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COMING IN LIKE MANNER
ACTS 1: VER. 10 -11. ' AND WHILE THEY LOOKED STEADFASTLY TOWARD HEAVEN AS HE WENT UP, BEHOLD TWO MEN STOOD BY THEM, IN WHITE APPAREL; WHICH ALSO SAID , YE MEN OF GALILEE, WHY STAND YE GAZING UP INTO HEAVEN? THIS SAME JESUS WHICH IS TAKEN FROM YOU INTO HEAVEN, SHALL SO COME IN LIKE MANNER AS YOU HAVE SEEN HIM GO INTO HEAVEN.
Just what is likemanner ? According to scripture likemanner would be one who comes in a flesh body that has been crucified and resurrected, a flesh body which could appear and disappear at will from spirit to natural, and from natural realm back into spirit realm at will, in any body or form he might choose, be it the gardner, a stranger along the way, or in the crucified body of Christ. To be in 'likemanner' one would also speak the same words, have the same scars as he has; having born in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus and come out into His resurrection, having overcome the powers of death, hell, and the grave. Coming in 'likemanner' is one coming into the same image as Christ, being conformed to His image according to Romans 8; 29. This conformation being the putting on of our house from heaven' according to 2nd. Cor. 5; 1-4. Coming in likemanner is one then, who has been made a joint-heir-partaker of Christ in His death, resurrection. So then, we see that He must come back in flesh that has been crucified, resurrected.
Down through the ages there has been much disputation as to just what ' like manner' meant. But today, as the end-time light of revelation brightens up the spiritual horizon of a new day , our eyes can now behold his coming in like manner as he went away. Not in full-stature 'yet' , but passing from glory to glory , and from image to image as this vile body becomes fashioned like unto his glorious body according to Phil. 3; 21. Passing from conformation to conformation as the same death and resurrection becomes activated in us to bring us into 'like-manner' of the son of God, a many-membered body, a place to lay His Head.
Again the word is putting-on flesh and becoming bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh through a body of people who have learned the reality of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, according to St. John 6; 53-56. Jesus said here that , 'except you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood , you have no life in you. ( ver. 56) He that eateth my flesh and drinks my blood , dwells in me and I in Him. Verses 49-50; your fathers eat bread in the wilderness and died, but this is the bread( which came down from heaven) that a man may eat and never die.
This bread spoken of here is The Living Word which was made flesh. Jesus said His flesh was meat in deed and His blood was drink indeed. When He speaks here of eating this bread He speaks specifically of partaking of His flesh Body. This is not a 'cracker and grape juice' ritual, neither is it just an obedience to the written letter which kills. But it is a literal action taking place in our every day lives as we become joint-heirs and partakers of His death and resurrection . Until one becomes a joint-heir and partaker by becoming dead to sin and alive unto God, ( Romans 6;11.) then he knows nothing of eating that living Bread which a man may eat and not die ( St. John 6; 51.) One must become a ' joint-heir-partaker' of that living Bread, ' which came down from heaven ' Only that bread which 'came down from heaven' is the 'living' bread.
We are now in the sixth day of the ' putting-on of in- corruption'
according to 1st. Cor. 15; 53. This mortal does not 'put-on' immortality in the grave; it only puts it on through Christ Jesus; ' He' is our resurrection This is prototype by the bread in the wilderness on the sixth day, ( Exodus ch 16; please read) Here, a double portion was gathered because on the seventh day no manna was to fall. Likewise in this ending of the sixth day, we are in an overlapse of the seventh day when no manna is falling; that is the Holy Ghost is being contained within the Body of Christ and will no longer be poured out, but will be a well springing up, and a river flowing out from the Body of Christ in the earth. Many went out to gather bread on the seventh day and found none, they were in a famine for the word of God just as the religious world is today. They did not gather the double portion which brought forth In corruption.
. This sixth day of God's creation is coming to its end, bringing the God-image creature of Genesis 1;27/28 into the full-stature of Christ to replenish and subdue the earth. We are about to see major events take place that will stagger the imagination as a third of humanity is brought out into a new dimension and the earth goes through a cleansing and shifting and shaking , a great change is even now beginning as the whole of humanity falls into the Laodicean age of blindness and death, thinking it is rich and has need of nothing , knowing not that it is wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked! (Rev. 3; 17 ) We are witnessing this very thing all around us as the message of the kingdom is being rejected and hated. And His ' like manner' Body stands among them as one they know not! Only'His sheep ' will hear His voice! God has one hundred and forty four thousand on earth this moment who are being prepared to march in the greatest war this world will ever know. They will put on immortality and march through the fire and the floods to rescue the innocent, the weak and the discouraged . God is now bringing this people into the like manner of Christ. This has always been His ultimate purpose. Man in this age of consummation of all things will become immune to death in a day to day process until he is totally changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye; ( 1st. Cor. 15; 52 ) Only the ' joint-heir-partakers ' of the Living Bread will come to this awesome change into His like manner.
