Spiritcode

Christ became for us wisdom

We were on the life journey with Jesus when he was on earth, when he went to the cross and took us into death, and with him when he rose from the dead, and when he ascended into Heaven. He took fallen humanity with him.
Ephesians 1:4 He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world …13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

HE LIVES IN US TO CONTINUE HIS JOURNEY WITH EACH ONE OF US WHO BELIEVE. (1Timothy 4:10)
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me… But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…

1Corinthians 1:30. But of God you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God
The Corinthians were not pleased with Paul’s preaching, and Paul was disappointed in the Corinthians willingness to embrace his preaching of the cross. Their culture had influenced their attitude to serving God. They were transactional in their relationship with Deity of any kind, and it had confused their understanding of wisdom. The hybrid culture of Jewish religion and diverse Greek philosophies shaped their wisdom into an earthly wisdom (James 3:13). They competed over spiritual things, quarrelled at their Communion services, took one another to court, and generally behaved as natural rather that spiritual people. Having natural wisdom gives people control over organizing their lives. But the cross means letting go of that control.

1Corinthians 2:2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
The cross is mentioned only eleven times in all of the epistles, and all of them by Paul.
It was another one hundred years before the cross was devotedly embraced as a symbol of Christianity.
.
1Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 30. But of God you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness (Our alignment with God) and sanctification and redemption…
1Corinthians 2:14 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Paul explained having the mind of Christ in Philippians 2:5 …Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to the death of the cross. Jesus trusted the wisdom of his Father and we trust Jesus as our wisdom – like a master chess player who knows all the right moves. Paul yearned for them to love God and one another and reap the fullness of salvation of his gospel.
1Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Extravagant Act

Jesus was the one and only New Creation (God and man sharing the one being) on earth. Jesus came to give God to humanity as God and man, and took humanity on his life journey to give us to God as God and man. Jesus came as God, to do everything for mankind, to be born as us and for us, live and die as us and for us. Everything he did he made us part of it. He is in Heaven now, as us and for us, and now prays continually for us.

JESUS BAPTISM

We were also on that life journey with Jesus when he was baptised, for us and as us in water and in the Spirit. Matthew 3:14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”(You have to let me be baptized because it is what God requires to be carried out for us) Then he allowed Him. (Jesus had to align humanity with God and become the ‘Yes’ of man to God – the One Baptism of water and the Spirit – a commitment to living the Kingdom of God) When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

His baptism with the Spirit was for the empowering of his life as a living witness on earth that he was one with God in Heaven. He then took us on his journey into the wilderness and became our victory over the devil. Jesus went to the cross and took humanity on that journey with him into death (2Corinthians 5:14, Colossians 3:3). Then he rose from the dead and took humanity on that journey too. He went to the Throne room and presented himself on our behalf to the Father. From there his purpose was to give all of mankind the Holy Spirit, and complete humanity’s ‘journey with Jesus’ which would bring humanity as the New Creation into being on the earth.

This corporate New Creation came into being at Pentecost – as momentous an Act as the First Creation – God and man as One – God with us.

It is not us getting our act together, but us getting his Act – together.

HUMANITY HAS BECOME A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST

Colossians 1:16 All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is prior all things, and in Him all things have their existence and are held together. 22 He has done this through the death on the cross of his own human body, and now as a result Christ has brought you into the very presence of God… (Christ in you, the hope of glory)

PENTECOST - BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT – The power of living the New Creation Life.

Acts 1:4 Wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 8 And you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me (a testimony that I AM) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The disciples were waiting and prepared on the day of Pentecost for the Promise of the Father, to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not that they perhaps understood what that meant until it happened. These were the first, since Jesus, to experience being a New Creation.

Acts 2:16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh. All were given God’s New Creation life within them but all did not KNOW IT (Ephesians 4:17). Not ALL were baptised with the Holy Spirit and power to be a living testimony that God lived within them.

1Timothy 4:10 … because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach.

Acts 19:2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptised?” So they said, “Into John's baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

We too have heard the truth and are able to personalise it and fall in love with it as the New Creation. We continue to be ‘being filled’. (Ephesians 5:18)

Communion of the Spirit

Mark 14:22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body. ”Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. ”And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not stumble.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise. Vs.50 Then all His disciples deserted Him and fled.

The disciples could not share a communion of the Spirit with Jesus, but we can!

2Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

THE SPIRIT Ephesians 4:1…Live a life fitting for the invitation you have received from God, humbly, gently, patiently, forbearing one another in love, Be diligent to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit…

THE BLOOD 1Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? 1Corinthians 11:25 “This cup is the new covenant in my blood (cutting the covenant). 2 Corinthians 3:6 God has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, 2Corinthians 4:11 ... So death is at work in us, but life in you. We are called (invited) to be the anointing of God in the earth to bring the blessing that God desires for his children in the earth, so that they will respond to his goodness and come to know him.

