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Till that last
generation when the Headstone (Jesus) rests on His temple (the church),
the anointing of the ministry is to teach the body of Christ to see Jesus
as He really is. This is a quite a difficult task because many of us
including those in ministry have versions of Jesus that are contrary to
His Character and His Word. The Father has all of His plans in His Son and
in His Son's bride, and again many of us have obtained contrary plans. In
reality, we have somewhere along this journey of ours - received a false
version of Who Jesus is (at least in part).
Normally our response
to receiving something false is “not me, but I know many Christians who
has received a false version”. We are always slow to admit when we have
become victims to error. This is similar to “those in the world” that
have been swindled by a con artist; they normally will not report the
crime because they have to admit their gullibility. We do the same; we
have been conned at times. The EVIDENCE of this fact is seen in this; if
we had received only that which was Christ then the product we now display
would possess only His character. Instead we display the product of our
own nature and our own character – this is proof that we have received
that which pertains to another Jesus (at least in part). Therefore the
“knowledge” that we speak of is EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, knowledge you
experience daily that is in Christ.
Lets look at a natural
picture of what I am saying concerning this truth. This is a truth similar
to the “sitting at God’s table” truth. The scriptures are full of
illustrations and pictures that clarify truth, many times the exact same
truth. Therefore to teach you the principles of edifying others in Christ,
God taught us through the picture of seedtime and harvest, through
building a temple and through feeding the human body. One of these
examples is enough to convey the truth but God desires to CLARIFY the
truth, that is - to see it more clearly.
In this book we will
deal with the sin of separating ourselves into different Christian camps,
not the people, the camps themselves. The definition of a camp is a “way
of believing” and it includes – “just about all of us”. In other
words we all normally belong to a camp in the present church, but what God
has allowed is not what God is going to allow.
To give you a “seeing” in this area we will give examples of how the
body of Christ has separated itself.
There are many
depictions (artwork, etc.) of what some think that Jesus looked like, some
of them are such famous paintings that when the name of Jesus is mentioned
we think of the “Jesus of a certain painting”. But the truth is that
we do not know what Jesus looked like. However we do know that He was from
a nation that lived on the Mediterranean Sea. He was not American,
European, Oriental, or African. He may have been darker skinned because of
the climate in the region, and scholars say that He spoke Aramaic. The
point I am making is that all of our beliefs in Christ comprise a
“version of Jesus”. For example, if you do not believe in a literal
hell than “your Jesus” does not look like the “Jesus that sits on
the throne” concerning that area of your life. Therefore the acceptance
of the unscriptural view of a temporal or non-literal hell produces a view
of Jesus that is as inaccurate as the famous paintings of Jesus.
When you accept a
doctrine or teaching then it paints a picture and forms a version of Jesus
that you hold as true. For example I heard the same "self proclaimed
prophet" that I mentioned in chapter 3, teach the people of God about
this scripture: Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light. (KJV) His teaching said that the word for light was not
light as it pertains to weight but instead it was rays of light as from
the sun. As He continued it was a morsel that got swallowed by many
because of his convincing appeal. The problem is that this Greek word
always means light in regards to weight. It is used again in 2
Corinthians 4:17 regarding “light affliction”.
This man was an older man from a camp that calls themselves
“prophetic”. Though this may not be indicative to the camp he preaches
in but it is indicative of how a minister can become deluded in
receiving “another Jesus”. The real Jesus will exchange your heavy
burden for His “light in weight” burden. The false Jesus takes your
heavy burden and gives you mystical rays of light instead. Jesus is Light
but that is not what He gives you in exchange for your heavy burdens.
There are technical mistakes that one makes in such instances, but in this
case it was a painting that portrays a false Jesus. Those that received
what the prophet spoke were transformed into the IMAGE of what he taught.
Maybe minutely changed, but no misrepresentation of Jesus must be preached
from the pulpit as it was on this night. One does not have to look hard to
find examples of this type of misrepresentation but it should not be
preached in a church that we attend.