Jesus, the living Word which was in the beginning with God , the creative Word , which lives and abides forever is the Bread which came down from heaven. Until one becomes 'weaned' from the principles of the doctrines of Christ , ( Hebrews 6;1 ) and comes out into the perfection of (Ephesians 4; 13.) , and becomes dead to sin and alive unto God, according to (Romans 6. ) , then he knows nothing of partaking of the Bread from heaven. The written letter always points to Calvary, to death. Because it is through death that one finds life. Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood , YE HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU! ( St. John 6; 53.)
Eating this Bread and drinking this Blood is not just a faith, it is an experience, an action, it is a living reality of Christ in you!
" Jesus The Living Word; The Way Into Life"
We must find the way from the written Word over into the living Word which conforms us into the very 'like manner' of Christ to walk in His image. This Living Word is an activated force which only operates within the life of one who is committed in all phases of his life. This 'commitment' must be to the total will of God where God is allowed to intercept our lives at all points, as His will takes dominion over our will and HE creates the situations and circumstances in our life to mold and shape us into a new creature; a creature of His like manner. For this great and awesome operation of God in Christ in us , we have a 'high priest' in the heavens who alone can 'sprinkle the blood' for our cleansing and bring forth the double portion of The Living Bread which only falls on the sixth day! We now, no longer pray for God to pour us out a blessing for we have come to realize that He has already given to us all that He will ever give, and all we will ever need or possibly desire, He has given in the person of Christ!
It is by the knowledge of this that we are satisfied and content in all circumstances and situation , knowing that HE is master of it all and that He is taking away, and adding to in our lives as He sees fit. Our personal will here is committed to His most Holy will and we are set free to move in and out without fear because we know that there is always the supreme power of His will over us to intercept every plan and every deed in our life at any time, in any situation we know He will not allow us to go beyond the boundary He has set for us because we have committed it all to Him in love and obedience. So therefore, if I should move out into an adventure for my natural pleasure or gain I can do so freely with all confidence because my free will has become joined to His will by commitment and He will take away what He pleases, and add what HE pleases. And by my commitment to Him He has full authority in my life. It is also by this commitment that I am covered by the blood and have become dead to sin and alive unto God. And so it is by being bound to Him that I become free from all cares to fly like the eagle, far above all powers and principalities, free to explore the heavens for the first time in my life! Free to live in an atmosphere charged with His presence, looking through spiritual eyes upon the golden fields of pleasures and delights of His glories! And we find that the more we become conformed to His like manner the more we can feel, smell, taste and see the world which was to come, that wonderful world of the Son whom the Father send to restore all things to us which sin had taken away.
Dead To Sin/ Alive Unto God.
In the process of my becoming dead to sin and alive unto God, He becomes my ''High priest ' who has entered into the most holy place for the sprinkling of blood. Sin is no longer imputed unto one who has come under the sprinkling of blood for his cleansing. It is here that we find the ' grace which comes to us at the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ'.( 1st. Peter 1; 13.) Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are 'covered ' ....... blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin ! It is here that God will not lay sin to my charge, I have become dead to sin by the Body of Christ of which I am made a member. God will no longer impute sin to a Body-member because of the blood. Satan can no longer get through to this one who is so committed. God hovers him with a jealous love of protection and is daily conforming such into the image of His Son. With loving hands he molds us like a potter the clay and soon now He will remove the cover from His master-piece and reveal the purchase of Calvary, The Body Of Christ in like manner to its Head!
All it takes to start this awesome process of God's recreation in you, is a full surrender and commitment to God to where it is no longer 'you' but Christ in you as you bear the image of the heavenly as you have born the image of the earthly . ( 1st. Cor. 15; 49 ) Bearing in our'bodies' the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus may be manifested 'in our mortal flesh' (2nd Cor. 4;10 ) The scriptures declare that it is in our bodies that the life of Christ must be manifested. Jesus came in the flesh to ' show us the Father' and after His ascension He came in the Holy Ghost to ' reveal His Son in me '. Jesus came in the Holy Ghost to 'cloth us with our house from heaven'. ( 2nd. Cor. 5; 1-4.). By being clothed upon with my 'house from heaven' I have come into my inheritance of incorruption which is reserved for me in heaven to be revealed in this endtime. (1st. Peter 1; 4.) and put-on immortality according to 1st. Cor. 15; 53/54: This, bringing us into the very 'like manner' of Christ who was received into a cloud out of their sight, as we also shall become, passing in and out among the world as one they know not. Here, we become dead to sin and alive unto God. IT IS WITHIN THE DOUBLE PORTION OF THE SIXTH DAY THAT THE SEED OF INCORRUPTION IS FOUND.
At the end of this sixth day of God's great creation in Christ Jesus, the Holy Ghost will be contained within the Body of Christ and will no longer be poured out; There will be no manna fall on the seventh day, it is a day of rest, a millennium of peace. Here, the spirit has become a fountain springing up and a river flowing out. There is action here, as new life comes forth like the budding of a rose, and fills the whole earth with its fragrance. The wind of the spirit is sweeping through the earth today as the Body-members are coming together from the ut-most parts of the earth. New life is being ' breathed ' into the dry bones of His Body which have been exposed to the heat and the cold of ages passed. And as this wind (spirit) blows over them they are becoming covered with new 'sinew' and new life is being breathed into them just as the prototype found in Ezekiel chapter 37.