THE BREAD 16. The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Hebrews 10:5 A body have you prepared for me; … Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Where God is present through us in faith and love, there the situations are reordered by God. Our existence becomes a secondary existence. It becomes our grateful assistance to the good will of God, to feed the bread of his will into peoples’ lives

Redeeming the time

Ephesians 5:15 ‘See then that you live alert to what is going on, not as thoughtless but mindful and wise, 16 redeeming the (lost) time, because the times are dangerous and unsafe. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

The word used for ‘time’ here is kairos – God’s appointed time, not chronos – Clock time. The word used for ‘will of The Lord’ – thelema - God’s purpose/meaning your life. (Rom 12:2) Unfortunately the human mind feels more at home with clock time.

Redeeming time means that God is able to restore time that appears to have been lost. That includes time you think has been wasted, effort that has come to nothing, and dashed hopes. God can redeem all things, buy back all his plans and purposes for us and get us on track with his desire for our future blessing. He won’t necessarily bring the same circumstances back, or the same people or the same events. It means new and better opportunities ahead for a life of meaning and purpose.

Faith is not faith unless it is in what God can do in his goodness and determined desire to have his best for us. God is more interested than we are in our welfare

Numbers 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Behold, I received command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. He has not seen futility in what has happened to you nor does he regard you as a failure. Redeeming time can only really happen at the present time. If we have to put it off till we feel better about it, all we are doing is wasting more time. It requires a ‘now faith’ consciousness. John 4:34 … Fields white for the harvest. John 4:23 … Hour is coming and now is.

So the world really stands still and isn’t going anywhere. Only God is moving forward with his story, his plan – and that plan includes our lives! There is an energy that directs us, and carries us forward, even though we cannot see where it is taking us. Jesus has blessed us, and he intends to bless us with every spiritual blessing there is in his heavenly world. When we hear the word of truth through him and are awakened to faith through him, the change in us is as thorough as it could possibly be.

With this kind of faith we see this present world chaos and disorder fall away beneath us, as our faith reorders all things, while our independence and anxiety fall away with it. That is Time Redemption.

Psalm 139:1. O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know everything I do. 4.You know what I am going to say even before I say it. 5. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! 16. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18. I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me

God with us

God with us

The appointed time finally came to heal the earth. It was twisted and torn and it could not heal itself. There were many religions apart from Judaism, and all the rituals, the pomp and ceremony, had only allowed that gap between God and man to remain. God was about to give humanity the perfect answer, not a religion, but Himself. The Divine Being, Jesus God, was to make his transition from eternity into time, from heaven to earth, from pure Spirit existence to human flesh existence.
Father had always planned that a new species was to be born into the earth. He had planned for his son to begin this new species of being, a Spirit species. Now was the time for Jesus to go to earth as The Father’s Son, to become the pain of what human life had become, and to walk the path of its sorrow and its lost hope, and to lift human life into a place of shared friendship with The Three in One. Jesus knew and had agreed before the beginning of time that this was to be the plan. He knew that it was the only way for the love of God to be known by humanity. Jesus knew that he would become the expression of that love in the most perfect way.
Holy Spirit was to become a partner with Jesus in the completion of this glorious plan. It was not just Jesus God who would inhabit the earth, but Holy Spirit would also become a person of this planet by sharing every moment of life with Jesus, and in that way, he too would experience human life.

Father would send a divine seed of life from heaven, and He had chosen a young woman called Mary to receive that seed, which was to contain the full genetic potency of their love and goodness and truth. He sent an angel to announce this amazing news to Mary.
Gabriel entered the place where Mary slept. She awoke startled and afraid and sat upright, staring at the heavenly being. Gabriel motioned her to be still and stood quietly in her small room.
Mary was told she had been chosen amongst all women on the earth to give birth to a child who was to be 'God the Son' and that she was to call him Jesus. She answered back that it was impossible and that she never been with a man. Gabriel told her that the birth of this Child will not have anything to do with Joseph, her betrothed, and that The Holy Spirit would shine his life over her and divine life from heaven would come alive in her womb, even though she was a virgin. He told her that this was the will of Father God, and of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit, that they had chosen her to be the mother of this special child who would be the liberator of all mankind. Mary humbly surrendered her being to the magnificent will of God.

Meanwhile Gabriel visited Joseph in a dream also and told him that Mary had been chosen by God to give birth to a son, who would be ‘God The Son’. This was to be a divine work of The Holy Spirit who would cause a holy life to ignite within her being, and that this was the fulfilment of a prophecy in the Scriptures with which Joseph familiar ‘A virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and his name will mean ‘God with us’.
Joseph awoke suddenly, and faith filled his heart. “There will be no shame,” he declared loudly to himself.
“She will become my wife immediately, and we will have this wonderful child and I will care for him as an earthly father.”