Spiritually speaking
we have a clear image of Jesus in some of the foundational areas of
doctrine. However we may have a vague view of what Jesus looks like in other
foundational areas of doctrine. This is especially seen when we are young
in the Lord and have but a vague image of Jesus and have yet to have the
canvas of Jesus painted on our heart. This is the problem; we many times
fill this vagueness with a false image of Who Jesus is, normally we do
this because we trusted the version that a minister taught us.
We now see that a
false Christ in the spirit can be illustrated as we see in
the natural – such as inaccurate paintings of Jesus. We
have a version in the natural that is not correct; we also have a version
in the spirit that is not correct. Heresy and deceptions are designed to
take a Jesus that you see vaguely and give Him an appearance. It is an
appearance that does not resemble the Jesus Who sits on the throne. This
is exactly the same point that Jesus taught His disciples when He said
that in the last days there would be many false Christ’s.
Matt
24:24
"For false Christ's and
false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if
possible, even the elect.
In 1979, the first
year I was saved, I read every end-time prophecy book that was available
at the Christian bookstore. After all that reading did I see an accurate
version of Jesus concerning end-time prophecy? No, I filled the vague and
dimly lit version of Jesus that I possessed at the time with a Jesus,
which did not even slightly resemble the true Jesus (That is, in that
particular area). What should I have done? Waited on the Father to reveal
His Son concerning end-time prophecy. Though I may not have a complete
version, it will be accurate to Him Who sits on the throne. Quality not
Quantity! If you are tempted to have it all figured out then you will run
ahead of what the Holy Spirit intends on revealing to you in DUE SEASON.
Receiving man’s speculation and man’s opinion as truth will always
produce a false picture of Christ. Trying to figure out Christ and His
ways apart from the Holy Spirit unveiling Him to you – will always
produce a false version.
We have talked about
sitting at God’s table and eating properly and now we speak of receiving
an image of Jesus that resembles Him Who sits on the throne concerning
doctrinal teachings. The biggest challenge for the church will be in the
doctrine of the plan of the Father concerning the last days. The majority
of the church has received theology handed down from men that did not have
the baptism in the Holy Spirit and whose lives were not reflective of the
image of God. If Jesus does not hold to these doctrines, they will be torn
down and the thoughts of Jesus concerning these matters will be imparted,
in their place. The resistance concerning these false doctrines will be
met with much fire for every prophet that is called to blaze this trail. I
am one called to this task as many others that God is setting aside. Many
are comfortable with the version of Jesus that they have settled down with
over the years - but change is coming. As Amos says, “God will not do
anything unless He reveals it first to His prophets”, it is also the
prophets that bear the burden of imparting this version of Jesus that has
been obscured to the church before they occur. The version of Jesus that
they preach will not be events but of a Person.
Ø
How far off is the
“version” that you hold true?
Ø
If the Lord reveals
Himself to you in a way contrary to the “version of Jesus” you hold,
can you put "your version" to death?
False
Views
To further clarify
this point, all of us have been taught false doctrine concerning Jesus and
His ways, and in immaturity most of us believed that this doctrine was a
true version of Who Jesus is. We then received it and painted a picture of
Who Jesus is in our hearts. We believed in this Jesus and followed this
Jesus. Some of the doctrine we have received in the past was accurate to
Him Who sits on the throne and some of it is inaccurate. As we continue to
grow in the Lord, we are faced with how Jesus “really
looks” - this is part of being spiritually mature. At the time we are
faced with how “He really looks”, we face the dilemma of confessing we
had accepted a false Christ concerning this view – this is where the
pride of man rises up! If we reject the view that is now
presented to us by the Holy Spirit then the result is a dead religion
instead of relationship.