Here we find, The Lord moves in and through His many-membered Body in a power we have never yet known. This is the day which the prophet Joel spoke of when God's army shall arise and the earth shall quake, and the heavens shall tremble. A fire goes before this people and consumes everything in its path, leaving complete desolation. ' And before them the land is as the garden of Eden. Today we are nearing ' the mark of highcalling' and entering the great harbor of rest and tranquillity . The sweet fragrance of the Rose of Sharon, and The Lilly of the valley is drifting out among us, enclosing us in a unity of love. It is the land of Eden, where the river of life ever flows, carrying upon its gentle waves spiritual winds of healing and deliverance for the weak and sick among us. The light of The Son is growing more intense, yea, even to seven times brighter, great harbor lights drifting out over the sea of humanity to guide the weary one in from the darkness that is swallowing up the world. Many have drifted so far out from the shore line of His grace and mercy they have lost sight of the harbor lights which once guided them homeward. Their minds have become blanketed with the cares of this world and many have allowed traditional doctrines to blind them to the true light ; ' that light which is the life of every man that comes into the world'. ' In Him was life, and that life was the light of men and the light shines in darkness , but the darkness comprehends it not' ( St. John 1; 4/5.) Even as the great light of this endtime Son grows ever brighter, the darkness grows and man loves the darkness because his deeds are evil and the darkness is like a cloak around him. In Him there is no darkness. The light of The Son is so bright and powerful it searches out the hidden things of the heart and exposes them to the cross where they are laid bare to death. And as joint-heir-partakers, walking in likemanner, (we , the members of His Body) are the light of the world. We must sound the trumpet ' in Zion ' and tell them of their sins. We are to be a city sit on a hill, a candle sit on a lamp stand to give light to the world around us.
Being a light to expose sin will brings us into the very heart of the cross. As joint-heir-partakers of Christ we possess an awesome power of discernment and knowledge which we must allow to operate in its full capacity. We must be like the apostle Peter when he dealt with Annanias and Sapphira: The Son light in Peter broke forth upon the scene and the apostle cried out, Annanias, ‘why hath satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?’ And by the power of judgment invested in the apostle he passed a death sentence on them and they died right there. If the inherent knowledge and wisdom which is bound within the Christ body was allowed to become activated 'in like manner' to its Head it would instantly bring in the wrath of God upon a world that is far more vile and depraved than Sodom!
We become more nauseated day by day as the world we live in becomes more corrupt and vile. Parents abusing their own children, children killing their parents, human beings killing other humans and selling their body organs . Lying and deceit has become a way of life the world over. Millions of unborn babies are killed as 'mothers' seek out places and doctors to murder their unborn . It is getting worse by the hour. As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be; only eight souls were saved out of the world. In proportion to the population of that day and this day there will be 144000 redeemed also by entering into an ark of safety as the wrath of God is poured out. This ark in this last age is the many-membered Body of Christ which is now arising up in like manner. And as the ark of Noah rested on Mt. Ararat, so this ark shall rest on Mt. Zion as prophesied by the prophets and seen by John according to Revelation ch 14. It is here in this scripture that we see a people of 'likemanner' who follow him withersoever He goeth; they have their father's name in their foreheads; they sing a new song which no other can learn; these are the only ones to be ' redeemed from among men' they are the third who are brought through the fire. THEY STAND ON MOUNT ZION WITH THE LORD JESUS, THEIR HEAD. This is the like-manner people who will be hidden away during the coming day of the wrath of God. The sealing of this body of people is found in Rev. ch 7. Here the angels of the four winds are put on hold until these are sealed in their foreheads(knowledge). The wrath of God cannot fall until this body of likemanner to Christ people are sealed by His likeness with the Father's name in their foreheads. They have followed the Lamb 'withersoever' He goeth, even into His death and resurrection. Only a son will receive the Father's name. It will be a son who has been 'grafted' into the true olive vine and is living by the same blood line, one who has born in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus, being baptized into His death according to Romans 6; 3-7. This son, has passed through the spiritual adoption process of bearing his Father's name; having come into the age of maturity of growing into His likeness. It is the 'likemanner' son who bears His Father's name; here the son comes into the full authority of the Father as a joint-heir-partaker. A son who 'bears the Father's name' is the son who comes into his inheritance.
Thus we see in Rev. 14 this son body of many-members stands on Mount Zion with The Head. Many never come into the status of matured sons of likemanner and never come into their inheritance. They stay in the confines of being under tudors and governors, like in the natural, they never reach maturity, they remain in the infant stage of being tudored and governed by another. To come into our inheritance of incorruption spoken of by the apostle Peter in 1st. Peter 1; 4. one must come into the place of adoption of a son.The prodical son never reached maturity to receive his inheritance. It was the son who was,' ever with me ' to whom it was said; ' All that I have is thine'.
And so when we speak of 'likemanner' we are speaking of one who has been made a joint-heir-partaker of Christ in His death and resurrection, a son who has come into his inheritance as joint-heir with Christ. Only 'this' son will bear the dying of the Lord Jesus in his body and arise to the status of a shared authority with Christ to take dominion and power over death, hell and the grave!
