The Way Forward is The Way Back

The Way Forward is The Way Back Christian greetings to all Bible Believers in the wonderful Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's read the account of Jesus at twelve years of age, when He was taken to Jerusalem by Joseph and Mary for the Passover and Pentecostal Feasts. Luke 2:41-52: "Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the Feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and His mother knew not of it.

But they supposing Him to have been in the company went a day's journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.

And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard Him were amazed: and His mother said unto Him, 'Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing.' And He said unto them, 'How is it that ye sought Me? Knew ye not that I must be about My Father's business?' And they understood not the saying which He spake unto them. And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in stature and in favor with God and man.'"

Did you notice Jesus rebuked Mary? She said that Joseph was His father, denying her own testimony of the virgin birth. But the Word corrected the error. Were Joseph His father, He would have been building doors and windows. God's Business was preaching the Word. A correctable spirit distinguishes God's elect from the nominal church-goer. The elect can receive correction by the Word. That's why we go to church: to receive correction by the Word. It keeps us clean.

Once again we'll concentrate on the foundations of Christian faith for "no man can say that Jesus is LORD except by the revelation of the Holy Ghost" (1Cor 12:3.) We must be truly born again before proceeding to the Seven Seals and Seven Church Ages, which reveal HOW God redeemed his People and by placing the Church in the context of fulfilled history, shows us our part of the Body.

Imagine traveling down a forked road, and after about a thousand years you realize you've taken the wrong turn? Sin means to miss the turn! The ONLY way you'll ever get Home, is to go back to where you made your mistake, and start again. But if you only return part of the way, then try to take a short cut across country, you'll be lost again.

This is the story of the church which was on it's way Home when it took a wrong turn at the First Nicea Council of AD325 and became almost completely lost in the Dark Ages. Realizing their mistake, they turned around and attempted to find the Way in Sardis, in Philadelphia and again in Laodicea. But each time they failed to reach the Rapture, BECAUSE they did not go ALL the way back to where they went astray. They only went back as far as Nicea and their Creed. That's where they got lost in the first place. They should have returned to Pentecost and to Christ the Word.

Like Mary and Joseph, the church traveled a long way before realizing it had left Him at Pentecost (Luke 2:41-52.) We'll only find Jesus where we left Him. We must be established in the faith, not religious fables.

Now I want to ask you a fair question. Can Scripture fight Scripture? Does the Bible contradict the Bible? Can there be two doctrines of truth in the Word that say the opposite or oppose the other? NO. It CANNOT be so. Yet how many of God's people have their eyes open to that truth? ALL Scripture is given by God and ALL is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction. If this is so then EVERY VERSE WILL DOVETAIL if given a chance.

We have the Word. We have more Bibles than ever, but are not doing anything about the Word except dividing and hacking it to pieces, taking what we want and leaving out what we don't want. We are not interested in LIVING it, but debating It.

We spend years studying the Bible to serve God, then make a career explaining away its fundamental truths. But when some Christian motor mechanic or minister, who may not know the letter but knows the Author real well, seeks in love to correct the error, he's ridiculed or scorned as an heretic.

We are instructed to show respect to God's servants, and do His prophets no harm. To listen for their conclusion - they could be a Messenger from God (Hebrews 13:1-3.) The attitude of this age is exactly what it was in the days of Christ. People have it all. They know it all. They cannot be taught. If a point of truth from the Word comes up and a man tries to explain his view to one with an opposing view, the listener is not at all listening that he might learn, but is listening only to refute what is being said (John 9:40-41.)

Let's see if that isn't so.

The First Commandment says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" - Exodus 20:3. Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, 'Till heaven and earth change, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled'" - Matthew 5:17-18.

Strange isn't it, how the theologians teach God made a mistake when with His Own finger He wrote, "There is only ONE God," and later compounded the mistake (they imply) by adding `THUS SAITH THE LORD' through Moses His vindicated prophet, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is ONE LORD" (Deut 6:4.)