In due course Gabriel put it into the heart of Caesar Augustus to do a census and register every person in the known world. Everyone had to go to their place of birth to be registered, so Joseph had to take Mary back to Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David. Joseph and Mary were sent to the right place at the right time for the birth of Jesus, fulfilling the prophesies of his birthplace.”
Micah 5:2. "O Bethlehem, you are but a small Judean village, yet you will be the birthplace of my King who is alive from everlasting ages past!" God will allow the conflict and chaos until she who is to give birth has her son. And he shall feed his flock in the strength of the Lord… and he will be greatly honored throughout the world. He will be our Peace.
Joseph walked beside the donkey that carried his wife. He was getting weary and the journey was tiresome for Mary and he knew he had to get his wife to the place of his family’s household and out of the cold, and the time was getting close for her to give birth. They finally arrived at the family home where they were warmly welcomed and invited inside. The dwelling complex was the usual cluster of rooms surrounding a central courtyard and it became clear to Joseph that the house was overcrowded, and that all the guestrooms (kataluma = Inn = guestroom-Luke 22:11) were occupied. So he and his wife would have to stay in the stable downstairs, in that warm place near where the animals slept and fed. He saw the signs of the oncoming birth in the drawn face and the discomfort in Mary’s eyes and he settled her as quickly and gently as he could. A mother sweated through her mother pain and a baby cried its baby cry of shock as it entered the world. The smile upon Father’s face in heaven became a laugh of joy, which was echoed by Joseph in the earth, who would now adopt the role of the child’s earthly father. Loving mother hands washed the newborn child in a water trough. On earth it was the natural and familiar scene of new birth. In the universe it was the most supernatural of any birth in history. It was also ordained that this birth would become the most celebrated event for all time, celebrated annually by millions upon millions down through the ages, many of whom had no idea why or what they were really celebrating.

Nearby, where shepherds were looking after their sheep upon the hills a huge shining star suddenly lit up the entire night sky. The shepherds looked up in wonder at this light and suddenly more lights dazzled them and they became terrified and ran and huddled together. Gabriel appeared above them, sent to tell them of the birth of Jesus. He told them not to be afraid, and that he had great and marvellous news for them, for all the world to hear. He told them that they would find a child, the newborn king of the universe, God The Saviour, wrapped in simple clothing in a nearby stable. Suddenly Gabriel was joined by a multitude of angels as the brilliant night sky resounded with their voices singing, and they listened enraptured at the magnificent words. “The glory of God is being seen in the heavens, and his love and goodness is creating a new era of peace for all mankind.” Their singing of this new creation was the magnificent sequel to their song of the first creation – ‘When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy’ (Job 38:4,7,8 ).
When the singing had stopped and the angels had left they were guided to the place where this extraordinary and singular event was taking place in the earth. These simple shepherds told everyone they met what the angels had said about the birth of this king of kings, this child, and all who heard them were astounded and amazed.
A great light shone that night. The light shone upon a newborn child who would bring light into this world, to every person born into this world. But this light would be contested by darkness in every single life.

God with us means more than just alongside us. It means he is within and through our being, and more than that, we are within and though his being. This is how we get to ‘know God’. Holy Spirit speaks into our spirit the mind and words of Jesus, and we ‘see and know’ Jesus in this way. Faith lets us speak to him as a person, person to person, Word with word, spirit with Spirit. Christmas waits to be truly celebrated. Without Christmas there is no way we could ever have known God.

1John 2:27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true

Two trains

Romans 7:24 O desolate man that I am! Who will deliver me from this embodiment of deathly separation? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! 25 So then, So now I can know I am one with God in my spiritual mind and heart while the old mindset of separation still misses the mark by making its own arrangements. 8:1 There is therefore now a ‘not guilty for being a flawed human’ verdict understood by every human being in Jesus Christ who commits to living as one with God in mind and heart and not according to the mindset of deathly separation. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death.

The trains travel in opposite directions – East and West. The West train is full of problems with a problem consciousness. It has an internal environment of anxiety, self-fixing and other people fixing. It is a place of reaction. Baggage is stowed in the overhead locker! We are all invited to get off the West train and make a connection with the East train. The Holy Spirit issues free tickets at the stations along the way, where people can get off onto the large platforms and mingle and change trains.

The East train is full of the peace of God with a consciousness of oneness with God. It has an internal environment of love, joy and peace, and a certainty of the direction and destination of the train. It is the place of receiving (grace). People getting onto the East train from the West train have their baggage managed for them. It is sorted out and nonsense thrown out so that they can have their genuine troubles lifted off them by Jesus and be healed. The same scenery somehow looks so different. We don’t despair if we find ourselves on the West train – it is real, and confusing, but we know there’s a connection waiting for me to access.

There was only one train before Jesus came – the West train. The original West train had some good ads in the cabins like the Commandments, but with guarantees of falling short and missing the mark and the penalties of guilt and shame.

Interesting conversations happen on the platform. Jesus had a few. The woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, the two contentious brothers with a family inheritance problem, the rich young ruler, Zaccheus, etc etc. There is freedom on the East train to be always receiving GRACE, the life, love and peace and joy of God, and to be giving thanks in all things (Grace=God does it all, salvation, sanctification, prayer etc.).