If a deception has run
deep then we will be tempted to continue on the route with the least
amount of confusion. For example if I accepted the doctrine that says,
tha
t the age of apostles, prophets and gifts of the Spirit have pas
sed
away and kept this doctrine for years and taught on it, even built other
doctrines upon it, to now reject this doctrine will appear to disrupt
everything I have ever believed. This is why we must always be clothed
with humility, to always remain in a place where we have a pure heart that
sees God. For our example, we must refuse the lie, the false doctrine, and
the false version, no matter how painful it may be and accept the true
version that “sets us free”. Men that misunderstood the scriptures
taught this particular doctrine. They read 1 Corinthians 13 where it said,
“that these things pass away when the perfect has come”. To them the
perfect is interpreted “scriptures”. Therefore when the scriptures
were given the rest of these gifts were not needed. The problem is the
scriptures are only a signpost that point to Jesus Who is
the Word of God – the signpost is a means to the end. These men that
teach “the passing away of gifts” - exalted the signpost instead of
Jesus Who is the Perfect One. Their lack of knowing Jesus as the Word of
God has built a foundation of scripture with head knowledge apart from
Holy Spirit revelation. Their journey ends at the signpost but our
journey must have scriptures revealed to us and then we “go on”
to EXPERIENCE where the scriptures have directed us. If they had
heard God they would have noticed that the gifts have not passed away and
they can be seen in action in the two witnesses in scriptures found in
Revelation. If the gifts have passed
away then the two witnesses are false prophets.
So why have so many in
the church fallen for obvious error? It is because they are comfortable
with their portrait of how Jesus looks and the resistance to change takes
hunger to know the True Jesus. The exaltation of scriptures above the
Person – The Word of God is not only found in this doctrine but the same
principle is found in almost every denomination and movement on the Earth.
The scriptures are so important, but the purpose is that they point to
Jesus. You have to know scriptures to get to the destination but many
study the signpost and misunderstand the directions or do not travel to
experience the destination. Understanding more of the signpost requires
you to experience a life in Christ. I encourage academic study of
scriptures that proceeds to EXPERIENCING JESUS.
2
Cor 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face,
beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image
from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (NKJ)
Ø
Only by seeing Him as He
is, can we be transformed into His image.
Ø
If we have obtained a
FALSE PICTURE of Who He is, then we shall be transformed into that which
does not represent the true temple of God.
Corporate
View
In the lasts days the
church will view the image of Jesus in truth and glory. The church will be
purged of all false views. The church will be transformed into the SAME
IMAGE that is being BEHELD - by the Holy Spirit. The four writers of the
gospels also obtained this view, however the view differs. Why is this?
Concerning your “accurate view” of Jesus – it is totally unique.
There is not one person that has ever had the exact relationship and view
of Jesus that you do. It is the same Lord yet your view is different
because the personality that God designed you with is also different.
There is none with a CONCLUSIVE VIEW except for God. A billion years from
now you will have not exhausted all there is to know and view in Jesus.
However, there is a complete view that you are destined in this life to
see, and you will choose or reject that view. The good news is - it is
totally unique to anyone else’s view in the body of Christ because you
are totally unique.
The exciting part is
this, I have a certain accurate picture of Jesus, and you have a certain
accurate picture of Jesus. And the entire body of Christ is included in
adding to this picture. Assembled together on that last trumpet blast we
shall all comprise an ENTIRE PICTURE of Jesus, we who are alive in Christ
and also those who are dead in Christ. As we are gathered together in
Christ we also gather together each member’s unveiling of Who Jesus
is… until what is seen is a complete and true reflection of Jesus in the
earth. Therefore the unique views when gathered together will give us a
corporate view.
None of us
individually will have revelation of all that is written in
scripture. Let us say that God has granted one a revelation of a certain
scripture in totality and granted you revelation of a certain scripture,
likewise the Holy Spirit unveils God’s Word throughout the body; the end
shall be a body that has a total revelation of Him Who is Truth. Through
obedience we will be transformed into that same image. Today’s church
has focused on one man’s anointing, one man’s gifting, one man’s
revelation but God has a focus on a corporate man’s anointing and
revelation. The corporate man we speak of is simply a church attached to
the head (Jesus) and sees Him as He is and therefore we have become like
Him. To what degree does your life have to resemble Jesus to be included
in this picture? I do not know, however let us never “go backwards”, and
let us never cause Jesus to become a distant view in our lives. Always
progress in your walk with Jesus and you when you see Him on that day –
you will not be ashamed.
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