Tens of Millions of Christians have been tortured and killed for standing on the Authority of God's unchanging Word. Still today the majority of church men teach and believe (?) there is one God but somehow three Lords or three people. But if He is three people, then either we have three gods, or English has lost its meaning. In either case we're pagan.

Let us be mature in our understanding. We're all educated adult men and women, this is not the Dark Ages - or is it? We've seen man split the atom and walk on the moon, but where is our understanding of God's Word? Where is our faith? I fear for too many it's back in the Dark Ages.

No prophet of God ever taught or believed God is a trinity; and the Word of God comes ONLY to a prophet. Prophet Peter said so, and he didn't believe in a trinity (Acts 2; 1Peter 1:21.) God is ONE Person.

Theologians say, "The trinity is the MYSTERY of God, you've got to accept it by faith." Faith is not blind, faith is a CLEAR UNDERSTANDING of the revealed Word of God which clearly states God is ONE. Furthermore the Bible promised that at the end of the Seventh Church Age, BEFORE the Trumpet Angel sounds the Seventh Trump ending the Gentile dispensation - calling Israel to their Atonement, that "the MYSTERY of God should be finished" to perfect the Gentile Bride for the translation. And It was finished, in thre revelation of the Seven Seals (Rev 10:7.)

In whom do we trust for our salvation? The errors of theologians long dead, some backsliden preacher, or God's infallible Word? Who knows what God really means? Who is qualified to interpret His Word? God knows what He's talking about, and God is His Own Interpreter.

God interprets His Own Word by either bringing It to pass like Isaiah 7:14, or sending a prophet and vindicating Him, like Malachi 4:5-6 (Num 12:6; Deut 13:1-5; 18:15-22.)

What if I were to enquire "How does your brother earn his living?" If you were unable to tell me whether he was a butcher, baker, or President of the United States, it would be fair to suggest you don't have a very close relationship with your own brother.

What about our Brother Jesus? Or God our Father? Can you discern whether they are three in one, two of three, or six of one and half-a-dozen of the other? Is God a trinity? If so, who said so? Certainly NOT God's Bible - or any of His prophets. If so WHICH trinity, there is the Roman Catholic trinity, the Orthodox Catholic trinity and the ORIGINAL trinity worshiped since the Flood by EVERY tribe and nation, except the Jews and Moslems, who both worship the One true God - in vain. NOW, since the Seven Seals were revealed and the Mystery of God finished, Christians worship One God in Spirit and in Truth.

We must walk in the Light AS He is IN It, otherwise we are in darkness and NOT under the Blood of Jesus Christ. The Light of Luther, Wesley, or the Pentecostals will NOT remit sin and place you into the Body today. Their day and those parts of the Body are made-up.

Does God know Who He is, or does He need "the church"to correct Him? Today the church also says God was wrong forbidding women to preach and teach. But it is the woman, the church, who is to remain silent and obey her Husband, the Word, in everything. They say He was wrong to insist in modest attire, they turn His Supper into His breakfast or lunch, they disagree with His Baptism, and don't accept foot washing. Where is their confidence in the infallible God? They seem to consider Him rather inept.

Now the messenger God sends to reveal the Book of Revelations at the END of the Church Ages could not be a vindicated prophet and disagree with the teachings of Paul, God's vindicated prophet at the BEGINNING. Paul wrote the New Testament. He said "after the way which they call heresy, so I worship the God of Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, Daniel, etc., believing all things which are written in the Law and in the prophets" (Acts 24:14.) None of these Jewish prophets believed a trinity, neither did Paul.

Jesus Christ was the keystone between the Old and New Testaments. He said, "We Jews know WHAT we worship. God is A (ONE) Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship in faith or understanding" (John 4:22-24.) Search the Scriptures, there is no record of the Jews ever believing more than one God, or a trinity. Jesus said "We Jews know WHAT we worship!" Who's telling the truth? Jesus or today's theologians? Did God lie to Moses who wrote the Old Testament? Like Jesus, Paul, and the Old Testament prophets, Moses did not believe in a trinity.