The positive ads, posters, and announcements on the East train. (There are also cautions)

Romans 8:1…There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ

Romans 8:26… All things work together for good to those who love God

2Corinthians 5:17…New creation… I make all things new

2Corinthians 12:9…My grace sufficient for you…

Hebrews 4:13 … come confidently to the throne of grace…

Ephesians 3:18 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The Temptation

Ephesians 6:18 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the principalities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness. Jesus walked forward steadily into the stony desert. He felt the sweet refreshing presence of Holy Spirit with him. A cascade of love spilled upon him from Father in heaven. He was totally at peace. His Spirit anointed ministry was about to begin and this would be its first great test. Spirit had led him into the desert to fast and pray and to find within his own spirit the empowerment from heaven to withstand the savage onslaught of Lucifer. He was ready, and so was Lucifer. Ten hard days without food had passed in the wilderness, and Jesus' body was growing weaker. Dust blew into his face and made him cough as his throat became parched and dry. He fought gnats and dust which assailed his body during the day, and phantoms of his mind that Lucifer assailed him with at night. He dreaded the strange visitations during the night hours when his mind seemed to pitch and surge through channels of darkness. He would fight off sleep in order to maintain control over his thoughts and connect with the love of his Father. He thought of his cousin, John, who was able to stick it out in the desert, fasting and praying and becoming stronger in faith. He knew he would probably not see his cousin again, not on this earth anyway. He felt terribly lonely and sad, and he felt great pangs of hunger gnawing at his stomach. He slumped to the ground, then a voice, deep and melodious, and yet so hollow rang in his ears. “If you're hungry there's some fresh bread over here.” He looked and saw only stones, and thought to himself he must have imagined what he heard. The voice taunted again. “They look like stones don't they? Well turn them into bread. It's easy. I'll show you how if you can't do it.” Jesus looked up at the spectre, his mind confused. Michael and Gabriel were watching from heaven. Gabriel placed a restraining hand on Michael's arm. “Don't do anything. Father has it all in hand. He trusts Jesus to withstand Lucifer. It is a massive test of faith.” “I know.” Michael glowered. He calmed himself, then he added strongly, “But I have been given charge over him, to protect his life on earth from unlawful acts of evil.” “Yes, but he will be subjected to evil no matter what, and Father knows he can withstand,” said Gabriel with authority. They watched as Jesus stood erect and looked Lucifer full in his face. They watched as pure light and total darkness confronted each other, and they waited to hear what Jesus would say. It was a long moment in time and all of history was caught in the look that passed between them. “There's only one kind of bread that I need in order to stay alive, and it's nothing you can conjure up.” I am strengthened and fed by every word that comes out of Father's mouth, and bread for me is to do what pleases him. Don’t try to tempt me to use supernatural power to feed my own appetites. Just leave!” Lucifer vanished and there remained a swirl of dust where he had stood. Gabriel continued to speak to Michael. “These trials only serve to strengthen him. In his weakness he is trusting totally in Father God to protect and rescue him. He must not rescue himself. All he goes through is so that he can strengthen those who come after him.” “How will that happen?” “It is still a mystery to me,” answered Gabriel, “but I do know that Holy Spirit and Jesus God are experiencing something entirely new together. They are sharing a life together in an earthly body. It has never happened before.” Twenty days had now passed by and Jesus was finding a new kind of inner strength. For some reason the grotesque phantoms of the night had disappeared and the comforting presence of Michael and Gabriel lingered in their place. Sometimes they made music that quietened his soul. At other times it seemed that they had simply created an envelope of peace that surrounded his entire being. He thanked his Father for these very special beings, so powerful yet so gentle. Lucifer was furious. Archons and Prince Powers shouted along with him and fuelled his outrage. Lucifer had, throughout time appointed Archons, who were the archangels of darkness, Prince Powers, who had influence over all the significant cities on the earth, and spiritual powers that relentlessly pummeled the human spirits of mankind. These beings would feed off the way of life, the ethos of that region. They would ingest the corruption, the hatred and malice, the greed and the power, the religion and idolatry, the indulgence and lust, and they would amplify it back into the culture. This way Lucifer fed himself into and leeched from every power base in the world. This is why Lucifer called himself the ‘god of this world.’ Chief Archon stood and addressed the gathering. “I have a strategy master.” Lucifer looked at him, impressed and interested. “Speak on, let me hear it.” “There are rules of engagement - and he can be trapped.” “Go on,” said Lucifer, liking the idea. “Well, if Jesus were to try to use angelic powers for his own personal empowerment, and not for their assigned mission, then it would be an unlawful act. He would be acting independently from his Father and be acting in self interest like any other mortal. This could bring his demise.” “What do you suggest?” from Lucifer. “Make him demonstrate the protective power of his angels who don't appear to want to leave him alone at present. Push him into showing off their power beyond the legal limits. An empty display like that will dishonor him for all time.” “Excellent strategy,” clapped Lucifer. “You can even quote a Scripture,” said Chief Archon, almost bursting with pride. “That always works, said Lucifer. “Which one?” “It's in Psalms, you would know it, about angels being given charge over him, and lifting him up, lest he dash his precious foot upon a stone.” “Yes I know it. Good, that’s excellent work. Now you just watch this.” There was a place in the side of a high mountain that Jesus would retreat to at night to shelter away from the wind. It was not quite a cave, more like a space underneath an overhanging rock with soft earth and some low- growing vegetation along the front. He stretched himself out there and was preparing to sleep, his eyes closed. He found himself suddenly jerked to his feet as though being lifted by some kind of harness under his arms and around his chest. For a fleeting moment he thought this was an hallucination, or he was dreaming a dark dream again. It was neither. He was being physically lifted into the air out of the cavern and over the desert. He heard Lucifer's voice again. “Just relax and enjoy the ride.” Jesus was not perturbed. As he looked down he saw that they were heading out of the desert and towards the city, where they alighted at the top of the spire of the great temple. “Aren’t you afraid?” goaded Lucifer insolently. “No,” said Jesus calmly. “Do you think you are safe then?” “I am in Father’s hands, not yours.” “Then if God is your Father throw yourself down to the ground and let's see what he does. Doesn't even Scripture say ‘Angels are looking after you so you don’t even need to worry that you will bruise your foot on a stone’?” Jesus replied. “Scripture also says 'Don’t put God to the test.' I will never call on angels just to save myself. Father can send them whenever if he wishes. I don't have to prove my power to you.” Lucifer knew he had been beaten, and better to bow out of this one and wait for another day. Jesus felt himself being swept through the air again and back to his ledge, where he sat and gave thanks to Father God and Spirit for giving him wisdom. Lucifer called for one of the greater Prince Powers, the one that he had appointed over Jerusalem. “Give me a report on John the baptizer and his talk about preparing the way for a kingdom.” “He speaks about the kingdom of God which Jesus is to establish somehow during his lifetime on earth. He also calls it the kingdom of heaven. The baptizer has also angered Herod, he won’t last long.” “So Jesus wants to rule the world does he?” “I am sure he does,” said The Prince Power. “And who is the god of this world?” “You are my lord. We worship you.” “I know, and so shall he, Jesus will worship me!” he vented angrily. Jesus had now been thirty days in the desert without food and he was famished. He was feeling weak in his body, but there was a distillation of strength in his spirit. He felt ready for anything. Lucifer appeared again at twilight as he was setting himself for prayer and meditation in his grotto halfway up the lofty mountain. “Let's go for another ride to the top of this mountain. The view is much better from there.” And with that Jesus felt himself again being transported through space, upward, to the top of the high peak above his retreat. Jesus breathed peace into himself. It was a supernatural peace that he could breathe into his spirit like breath into his lungs. It was the peace of his Father in heaven and it was always available to him. When they arrived at the mountain top Lucifer sat opposite Jesus and engaged him face to face. “Do you know that I am the god of this world?” shot Lucifer at Jesus. “I know that is a name you are called by.” “Do you know what that means? It means that I hold sway over kingdoms. It means that I rule. I influence kings and they control people.” Lucifer paused and then went on. “People worship gods.” “I know,” said Jesus. “I am the god of this world, and I hold sway over the kingdoms of this world and so… so if you will bow down and worship me, I will hand over the power and rule of all these kingdoms to you…forever…” There was a dramatic silence. Because of Jesus' humanity and its inherent weakness Jesus could fail at any time and accept the bribe. He could choose, as Adam did, to operate independently from Father, but he chose not to. In standing against Lucifer he was designing the destined victory for the soul of mankind. Part of his mission was to relive the trials of Adam and prove faithful where all other men had failed. “Did you hear me? I said forever! menaced Lucifer. “I heard you.” “And?” “Just leave.” “What?” Incredulously. Jesus muttered the words again without even looking at him. He stood up and looked towards the twilight horizon in its beauty. He turned to Lucifer. “Only The Lord God can be worshiped - There is no other. I will get back without you, I don’t need your transport.” Michael and Gabriel waited for Lucifer to leave then flew in and stood by Jesus on top of the mountain. “Father sent us to take you back.” Jesus slumped to the ground, his body exhausted by his ordeal in the wilderness. The angels swept him up and took him back to his shelter. There he relaxed and felt a surge of energy. He had outlasted Lucifer, a limited being, who is energized by fear, and Jesus had fed him none. Lucifer was utterly spent. Jesus had moved forward into a new spiritual authority. In those forty days he had also moved history forward towards a new authority for the people of God. Jesus became the ultimate spiritual gladiator or swordsman, girded up and ready to overthrow the enemy. In his right hand he wielded the Word of God to cut off the head of deception. In his left hand he used his smothering shield of faith against the menaces of taunts and provocation. He was protected from fear by love, a breastplate of gold covering his heart, and a helmet of truth protecting his mind from disorder. (Philippians 4:6) After his resurrection and ascension Jesus would empower mankind with this same power to overthrow cosmic powers. Those of faith on the earth would stand (Acts 7:55) with Jesus, above these beings and rule over them with a holy and unassailable authority.