' The Winds of Change Are Blowing'
Winds of change are sweeping the earth. Storms such as man has never known are pounding our lands in winds of such forces as we have never before known, floods of destructions are destroying lives, property, vegetation, the forests and farm lands are being destroyed leaving thousands homeless and suffering hunger, with no shelter from the heat or the cold. Millions of acres of forest land is being burned up daily as lightening strikes from the sky and sets the world aflame with its awesome powers of destruction.
Surely we are in the day which the prophets spoke of; a day of famine when the cattle on the hills are moaning in thirst and hunger . These destructive forces of nature are portraying the chaos in the spirit realm as that which can be shaken is shaken, in order to establish that which cannot be shaken. The tares ( religious seeds of deception) , which have been allowed to grow up with the wheat seed, are now being gathered into bundles to be burned as the wheat seed ( sons of God) are being gathered into the barn ( the kingdom).
The many-membered Christ Body is stirring as the breath of life from the four winds ( Ezekiel 37;9) begin to breath into each one the breath of a new life, an everlasting life of incorruption. This Son of Righteousness is about to arise with healing in His wings.(Malachi 4; 2; read whole chapter ). This wind of change is sweeping through the church world in this day when God has called the priests and elders back to an altar of repentance to plead for a nation about to be destroyed by the wrath of Almighty God. ( see Joel 1; 13/14.) A trumpet is sounding in Zion: God's army is about to stand up and march through the land, the earth shall quake and the heavens shall tremble, a fire devours everything in their path and nothing shall escape them. The land before them is as the Garden of Eden; the promise land of Cannan! Joel ch 2.
The meat offering and the drink offering will be taken from the former house of worship as the many-membered Christ Body encloses the Word and becomes the abiding place of the Holy Ghost. And just as it was in the days of Noah, the Dove is making her last journey , she will soon find an earth that is cleansed from sin and death where the waters of judgment have passed away and become a place where she can 'rest her feet' in a flesh that has passed from death to life through a journey with Christ through His death and resurrection. It is a flesh (land) that has been emptied, swept and garnished and clothed with their house from heaven! The Dove shall not return to the old order of Noah's ark, ( the Gentile world ): The Holy Ghost is settling down in her own house, the many-membered Body of Christ. She is no longer a messenger for the 'old order' as was the dove to Noah! She has brought her Body to ' the mark of highcalling' and found a place to rest her weary feet from the long journey of wondering through the wilderness of this world among a people who refused to following her teaching! Excitement is mounting moment by moment as she shuffles in her' nest' to bring forth the last member of His Body, ' The Feet' of Him who is to 'arise ' with healing in His wings!
There is a wild excitement among us today as we feel the flutter of her wings and hear the cooing and comfort of her teaching, coaxing us out from under the bondage of traditions of man that have held us in deceptions for so long. Dear Christian friend, if you are not familiar with what this writer is speaking of in spiritual terms, you need to learn to listen to the spirit and come away from man's teaching into a higher plane where only the Holy Ghost is our teacher. There are sounds coming forth from the spirit which only those who are listening will hear. There is a restless rustling in the spirit which is hovering over the Body of Christ in the earth today. Soon it will break forth in a fury which will touch the whole world in blazing judgment as The Dove finds her resting place and The Lord finds a place to 'lay His Head' ( Head ship of Christ joined to its Body).
No longer will the spirit be poured out, as a famine for the Word comes upon the religious world who did not recognize the Son or believe the record God gave of Him. God has spoken through the prophets of old of this terrible day if destitution, that the people will travel from sea to sea, from north to south, seeking the Word of the Lord and shall not find it. (Amos 8; 11/12) ' And I will send a famine in the land , not for bread, nor for thirst of water, but a longing to hear the Word of the Lord. This is happening before our eyes today as the Laodicean age comes into its fullness. The scriptures say that many went out on the seventh day to gather the bread but there was none to gather. No manna will fall on the seventh day ; Here is the age when the Dove has stopped her wondering and found her rest. The Word now will only be found ' in Zion' and in ' Jerusalem'. In this age we find that God is dwelling in Zion and is no longer scattered among the multitudes, but will only be found in His Holy Mount and just as the power of God followed the ark of covenant when the priests feet, who carried the ark stood in the Jordan waters the waters parted and stood up in a 'heap' and the Hebrews crossed over on dry land. ( Joshua 3; 13; ) So shall it be in this day when the Body of Christ arises to rule and reign; to replenish and subdue the earth according to the first commandment given to man in Genesis ch 1; 27/28.
' MULTIPLY, REPLENISH, AND SUBDUE THE EARTH'
We are about to see the waters of sin and death depart as the 'feet' of His glorious Body again steps out into the chill of the flooded Jordan and gives command to the flood waters of sin and death which cover the whole earth to ' Stand back, let my people go! Every Body-member who is held in bondage of any kind will be liberated at that very instant!
The Body is already receiving revelations and commands from the four winds , the winds of change. Just recently the spirit spoke to me in this manner; " There is a mighty wind just above you, rustling in a spirit of exuberance " Not long afterward at a teaching session while praying for deliverance for someone, I found myself exhaling great gulps of air out, such as would come from some kind of pressure. I had never had this type of experience before in all my fifty years of Christian life. Ezekiel 37; 9..., ' come from the four winds oh breath, and breathe upon these slain that they may live. We are soon to witness a rising up of a people who will come forth in the very 'like manner of Christ' and they will live by the breath of life breathed into them from the four winds.
