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The Beginning
of
The End of All Things
Part 3
#180.05
Eternity Is Set In Every Living Thing
The finite mind of Adam cannot comprehend
such a thought as eternity. Although it is set in the core of his being, the
veil over his mind prevents him from seeing the height, depth, width, and
breadth of that infinite expanse. Even to use these terms of measurement to
describe eternity is an enigma; for height, depth, width, and breadth imply
limits with starting and stopping points, and there are no starting and stopping
points to eternity, nor are there limits. One might as well try to measure God.
How high, deep, wide, and broad do you suppose He would measure to be? Can't be
done, can it?
Therefore, to be more accurate when using
these words in connection with eternity, we could perhaps rephrase the sentence
to read similar to this: "Although eternity is set in the confines of Adam's
being, the veil over his mind prevents him from seeing the heightless,
depthless, widthless, and breadthlessness of that infinite expanse." Try as we
may, even this is a futile attempt in clarifying it; for to say something is
heightless, depthless, widthless, and breadthless would be saying that there is
no height, no depth, no width and no breadth to it, and we know that the
infinite expanse of eternity has all the above, yet without measure.
By now we are wondering how it could be
possible to express in human terms that which has been seen and heard that which
streams from the infinite realm of eternity. Anyone who has had a revelation
from on high will know that it is a great struggle! The fact is, after writing
and mailing each Pathfinder, I never feel that I have adequately sketched the
picture in words that I see and has been painted upon the canvas of my spirit;
but since there are no better ways that I know of to express it, the articles go
out as you receive them, while trusting the spirit of revelation will ignite the
same in you and pierces any veil that may be present. And from the mail
received, we conclude that it is taking place. It is exposing and bringing forth
that eternity which is set in every living thing.
It is no small wonder that the scriptures
of the Bible were muddied by their translators, and they have been muddied,
especially when referring to eternity. Rather than a pure, crystal-clear river
of life flowing from its pages, we see a river of water mixed with the finite
dust of the earth. This mixture, of course, has served very well as cherubim in
keeping the way of the tree of Life. Only by the revelation of the Spirit of
Jesus Christ can we see beyond that dark veil to drink and share the
crystal-clear water flowing out of the Garden of Eden. Even then, it is possible
to mingle our own thoughts with it, yet our goal is always for unmixed,
unlimited, unadulterated, pure understanding and expression of the breadth,
length, depth, and height of all things eternal.
One of the shining lights and vanguards of
God's eternal purpose, the apostle Paul, said something about this:
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is
named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be
strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in
your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to
comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and
height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might
be filled with all the fulness of God." Eph. 3:14-20.
The Amplified has it this way: "For this
reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in
Christ], I bow my knees before the Father {of our Lord Jesus Christ,}
"For Whom every family in heaven and on
earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives
its name].
"May He grant you out of the rich treasury
of His glory to be strengthened {and} reinforced with mighty power in the inner
man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and
personality].
"May Christ through your faith [actually]
dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be
rooted deep in love {and} founded securely on love,
"That you may have the power {and} be
strong to apprehend {and} grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the
experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of
it];
"[That you may really come] to know
[practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far
surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through
all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of
the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God
Himself]!"
These verses speak of the enormity of
Christ's love, and that love is as endless as eternity itself. This love reaches
beyond every boundary and limit in all the universe and draws back into itself
everything that was ever removed from it, and Jesus Christ is the center of it
all! Whatever was in Him in the Beginning and came out of Him, which was all,
will come back to Him in the End. Even if one makes his bed in hell, He is there
and will carry that person back home. There is no place to where he could go and
be forever lost from the one who died for him; for each person has a homing
device planted in him, and when the time is right, the Father will stir that
device by revealing the home he left. It is then that he is drawn back to his
Beginning. Eternity is set in every living thing, and there is a day when our
Lord homes in on that eternal device and like a beacon guides each soul back to
where it once was in Him.
Sometime ago Margit and I spent a couple
of days with our dear friends, Dan and Connie Fraser. They have a piece of
paradise in Arkansas with their log cabin nestled in the cozy woods of the Ozark
mountains. All who have been there know what I mean.
It was a beautiful Sun/Son filled morning as we walked through the forest
beneath a canopy of trees in their front yard. I picked up a freshly-fallen
acorn, and I asked, "What do you see in this acorn, Dan?" He said, "A bunch of
little acorns." "Look deeper and farther, and tell me what you see." "An oak
tree!" he said.
"That is right, but there is more. From
that oak tree thousands of acorns are born and fall into the earth, and should
the conditions be right, each of those fallen acorns produce an oak tree. And in
turn, each of those oak trees brings forth thousands of acorns and thousands
upon thousands of more oak trees. Therefore, in each acorn there is a forest.
However," I continued, "if the conditions remain right for each acorn to
germinate and grow, it would not be too long before every square acre of land on
this continent would be covered with oak trees. From this continent the acorns
would be carried abroad to continue their heritage and production of life on the
other seven continents of the world, and covering them as they did on this one.