Special to God

SPECIAL TO GOD
Jesus began to get used to being followed by crowds. Crowds had become the greater part of his life. They followed him and listened to him when he trod the mountainous areas west of the Galilean Lake Region, sitting out in the sun in their thousands. As he looked out over a vast crowd on one of these occasions, he thought of how it must have been when Moses instructed multitudes of Hebrews just as he was doing, when they wandered in the wilderness. He wanted to give these ordinary lives the dignity and meaning that they had been created for.

“Your lives have great meaning. You are special to God” They listened in silence as his voice drifted out to them. Then the silence was broken by a voice shouting back from the crowd.
“There is nothing in life for us. We don’t feel special to God”

Jesus delivered to them the following words of life and blessing that would overcome the poverty in their hearts.

“You are special to God even when you feel you are worth nothing and have nothing. That is when you can trust your Father in heaven and know that you belong in his kingdom and everything in it belongs to you.
You are special to God when you mourn and suffer loss, because when you look to God in your pain and sorrow you will find comfort like you have never found before.
You are special to God when you can humbly accept who you are and what you have. God has laid up in store for the humble so much more than they ever would have expected.
You are special to God when you get a hunger deep inside of you to know God. This is what fulfils a life. It’s your inside world you need to nourish. Then when you look at the outside world you see God in everything.
You are special to God when you find mercy in your heart to cover the weaknesses of others. It is then that you will experience the abundant mercies of God for your own weaknesses.
You are special to God when your heart is an open book for people to see into. It is then that God lets you see into his own heart.
You are special to God when you are at peace with others and help them to be at peace with one another. God will see you as his special child, a true family member.
You are special to God when you are mistreated for wanting to please God. It is then that you embody his kingdom.”

It struck him at that moment that the people must have been hungry, as they had been sitting and listening to him for a long time. He remembered the miraculous manna bread that fell from the skies every day to feed Israel in the desert. He saw himself as being like that bread, as he was now feeding them the truth about Father and the truth behind the Life Commands, but he realized that they needed bread for their stomachs as well, so he asked the disciples to go and arrange food for the people to eat.

“They should have brought their own. It would cost a fortune to buy food for all these people Master,” replied one of the disciples.
“Do any of them have any food at all?” he asked the others.
“Yes, there’s a boy here who has a meal of a few pieces of fish and a couple of loaves of bread,” one of them replied.
“Give it to me,” said Jesus. He knew that words were not always going to teach the disciples about the great heart of God, and He thanked his Father for showing him what he was going to do. Heaven broke in upon the fish and the bread and it multiplied itself over and over again. There was laughter and tears of joy as young and old picnicked like children and marveled at the wonder of a good God. The people were not only fed but there was plenty of food left over. They felt special to God

As more and more miracles occurred and people were healed Jesus’ reputation grew and spread far and wide. He taught in the small and the large synagogues around the Galilean Lake Region and the areas surrounding Jerusalem.
People flocked to the synagogues and followed him out into the fields to hear this greatest teacher and prophet of their time. Many said that he was The Promised One and that he would set up the kingdom of God on the earth. To the Jews this meant an army with a leader sent from heaven that would overthrow the Roman Empire and free them from its oppression over their lives.
All of this excitement and adulation provoked the temple priests and lawgivers into a rage of jealousy and spite. They were frequently amongst the crowds that followed Jesus, waiting for a chance to discredit him and lead the people away from him. There were numerous confrontations between Jesus and the priests and lawgivers. They would try to trap him with difficult questions regarding the Life Commands but Jesus not only answered their questions with powerful words of wisdom and insight, but he also exposed the wickedness in their hearts. He was not afraid to call them hypocrites and to liken their words and their religion to tombs full of dead bones. What they hated most about him was that he acted as if he was God. He called God ‘My Father’ which no-one had ever done before, and he told the people that their sins were forgiven, and only God could do that. They now made this a fight to the death. They knew they would either have to destroy him, or he was going to destroy their religion.
Even the faithful temple worshipers were confused by Jesus going to eat and drink with all kinds of people at Matthew the tax collector’s Inn, where Matthew exacted tolls upon merchants and travelers coming into Jerusalem. The unrest that all of this caused was not lost upon the leaders of the Roman citizens and the military, who had to keep law and order in the entire region.
Among those that gathered at the inn was a man called Lazarus, a man respected by all, and one whom Jesus came to like and admire as an upright man. On one occasion Lazarus invited the people there to a gathering at his own home, where his two sisters would provide catering and hospitality. Lazarus had been waiting to talk to Jesus, and at the first opportunity, he drew him aside and led off the conversation with a direct and personal challenge.

“Jesus, I have some difficulty in understanding the way you seem to put things in riddles when you talk. I mean no disrespect, but you very often do just what we do not expect, and you do things in a way that other teachers or prophets would not do.”
“Like what?” replied Jesus.
“Well, you do a miracle that glorifies your heavenly Father, and then you tell people not to tell anybody. You have done wonders that would earn you a seat on the Empire senate, like feeding thousands of people with a few scraps of food, which you have done more than once. No one will forget the marriage feast of your cousin’s friend, where they ran out of wine, and you provided more wine for the guests than they had started with. I’ve heard the wine was the best that anyone has ever tasted. These things are unprecedented and yet you don’t take credit for them.”
“Go on” said Jesus.
“You say things like 'Lose your life and you will find it' and other things like that.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes…um…you say we must become as children, in order to enter into the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Why do you say things like that, why do you turn our lives, our world, upside down, and expect us to understand?”
“Yes I know, my friend, but believe me, I am not really turning things upside down. I am turning them the right way up, so that people can find the true meaning of life. If I take glory for the miracles that I do then they lose their true meaning, but when I do them for Father's glory they have an entirely different meaning. What gives meaning to the things that I do is sharing the experience of doing them with Father. He guides me in these things and I trust him totally.”
“I …I think I understand. This is so different to what we have been taught in the temple. I do now believe that my life has real meaning, not that I am anyone special in any way at all, but I feel such a peace about leaving everything in Father’s hands, my family, my work, my health, my very life itself.