Clever men WITHOUT an anointing will say, "But the Hebrew word 'ELOHIM' is a plural word. It must therefore mean there are several persons in the Godhead." Not only do they say God requires correction but they would have us to believe that for the past 4,000 years the Hebrews have not understood their own language! Twentieth Century theologians claim they have a better understanding of ancient Hebrew than the Jews of that day. Such arrogance!

"Elohim" is a plural word meaning lord. Were an Israelite viewing a pagan temple he might exclaim, "Look at all the elohim," referring to the many idols or gods. However, speaking of Jehovah, (The Self Existent ONE (1) - not three,) he would say Elohim meaning the ONE (1) Lord God Who is the SUM of all deity.

But these guys don't give up without a debate. Paul said "If they want to be ignorant, let them be ignorant. God is known by revelation, not contention" (1Cor 11:16; 14:38.) Unlike Moses, Jesus, and all other believers, these folk won't settle for two, three even a hundred witnesses. They have to find a loophole, some error in God's Word, to justify their pride, their worldly wisdom and their organizational system AGAINST faith in God's infallible Word... They say, "What about Genesis 1:26? God said, 'Let US make man in OUR likeness, after OUR image' - this surely proves that God is a trinity, or at least two people." BUT the Bible says "THUS SAITH THE LORD, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I Am the LORD that maketh ALL things; that stretcheth forth the heavens ALONE; that spreadeth abroad the earth BY MYSELF" (Isaiah 44:24.) See also Nehemiah 9:6; and John 1:1-3 which speak of only One.)

These guys will hardly accept these three witnesses from the Bible. Though they won't receive It, we'll rehearse the Bible explanation of Genesis 1:26 to explain who the "OUR" and "US" were and are.

Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1-2 teach us that God's thoughts are as eternal as He is. And as a word is a thought expressed, His Word is therefore eternal and will not return to Him without accomplishing what was spoken (Isaiah 55:11.) In John 6:63 Jesus said, "My Word is Spirit..." and John 14:9, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father or Holy Spirit..." So we see the Spirit and the Thought and the Word and the Manifestation of the Word is ALL God in different FORMS as He unfolds or changes Himself from the Eternal Spirit ALONE with His thoughts, through the spoken Word to the Manifestation of His Eternal Thoughts, Which is HIMSELF expressed in a different FORM.

We must understand Jesus was the Son OF the Father, and NOT the Father of the Son. Jesus could not be His own Father any more than you or I can be our own father.

I appreciate how strange it is to hear doctrine so contrary to orthodox denominational teaching, but if you compare it with God's Word you will discover it is pure Orthodox Bible teaching, unadulterated by the thoughts of men. Denominational teaching is unorthodox according to the Bible.

Try to imagine yourself a Jew in the early days of Christianity. Would the Jewish Christians not seem heretical, by worshiping a dead man whom they say was born independently of human male instrumentality; a man who said he was God, whom they claim rose from the dead and ascended bodily into heaven etc. etc. Sounds crazy - UNORTHODOX by Jewish denominational standards!

To the carnal mind this was all nonsense and sin, but those who were truly Spiritual could see It all in God's Word from Genesis to Malachi! So has it been throughout the Gentile dispensation to this day. If we can humble ourselves to the possibility our forefathers might have been in error, and GO BACK th the Bible, I believe God will confirm the truth to our soul.

If the Church Age saints had the faith they would have preached It, and Christ would NOT have needed to be a Mediator. The very fact He was a Mediator PROVES the Church was in error. Until the restoration of that which is perfect, God only required them to walk in all the Light revealed for their age.

Let's stop a minute. IF the Elect Church were preaching THUS SAITH THE LORD these past 2,000 years, they would have been in AGREEMENT with God and have no need of a Mediator. IF we had THUS SAITH THE LORD all this time, NO denominations would have arisen and the churches would all be together in Love. IF the denominations have THUS SAITH THE LORD today (as they claim) - why can't agree on the Word?