We are in the day when we must gather a double portion before a famine for the word comes upon us in the age just ahead. This famine was both spiritual and natural. The prophet Joel tells about it in the 1st. ch of the book of Joel. The prophet here tells of a desolate earth , burned and barren, which can no longer feed her masses and is given over to the powers of sin until a new creation ' arises' in like manner, to replenish and subdue the earth according to Genesis 1; 27/28.
All the things which the prophet here speaks of are happening before our very eyes. Millions of acres of forest lands are burning up daily . We read of 20,000 acres burning in one area. This has been happening the world over as lightening sets fire on the earth. The prophet here speaks of the cattle crying and groaning because there is no pasture and the water streams are all dried up.( please read Joel ch 1. ) This bountiful, beautiful and awesome earth which God reserved against fire until the endtime; This magnificent planet which God called His footstool, is coming to a bleak barrenness and desolation just as the prophet said it would. Famine is sweeping the earth, both spiritual and natural because man was made to rule the earth in God-image form, not the selfish, ungodly rulers of this endtime age.
The God-image man is now about to arise in 'like manner' as you saw Him go, in a resurrected body which can appear as a stranger, as a gardener, or as the crucified Christ. This 'like manner' Body can eat fish and walk the dusty roads of humanity just as the risen Christ. This is a new creature, one who has passed through the death and resurrection of Christ , who can live in the spirit realm or in the natural realm, time and space are no barriers because they have ascended into 'heavenly places in Christ' far above all powers and principalities ( Ephesians 1; 19/20.) " By His exceeding power 'to us' which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead' ver. 22/23: HE being the Head over His Body which is the fullness of Him.
This Body of like manner will be nurtured by the ' living Bread which came down from heaven' that a man may eat thereof and not die. When Jesus taught His disciples that He was the Bread of life many of them went back and walked no more with Him. This is a hard-saying they said, who can hear it?
Today, as God begins to open up this mystery of life in Christ as a joint-heir-partaker, again we hear the same doubts and unbelief as many stop their journey and walk no more with Him. By their unbelief, the word has become a stumbling block to them and they fall back into eating the old manna of corruption. As they went out on the seventh day to gather bread they were like the foolish virgins who had no oil in their lamps and the door of the kingdom was closed on them leaving them out in utter darkness with the dying. They pounded on the door and cried out; Lord, Lord, open to us! Have we not prophesied and done many wonderful works in your name? But the Lord said unto them; Depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you!
They had not gathered the double portion on the sixth day and come into immortality; They were still breeding corruption in their bodies and could not enter into that awesome domain behind the closed door of the kingdom! There is only one people who will walk this earth in the exact like manner of Christ ( mortal flesh puts on immortality) , and that is one who is a joint-heir-partaker of the flesh and blood of Christ by following Him withersoever He goeth, and that path is the long dusty road of standing alone, of being mocked and spit upon, of being hated and ridiculed by a cruel world who has no love, who walks in pride and arrogance, in hate and lust, deceived, and deceiving , striking out at the innocent among them. Being a partaker and joint-heir of Jesus Christ means I must walk 'in' His footsteps, all the way! And like a lamb before his shearers, He opened not His mouth!
What does it mean to walk in His like manner? It means that by being 'baptized' into His death I am made a partaker of all His suffering and therefore I am made a joint-heir with Him in the glory of His resurrection. We have come out of the religious system of rituals and ordinances of doing good works and calling ourselves by religious titles and setting up edifices of worship to head and lord over. We have rather become a vagabond in the earth and stand among them as one they know not. We are pressing forward to the mark of highcalling , passing in and out among them , unknown and unheard, and unseen. We are no longer recognized by the world we live in. ' Like a Pelican on the roof top in our loneliness we cry out like a dove for her mate. Psalms 55; 4 / 14 ) ‘ My heart is sore, pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me, fearfulness and trembling has come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me! And I said, ‘ Oh that I had wings like a dove I would fly away and be at rest. Lo, I would wonder off and remain in the wilderness, I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.............’ For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have born it; neither was it one who hated me that magnified himself against me, then I would have hid myself from him! But it was thou, a man of my equal, my guide and my aquaintance! We took sweet counsel together,and walked into the house of God in comp How true these words of the Psalmist David as the spirit of Christ cried out through the tender lips of his boyhood, tending his sheep on the peaceful hills of Judah.
We are hearing here the lonely moan of Calvary which came into its ultimate climax about four thousands years later. Our hearts today are set on Jesus and HE alone can satisfy the loneliness we now suffer in a world of hate and deception. The spiritual nails have been driven, and in the spiritual domain of the soul there is a crimson flow that separates us from our sins and brings us into life eternal in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Spiritual leaders can only teach up to a point where the spirit of revelation takes over and reveals the things which have been hidden for generations to be revealed only in the end time. Man cannot 'reveal' this hidden mystery, it comes to each individual by the teaching of the spirit. Jesus said that when the spirit of truth had come, that he would lead you into all truths; Whatsoever I have said unto you. Many things Jesus said which were never written, which must be revealed in this last day by the Holy- Ghost. To receive this revelation, one must have a fellowship of unity with Christ. All of the written Word has been given to us ; we can claim every promise and apply every instruction. It is an external power which must be applied . But the Living Word ever abides within , growing and manifesting its self in the power of life over death, light over darkness, love over hate. The Living Word is an action of power of the Holy Ghost which operates where ever a life is committed fully to God.