Jesus felt a powerful presence of Holy Spirit in the words his friend had spoken
“I know you understand my friend.”

Jesus felt in his heart that God had something very special in store for his friend.

 

Ascension

THE PLAN CHAPTER 22 Revised selection
After Jesus vanished from their sight the two men decided to go back into Jerusalem and find Jesus’ disciples who had been hiding. The disciples were afraid of what was going to happen to them, because of the rumors that were going about that they had stolen Jesus’ body. The two men found the disciples and told them of their journey with Jesus on the road to the hot springs, and their miraculous meal with him where he had suddenly vanished. The disciples were ecstatic and one of them exclaimed,
“So, he is back from the dead!”
While they were all talking, Jesus suddenly appeared, and they panicked, thinking they were seeing a ghost.
“I am not a ghost,” he said jokingly,
“Here, touch my hands and my feet and see for yourselves. A ghost doesn't have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” But their eyes were out on stalks and they shivered with fright. Then he said,
“You can receive my peace right now, and it can abide with you”.
He stretched forth his hands and his peace hit their hearts. He breathed his breath of life, his Spirit, upon them and they received the impartation of his life. They immediately felt at one with Jesus and with each other. But he could still see their bewilderment, and he knew he had to convince them in some ordinary way that he was real and alive again.
“Look, do you have something to eat? Is there any food around here?” James scurried to the fire and brought back some steamed fish, and grabbed some honeycomb from a shelf on his way back, holding the mixed platter out at arm's length as Jesus accepted it and smiled at the peculiar dish he was being served. He ate it with gusto and wiped his mouth. He looked around the room and noticed that Thomas was not amongst them.
“Why didn't you go to Galilee where I said I would meet you?” he asked.
They shuffled about without giving an answer, and Jesus told them he would see them in a few days at Galilee, and he vanished once more.

The disciples gathered at Galilee where they used to gather in the large boat shed that belonged to James and John's fisherman father, where they tended to boat and net repairs. It was situated snugly in a grove overlooking the beach. Peter had been waiting with the others and had then become restless and asked James and John to come fishing with him to get some food for Jesus to eat. While the three were out fishing Jesus suddenly appeared to the others as they sat patiently, waiting for his arrival. When Thomas saw Jesus appear he walked hesitatingly towards him and stopped in front of Him. Jesus knew that Thomas had not believed that he had risen, even after the other disciples had said that they had seen him. Thomas had said that he would not believe until he had personally put his hand into Jesus' side where the lance had been thrust, and into the holes where the nails had pierced.
“Here are the holes where the nails went in, and here is the gash that the spear made, so feel for yourself, so that you’ll believe” he said. Thomas broke down and wept.
“I am sorry my Lord. I believe you are God, and come back from the dead.”
“You have finally seen me and now you believe what you see. But there will be many who will believe without even seeing me and I will bless them greatly for it.” Jesus then put his hand on Thomas's shoulder and comforted him and he disappeared again.

Jesus appeared to them again one morning after they had been out fishing all night and had caught nothing. He stood on the shore and watched them fishing but they didn't realize that it was him. They had taken two boats out, one larger boat, rigged for catching and one auxiliary boat, which helped with baiting and with the haul, if there was one. He shouted out to the fishermen from the shore.
“Haven't you caught anything yet?”
“No!” Peter shouted in a disgruntled voice, at this expert on the seashore. “Cast your nets on the other side,” came back the voice of the man on the seashore.
Peter was about to explode when he heard John cry out from the second boat, which was closer in.
“It’s The Lord.”
“Just do it then!” yelled Peter to the others on the main rig.
So they threw the nets to the other side and began to pull so many fish into the two boats that they could hardly keep either boat afloat. But by this time Peter had plunged into the sea, swimming for all his might to get to his friend on the seashore, leaving the crews on the two boats to work together on the haul. When Peter lurched his way up from the break-water he headed straight for Jesus and collapsed in front of him. He saw that Jesus had already prepared a fire with burning coals and had fish and toasted bread ready for them to eat. He didn't ask Jesus how he got the fish.
Jesus reached down and helped Peter into a sitting position.
“The others are coming, so let’s have breakfast. Go and get some of the fish from your catch. That was a very good catch - well done.”
After they had all enjoyed breakfast together Jesus called Peter aside. He knew there were things that had to be said between them.
“Peter, how strong is your love for me?”
“As strong as life itself my Lord,” answered Peter.
“Is it really that strong?” asked Jesus again. “It is even stronger than that,” said Peter. “Tell me how strong it is,” asked Jesus.
“Lord, this is the third time I have tried to tell you, my love for you is stronger than life and it's stronger than death. It is my very food…It is what you have fed to me.” He stopped.
“Then I want you to feed my people with that same love. Feed them like a shepherd feeds his lambs and his sheep. Protect them and strengthen them with my love. That is the food I give to you for them.”
“I will Lord, I will feed them,” said Peter, and he knelt before him.