The fact is, denominations represent successive historical revivals each based upon progressive revelations of the Word, as God began to restore the faith which was lost when the saints were martyred in the Dark ages. Most Protestant denominations are memorials to glorious moves of God in the distant past, and are analogous with ruins such as Alexandria or Pompei, which bear record of past civilizations but have no relevance today. The Holy Spirit reveals the FUTURE (John 16:13,) we must walk in the Light God is unfolding NOW, we can't serve him through the rear vision mirror!

While on this tangent of error, doesn't the Bible teach ALL denominaions end in total APOSTASY? Doesn't it say their error is based on KNOWLEDGE? Like Eve they're sure their knowledge is right, and can prove by history and the Bible what God has done, BUT they do not know what He is doing NOW? At such a time the denominations become uncorrectable, God "spews them out of His mouth" and calls His Elect out of everyone of them, into the Fullness of the Word. (See also, Genesis 49:10; ICorinthians 13:10; 11Thessalonians 2:1; Rev 3:14-22; 22:11-21)

Returning to Genesis 1:26, we have established the Eternal Spirit IS His Eternal Thoughts. The Manifestation of the Word or Logos is God changing Himself into the Material FORM of His Family - Jesus of Nazareth and the New Testament saints (Revelation 3:14.)

God asked Job, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth, when the morning stars sang together, and ALL the sons of God shouted for Joy when they caught the revelation of their redemption, or were born again" (Job 38:1-7.) Here God is speaking about His great thinking, His FOREKNOWLEDGE of those who would exercise their free moral agency and make the correct decisions which result in regeneration and of course, election.

Because these Elect CHOSE God's will and purpose, they CHOSE the Word. By receiving the Word for THEIR DAY, they became the manifestation of what God had prophesied. Once they caught the revelation of what God was doing in their age, they preferred His will above their own. A life lived by the Word is the Word expressed. It was not their soul or evil manifesting through the fabric of their spirit and flesh, but Christ living in them.

The only way we can receive Eternal Life is by faith or understanding of the Will of God for our day. His Will IS His Word. Only by obedience to the faith we identify with His Word and become the manifestation of His thoughts expressed in our flesh. If we are His foreknowledge and Will coming to pass, we are one with the Word and therefore Eternal with God: His attributes expressed, a part of Him. NOT everyone has Eternal Life, only those who, like Jesus lay aside their own ideas to receive and live His thoughts. Together with Jesus they can say, "I and my Father are one" (That is in agreement by faith.)

God's foreknowledge of His Elect is recorded in a section of the Book of Life known as "The Lamb's Book of Life" which contains the names of the New Testament saints. As God told Job, this record was "written from the foundation of the World" (Revelation 13:8; Job 19: 25-27.)

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are 'the called' or Elect according to His purpose. For those whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son (ie. the manifestation of that part of the Word God was fulfilling in THEIR day), that he might be the firstborn among MANY Brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified" (Romans 8:28-30.)

This brings us back to Genesis 1:26 and explains the "US" and "OUR." It is God and the Logos which comes out of God - the FINISHED THOUGHTS OF HIMSELF in the FORM of His Family. Jesus of Nazareth, is the BEGINNING of the creation of Himself. The glorified New Testament Church, is the CONTINUATION of the same creation.

Before the foundation of the world, God by foreknowledge knew who would be His Elect, who would be saved, and who would be lost. Before they were born He could say, "I love Jacob and I hate Esau" because he knew what each boy would do with the Word (Romans 9.) Therefore God sees the saints ALREADY glorified; that's how He's seen us since the beginning of time.

He revealed the vision at different stages of its fulfillment to Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and John. NOT three persons in God but thousand thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand persons in One God. ALL the New Testament saints IS God in manifested His family. Christ, the new birth in you is the hope of glory.