God's people today are starving for the living word, The Bread from heaven. The more one comes to partake of this Bread, the more he comes into the like manner of Christ. The Lord Jesus said that he would come in 'like-manner' as he went away. He went away in flesh which had been crucified, and resurrected. His Body must come into this like-manner before the Lord will return as Head of His Body. Jesus once said that the son of man had not where to lay his head. But in this last day there will come forth a many-membered body in like-manner for the place of the Head ship of Christ. It is through this body, in this body and by this body that the Lord will do all things which he has spoken of . This body will grow up into its Head ship and become one with it as it puts-on the like-manner of Christ Jesus, which is an immortal being which shall walk in resurrection power to take authority over sin and death and rule the earth according to Genesis 1; 27-28.
The Lord Jesus will not return until he is joined to his full-statured Body; He must have a place for his Headship! There must be a Body of like-manner to its Head, the Lord will only return in like-manner which is flesh which has passed through his death and resurrection with him! Dear Christian, please know this; whatsoever the Headship of Christ passed through, he will also bring His Body through; and present it in full like-manner to its Head! Jesus Christ will come in like-manner as you seen Him go! So why stand ye gazing upward? That same Jesus shall come in like-manner; not another; it is His Body which He will come in! He purchased this Body at calvary! This is not the feminine body of the mother church! Neither is it the feminine body of the Bride. This is the masculine spirited Body of the Son of God! It is always the masculine spirit which rules! This body is 'jointed' to Him just as your body is jointed to your head. It is not the Bride-body which is joined to Him through vows and covenants and promises. It a body that is 'conformed' and molded into the like manner of the Head; They are made one by the operation of the cross, binding them together in unity of like manner. This is a grafting process we are going through as we are grafted into the true olive tree, Christ Jesus!
Why stand ye gazing upward? THAT SAME JESUS, will come in like-manner. He is not coming through a hole in the sky, praise God! Too many love to place the reality of God far away in an abstract position where they don't have to deal with it! They heap to themselves teachers , who tell them what they want to hear because they cannot face spiritual reality! They hide themselves under carnal laws instituted for the spiritually blind just like the carnal church the apostle Paul spoke of! They love to stand gazing upward because that is all they know how to do! Thank God for a people who know that they must conform to his likeness by having the powers of his death and resurrection activated in their lives! The purpose of Calvary was to bring forth a people of God-image according to Genesis ch 1; ver 27-28 to rule the earth, in like-manner!
This is a Body made up of many-members which shall be able to pass from flesh into spirit and from spirit into flesh as Jesus did after his resurrection. They will be able to appear in whatever body form they choose, as Jesus appeared as the gardener to Mary and as a stranger to the disciples along the way, and then appeared again in the crucified form to Thomas. This many-membered Body of Christ will come into 'like-manner' as it comes through the refiners fire of the now pending tribulation. Just as The Lord after His resurrection, time and space will be no barrier as they pass through their midst unseen and unheard; appearing in whatever form they choose.
This like manner is also prototype by the furnace of fire which is heated seven times hotter than ordinary fire. But notice this prototype; The Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire with not even a hair singed, not even the smell of smoke was on them! They became loosed, and immune to the heat (of seven times hotter). Thus shall this Christ Body become loosed to the spirit world and become immune to the powers of death , hell and the grave, amen!!! Just like Jesus the ascended Head, the Body will arise in like-manner! We cannot ascend until we are crucified and resurrected in Christ; we must come into His likemanner before we ascend into His authoritive powers of life over death! These 'powers' of Christ within are activated in proportion to each other; Death, resurrection; ascension.
Many who are 'gazing upward' looking for the Lord to 'come and get them and take them to a mansion in the sky' will be left outside like the foolish virgins because when the call goes out to 'go ye out to meet him' they will have no light to walk in! While they 'stood gazing upward' their lights have gone out and when they finally started to seek the light their lamps went out and the door to the kingdom was closed. (see Matt. ch 25.)