Jesus met with hundreds of people over those forty days, but on the final day he gathered with just over a hundred of his disciples and followers, including his mother, at Bethany, where Lazarus and his two sisters lived, and where they had recently celebrated the miracle of Lazarus's return to life. Jesus then took the eleven disciples inside the house of Lazarus to give them some final instructions. He told them to go into Jerusalem and to wait for Holy Spirit’s empowerment. They were to wait in the same room in which he celebrated the Passover feast with them, the night he was taken captive. He spoke to them about the fulfillment of The Plan.. They were to wait in the same room in which he celebrated the Passover feast with them, the night he was taken captive. He spoke to them about the fulfillment of The Plan.

“Father God has always wanted to have sons and daughters to share his love with them - the same way that he shares his love with me. Now at last this can happen. The Lie has tried to block this Plan from the beginning of time by blinding the mind of humanity with darkness. But I have defeated The Lie, and the same power that brought me back to life is the power of Holy Spirit, who will come to you and bring you this same power, the power of the life that I now live.”
“How will it happen?” asked Peter, “and what will this mean for us, and the way we will live?
“He will join your life to my risen life and you will become one in Spirit with me”
Jesus paused then continued.
“When I came into the world I became a body prepared for my Father, to do what He purposed for me. And so you too will be invited to embody my Father and me through Holy Spirit Whom we will send into all the World. Holy Spirit will take of Father’s love, and my words, and empower you to live like I did. You will be as my body in the World, each in your own way, as Holy Spirit displays our shared life from out of your hearts of faith. This will cause the people and the things that happen around you to change, as you yourselves become more and more changed into being more like me.

A dazzling light shone outside the window. Jesus stood up and led them out to the courtyard and the others who were in the house followed them. He turned to them all and raised his hands in blessing. He did not need to say goodbye. As he began to rise slowly heavenwards he was enveloped in a billowing white cloud, and as they stood together looking into the cloud that had taken him they saw the shining figures of Michael and Gabriel standing to one side.

They heard the voice of Gabriel saying,
"This same cloud that you now see taking Jesus God into eternity will also bring him back one day - in total glory and triumph, and The Plan will have been completely fulfilled."

 

Discovering inner harmony

The struggle is between the Spirit and the flesh. Our spirit is designed to be in harmony with God’s Spirit, but our flesh gets drawn into a mindset of separation, which brings conflict. If we see ourselves as vessels containing water (the spirit) and oil (the flesh), the oil sits on top and wants to be the sole (soul) expression of who we are and to organize our independent responses to life in this world. So upsets occur and the flesh ‘i am’ reacts to life in conflict with the movement of the Spirit’s I AM. This up-set is a set-up for us to be aware of the unsettled state we are in, which needs to be settled.

THE OIL is the separation mindset (veil) that interacts with our mind and emotions, causing layers of self protective and competitive reactions we have used to survive our pain and grief and to drive ourselves forward in this life. Through childhood and onwards we accumulate separation junk material by going on our own little marches of protest or making demands for attention - carving out our personal I Am/my way. Our felt ‘I am’ gets provoked relentlessly. Matthew 4:3 If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.

THE WATER is our innocent genesis self that waits to be discovered, in our heart where Christ lives with us by faith – hidden treasure. The ever-vigilant Holy Spirit is always prompting us in this space to enable us to respond to Him in life’s challenges rather thank react to what is happening. Our agitated mind will prefer to analyze and judge and blame whatever it can (including ourselves) and get jammed, bound up, entangled, so we must learn to let go. 2Cor. 10:5 We either choose to bear the imprint of an independent mindset that was first experienced by Adam and Eve, or we choose to bear the imprint of The Holy Spirit 1Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly…

SANCTIFICATION The process of separation occurs by being still and knowing God (IN BOTH structured and incidental time). We can be still and separate into the sanctifying presence eternally residing in our heart.

Hebrews 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through pain and suffering )( Heb 12.2 hostile flesh...) For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one origin, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to take upon himself the sins of all people. For because he himself has suffered when tried and tested, he is able to help those who are also being tried and tested.

Faith enables the well to be always springing up and as we sit in sanctifying presence it forces the painful murky reservoir to rise to the surface to be poured off the top. The imprinting of pain and sorrow is a felt reality, and is erased by the imprinting of Divine love, the greater reality, through The Holy Spirit (sealed). John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.We then begin to realize who we really are.

THE PRESENCE PRAYER – I am now here with you. This is a powerful transaction of Holy Spirit within us who is healing us. We don’t try to control or sedate or suppress the painful feelings because God wants to carry them away. He is de-cluttering the room he wants to occupy.

IT MATTERS – IT DOESN’T MATTER 1Peter 5:7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares (melo – matters) for you. When we know it MATTERS FOR GOD it now DOESN’T MATTER for us – we are free.