Jesus said, "I came from God as the Word, revealed His attributes on earth in the Form of a Man, and I go back to Spirit, the Logos (John 1:18; 13:3.) So do all the saints after this time of earthly testing. Whereas Jesus was the Word BEFORE He was made flesh, we are the flesh BECOMING Word as we overcome the Evil One by the Word in us (Matthew 4:1-11.) In the new heavens and new earth the "saved" will worship God throughout eternity in the FORM of Jesus and the New Testament saints, the One Person of God in the Form of the glorified flesh of His Family.

So Mr Sceptic, Mr Unbeliever, Mr Doubter, there is the Bible explanation for Genesis 1:26.

If we just take the trouble to read the following two verses we would see this was not the creation of Adam alone but ALL man. ALL the Elect (and all the "saved") were IN Adam, just as every orange or rose that ever will be was IN the seed which became the original and first plant. Those who were not IN Adam at the beginning were NEVER on the Book of Life from the foundation of the world and are UNSAVEABLE. Adam was the Book of Life.

Christ is the Lamb's Book of Life written before the foundation of the world. Christ is the Logos or Word made flesh to be a kinsman redeemer for Adam's fallen race. The Bride of Christ, or Elect Church was fore known by God and therefore accounted IN Christ on Calvary, IN the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Jesus could say, "My sheep receive My Word because by foreknowledge they were ALWAYS a part of the Word, and they also "came from God and will go back to God."

The natural types the spiritual. Always. After about a hundred years after God had finished forming the animals and bringing them to Adam to name, he realized he was unique. Natural creation was FINISHED yet Adam was alone. So God put him to sleep and took from his side a rib and made Eve. Notice something? Unlike the rest of the animals, woman is NOT original creation but a byproduct from man. Look at Adam, when he was created his wife Eve was IN him. Eve was ALWAYS in Adam. Do you believe the Bible teaches that? Read Genesis 1 and 2, I Corinthians 11, and Ephesians 5.

Christ is the Second Adam and He too was alone. God put Him to sleep - on Calvary - and took from His side the substance from which the Church, the Bride of Christ is made. Not a rib but the Holy Spirit. The Church is not born of flesh and bone but faith in the Word of the hour. Like Eve who was flesh of Adam's flesh and bone of his bone, the Bride of Christ is Word of Christ's Word and Spirit of His Spirit.

When Christ was crucified we were accounted IN Him, judged IN Him, paying the price of sin IN Him. When He was raised, He was raised for our justification, when He ascended on High we were accounted IN Him and are NOW seated in heavenly Places IN Christ Jesus! Makes you want to shout! Read II Corinthians 5; Ephesians 2; Revelation 5:8-14.) There's not one spot of sin associated with the Bride.

By the natural marriage union, Adam and Eve were REUNITED as one. By the Spiritual Marriage Union we call the new birth, Christ and His Bride are reunited as One as Jesus prayed (John 17:20-24.) If we truly are joined together by God, we are one with our Husband the Word and cannot deny one Word - "My sheep receive My Word, a stranger they will not follow. God and the soul that's joined together with God is One Spirit" (John 10:1-5; 1Corinthians 6:17.)

God Bless each of you Bible Believers as you prove these things, whether they be THUS SAITH THE BIBLE, or the thoughts of a man. The hour is late so once again I ask those of you who see these things in the Bible to please share them with others through your computer modem, fax, the mail and in your Bible studies. God bless you true ministers also as you study to prepare "meat in due season" for God's sheep.

Speaking of Israel, Haggai prophesied, "After two days will God revive us; in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall be recognized as a nation, and 144,000 will be born again" (Hosea 6:1-3.) Like Joseph and Mary, it's time for the church to realize we're well into the third day, soon God will turn from the Gentiles unto Israel.

For too long the Church has been WITHOUT Christ. True, they've had a Word or two here and there mixed with their creeds and Christ interceded for their ignorance during the Church Ages when the Book was sealed. But "when that Which is Perfect is come" - the Seals broken, and the Word revealed - "that which is in part shall be done away" (ICorinthian 13:10.) We live in the day in which Christ is calling-out a virgin to His Word and dressing Her with righteousness through faith.

e-mail to: ags@biblebelievers.org.au