The prophet Joel saw a vision of this Christ Body and recorded it in the written Word. You will find in the 2nd ch of the book of Joel a portrait of this 'like-manner' people.......a fire goes before them and behind them and nothing shall escape them. Before them the earth will quake, and the heavens shall tremble. The prophet here declares that there has never been a people like this people nor ever shall be again! This is His Body of 'Like-Manner' rising up to meet him in the air,(in the spirit). Only that which has come into 'like-manner' will meet him in the air,(the spirit). HE WILL ONLY COME IN LIKE-MANNER AS YOU HAVE SEEN HIM GO! This will be the most awesome event ever recorded when the Headship of Christ is joined to its many-membered body! This Body will be completely ruled by its head. This body will stand in the 'ful-stature' of Christ which is the fullness of all things.( Ephesians 1; 23 )
The time in which this great Body was to appear in like-manner was a time when the church world was in a state of famine and starvation. It was a time, according to the prophet, that the earth was burning up , the grass and the trees were withering away , and the water streams were all drying up and the cattle were dying in the pastures from thirst and hunger. This condition applies to both the natural and the spiritual realms. God's people today are dying for lack of knowledge as the meat offering and the drink offer are taken from the former house . Please study the third ch of the book of Joel . This book is one of the smallest books in the bible and contains some of the most condensed reading ever written. Within three small chapters the prophet outlined the three endtime phases of the destitution of the church; and the rising up of the many-membered Son-Body; and the great day of restoration. To get a clear picture of what we are speaking of here , one only needs to go into the book of the prophet Joel. Here, you will find outlined in plain simple terms the events which are to happen in this day which is already upon us. We no longer speak of these things in a future-tense because we are even now, living in a day of spiritual famine The formalities and rituals of a passed age which have become null and void , folded up and laid away, and yet they are being re- enacted over and over in ignorance and unbelief. When we see this, we see the situation today just as the prophet said it would be; The meat offering and the drink offering are withdrawn from the house of the Lord.
Just as in a natural birth, the 'feet' are the last part to be born. The 'feet' of this great Body which is to arise in 'like-manner' is spoken of throughout scripture. In fact a book could be written on the 'feet' part of this body of many-members. The body cannot 'stand-up ' until the 'feet' are born. The 'feet' company is the member which supports the whole body. Also, it is the 'feet' which must pass through the refiners fire to be purified on earth ; They must come forth as burned brass. There are many, many prototypes of the 'feet' of this Body which ascends to meet its Head in the air; (in the spirit). This 'Body' shall be born up as on the wings of an eagle. It is the 'feet' which bear it up. One of the most profound prototypes of the feet, is found in St. John ch 13: 1-17. where Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Here he told Peter; You do not know at this time, what I do, but you shall know hereafter. In this prototype we find a very amazing fact ; the whole Body is clean because the 'feet' are washed! It is this last unit of the Body which make up the feet and only the feet are washed; only this endtime member,(the feet ) will be washed and purified by passing through the great fires of tribulation. Flesh, in no age has ever been purified, (outside of Christ Jesus). None of the prophets, apostles, pastors and teachers of the early church were purified in the flesh.. although some came into perfection for that particular age, none ever reach the like-manner of Christ Jesus.
Only the 'feet' need to be purified! It is this endtime member which brings the whole body into the risen life of like-manner. It is the feet which are on the earth; the rest of the body is in the air, up off the earth. In the natural this is true. And also spiritually it is true as the Body-members of Christ in all the former ages, even though they came into the perfection for that age, yet they died and passed on into the spirit realm and will live in spiritual bodies. But this endtime age of the ' feet ' of this Body will be like the natural feet of your body, they are placed upon the earth to bear up the other Body-members. Being therefore so associated with the dust of the earth and being a part which was often washed , 'and most often were washed by another' as a refreshing act of acceptance and humility, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples as a prototype of His future purifying of the feet of The Christ Body. Therefore the ritual of washing the feet is a prototype in effect only until the reality of its purpose comes in; that being the cleansing of the end time ' feet company' of the many-membered Body of Christ. " How beautiful are the ' feet ' the prophet Isaiah said, of them who publish peace. It seems that our lot in this day of the 'feet' is to write and publish our revelations and visions, because being in the likemanner of Christ we are not wanted inside the citadels and tabernacles of the religious elite.
The mother church has labored in birth pangs to deliver her 'man-child' down through the six church ages and now in this endtime hour she is delivering the last member of this mystical Body which is the 'feet'. As we have said before, there could be volumes written about this endtime member which make up the 'feet' of Christ.. The feet are the only member which 'puts-on' immortality, and in corruption and has this vile body changed and fashioned like unto his glorious body. By becoming 'immortal' and 'incorruptible' the feet brings flesh and spirit together into the 'new creature' of neither male or female. Within this 'new-creature' all things become new and behold the old passes away!
His 'feet' in that day, shall stand on Mount Olives. This is where the Lord preached the highest laws ever handed down to man, in the Beatitudes. This law was given only to his disciples ,and that in seclusion. It is on the Mount Olives that His 'feet' are to stand in this endtime age. This means that it is only His 'feet' member that will stand on this most holy law of sonship which the world never did hear. In other words, only the 'feet' will stand on Mount Olives, of the highest law, a law which only the purified flesh of the Son of God could adhere to. The 'feet' member is the only part of the Body which touches the earth, therefore it is only this endtime people who put-on immortality in this flesh and rule the earth . It is the 'heel' of the seed of the women that bruises the head of the serpent. see Genesis 3;15-16. It is the 'heel' that is bruised. By this 'prototype' we see that it is the 'feet' of this mystical Body of Christ which bruises the head of the serpent in the final battle and comes forth with victory . This is the 'seed' of the women, the 'man-child' who is delivered from the mother church who goes forth in a masculine spirit of Sonship to rule the earth. This 'feet' member of His body makes up the people who 'are alive and remain' according to 1st. Thess. ch 4; ver. 15-17.
