who is going to do it? We’re not, that is for sure.

If we consider who was in control of things from what the bible teaches and we believe the word is truth then it won’t be hard to understand who is going to change us. I don’t have space to discuss all I would like too, but consider these scriptures in this same light of who was in charge.

Esther 2—Who prepared her for the king?

Jonah 1 —Who arranged for the trip?

Acts 9 —Was Paul asked for his opinion?

Isaiah 29:16 sums it up for us-Surely you have things turned around (upside down)! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing (creation) made say of him (God) who made it, "He did not make me"? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? Also we read in Romans 9 that He is in control. He is actually telling the Israelites that God made them for His purposes and why are they not honoring that? If God is no respecter of persons then I believe this falls true to the rest of creation also. god is the Great Potter that created all of these earthly vessels for His purposes and He will form us and make us into the honorable vessel that He intends us to be. As soon as we stop trying to make each other, our country, our President, the world, the church and even our atmosphere into what we think god wants it; then He can do with us what He wills. His grace is sufficient enough to keep us as He molds us if we will seek His face and keep Him as our priority and not our self-life.

With you on the wheel,

Barbara

published by

Frank and Barbara Doyle

Life Givers Ministries

PO Box 251

Lincolnton GA 30817-0251

phone: 706 359 6977

e-mail: frankd@minister.com