Those who are 'alive and remain' have passed through the shadow of 'His' death, and come into the resurrected life of 'like-manner' and are the ones who are 'caught up' to meet Him , as the Body is joined to its Head at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Therefore, being a prototype, the washing of feet as an ordinance, was instituted as a ritual to be practiced until the manifestation of what it stood for came in. It was a prototype of this endtime body of people who make up the 'feet' of His Body and it is the 'feet' that must be cleansed by fire, and put -on immortality , and become incorruptible in this flesh which has passed through the death and resurrection of Christ into'like-manner'
In St. John ch 12: ver. 32, Jesus said; ' And if I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me. As the 'feet' of His great mystical Body come forth in birth the Body of Christ will be 'lifted up' and only then. It is the 'feet' which lifts up the body..It is the 'feet' of the Body which supports and carries the rest of the Body. Every part of the body, ( natural, or spiritual ) is 'airborne' only the 'feet' are related to the natural earth! From the top of the head to the ankle, the body is separated from the earth, only the feet are touching the earth. Without the support of the feet the body could not even stand upon this earth. This is one of the most prototypic, and prophetic fact found within scripture. The 'feet' of His majestic Body are made up of this endtime body of people who will be brought through the fire and come out immune to death, hell and the grave: It is this 'feet' company that will bruise the head of satan and conquer death! It is a people of a masculine spirit of the Son of God ! So many today are as the apostle Peter was; they wash each others feet and never know why. Jesus told Peter; you do not know now what I do; but you shall know hereafter. What a great mystery was hid within this ritual!
Millions have practiced this ritual without ever knowing its meaning. These things ,' are hid from the wise and prudent and revealed to babes such as you and I !This great revealing was kept secret until the time for the ' feet' to be manifested.,,We are in a day when the Body of Christ will be lifted up from the earth just as He said it would , in like-manner- the same Jesus! Praise God! It is His 'feet' that will stand on Mount Olive in this last end-time day. This Mount Olive is where He ascended with His disciples and taught them the higher laws of Sonship. And this is where the feet of this Body will stand in this day. Only the body of people who make up the 'feet' will come to full obedience of that law.
That law is to love your enemy, turn the other cheek, walk the second mile, pray for them who dispitefully use you etc.. It is a law of the love of God, a love which surpasses all other affections and human feelings. We find this law in 1st. Cor. 13. It is the law of God's love. This people who make up the feet part of His many-membered Body will stand on this law which is higher than all other laws and can only apply to a committed and consecrated people. We read so much in the old writings about the 'feet' which some we have listed here; All things are put under His 'feet'.....we find this many times throughout scriptures of how all things shall be put under His feet. We know by the scriptures that God will use this endtime Body of Christ to subdue all things unto Himself.
Isa. 60; 13....and I will make the place of my 'feet' glorious. ch 52; 7....., how beautiful are the 'feet' of him that brings good tidings, and publishes peace...........The feet of His Body are coming forth in this hour to lift up the Body and draw all men unto Him after the world has passed through the wrath of God's judgement which is to be poured out upon the wicked. There is a final day of resurrection when those who are classified as the 'wicked' are thrown into the lake of fire which is the second death . Then there are those many who shall be resurrected to be judged according to the deeds done in their body. These will be saved through the righteous judgements of God and brought into perfection. But the first resurrection will not be seen by the world because it is a spiritual resurrection of those who sleep in Christ and the 'twinkling of an eye' change of those who are alive and remain here on earth, the ones whom we have been speaking of , the Christ Body , the Son- Body of those who have been conformed into His image. And we shall be changed, ' in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye' ! We know that we are being changed in a daily process of His working in us, molding and reshaping us. And soon we shall come to a place where in one more moment, as the twinkling of an eye, we shall be changed by His resurrection power into a resurrected body. This many-membered Christ Body will be made up of a people who will remain on this earth in the same form that the Lord was in the forty days he walked the earth after His resurrection. Time and distance will be no barrier to them, they will pass through material matter as if it was not there just like the Lord did. Distance will be covered at will, in a moment. Just as Phillip was caught away and was found in another city, this people who have come into the God-image form will be able to appear any where at any time because they will no longer be bound by time or distance. Just think, God is in the process right now of recreating us in Christ Jesus, He is taking the old sinful nature out and creating a new man in us. This is a work of God that will be for the body , soul and spirit. The scriptures say that He will change our 'vile' bodies and fashion them likeunto his glorious body. This 'mortal' must put-on IMmortality; this body must put-on INcorruption, not through the grave, but through the work of the cross and resurrection powers of Christ in us. We must allow him to work this work out in us and make us ready for the terrible time that is coming up on the world. God has a ' hiding place' for His people. We must allow him to work out his perfect work in our lives by understanding and believing the words he has given us. We must be wise and have a knowledge of what he is doing. He said that his people perished for lack of knowledge. We must seek the truth and seek wisdom. He said that when we seek him with all our hearts we will find Him. This world is coming to an end right before our eyes.
Yet we look for a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. The God image man of Genesis 1; 27/28 shall rule the new earth; 'And He said unto them........, multiply, replenish, and subdue the earth! It will be a God-image man that 'tills the soil' on the new earth, and all the earth will be at rest. This is our hope! AMEN
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