"Moreover," I added, "even if only one of
those acorns happen to be carried by a spacecraft to another planet that is
hospitable enough for plant growth, that acorn could bring forth its own oak
tree with the process continuing. And the spread of those trees from this single
acorn could cover that planet, and the acorns from that planet could be carried
to other planets all over the universe, and after a time, every compatible
planet in the whole universe could be covered with oak trees, and to think that
all of it is contained in this one, small, insignificant acorn is
incomprehensible. But let us not stop there; for even though the universe is
filled, there is no end to the universe and all those uncountable acorns still
have eternity set in them and are waiting to be planted, to die, and bring forth
trees of their own."
Dan was impressed with my foresight, or at
least, I would like to believe he was. Nevertheless, that was not the end of the
story. I continued:
"Now that we see that eternity is set in
this acorn, where did it begin? When did it begin?
"We can see that it came from the tree
that overshadows us here in your front yard, and this tree came from an acorn
that grew on, perhaps, that larger tree over there, and that tree, of course
came from another acorn from a tree somewhere in these mountains. And if there
was a way to trace it back, we would see that it continues in reverse as far as
it goes forward. Eventually we would see this acorn upon a tree somewhere in the
Garden of Eden; but even then, we have not plumbed the depths of its origin; for
eternity had its mark set upon it, and before there was ever a man to til the
ground, it was there in the Beginning, the Beginning of Jesus Christ who is
eternal and has no beginning."
I concluded my thought by saying that "God
is love, and Jesus is love manifested. Since God and love are eternal, so is
Jesus Christ, the manifestation of love. Although He is both the Beginning and
the End, there is no beginning or end to Him. Also, as far as we can see into
future of this acorn, which is without end, that is how far we can see in the
past, which is without beginning. Truly, eternity is set in every living thing.
So goes the saga of the little acorn. How can the human mind measure it?"
People, of course, are not acorns; but
like acorns, they have fallen from the tree of eternal Life. They have been
planted into the earth to die, and then to come forth in Christ to live and
produce other trees. That life, however, is locked within their hard shells, and
they will never come forth to be as it was in the Beginning, at least, not until
He who is the Beginning quickens that eternity which is set in them. When Deep
calls unto the deep, and that which lies in the heart of those depths hear the
call, it will come forth and live. I believe Job was speaking of this when he
said:
"For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut
down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not
cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die
in the ground; Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth
boughs like a plant" Job 14:7-9.
It is interesting that the Hebrew word
neta not only means a plant, as it is used in the verse, but it also means
collectively, a plantation (Strong's).
The world has been cut down, and from the
appearance of things, it seems impossible that it will sprout again. Adam was
cut off and his root has waxed old in the earth. His stock as been dead in the
ground for a long time, and it seems that its tender branch will never again
know the warm rays of the sun; but praise God, through the scent of the water of
the word it will bud again, and bring forth like a great plantation!
This is not unlike a forest of oak trees
that grows from a single acorn wherein eternity has been set. For as it is in
the acorn, it is also in the tree of mankind.
There is always a drawing back home of
that which has fallen from the tree of Life. There is an eternal yearning,
pulling, gathering, drawing, dragging of the fragments back together into the
whole. Jesus, He who was lifted up, is the one doing the dragging, as He said He
would. We see an example of this gathering back to Him when He multiplied the
fish and loaves:
"When they were filled, he said unto his
disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." John
6:12. You see, nothings is lost! Every fragment is gathered to Him.
Moreover, we see the ministry of the
elect. They are not set apart to be revered and served, as it is common with the
clergy; but rather, the elect are called to serve the people. They are the
broken bread to the nations. "For we being many are one bread, and one body...."
1 Cor. 10:17. This bread is blessed, broken, and then served so others may eat.
As it was with our Lord, so it is with us. He said, "Yet I am among you as the
One who serves" Luke 22:27, and "...the Son of man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Matt. 20:28. It
is not unusual to see men and women who desire more than anything to be a
minister and to be recognized as such. But their vision of a minister is not one
that serves people as a waiter or waitress, or a bus-boy. They see ministers as
people worthy to be worshiped, and they have missed the target altogether.
It is in the nature of man to thrive on
recognition and honor. He has always felt that anyone who is called to the
ministry is a little more special than most, and is set above those he "serves."
But according to our example, it is not that way. Ministers, as the word
implies, are called to serve others. There is nothing wrong with being a
spiritual under-shepherd to the people, one who always directs them to the chief
Shepherd. Such is a humble calling, a calling that never suggests the minister
is superior to anyone.
It was common for Paul to be abased Phil.
4:12; but it is not unusual for ministers to refuse abasement at all cost.
Rather than to be abased, they will lord it over people as they receive
adulation, praise, and worship from their people. We often see everything except
the pouring out of their lives for others. They may be workaholics putting in
sixteen hours a day seven days a week; but are all those hours of labor for the
people or for themselves? However, let us not misunderstand. Workaholics are not
necessarily lords over people; for countless workaholics are humble servants,
and one's spirit and motive will determine if he is a servant or a mini-lord.
Whether any of us receive praise or blame
for what we say and do should make no difference to our walk; for neither the
praisers nor the blamers called us into service. Our calling was that of our
Lord Jesus. And although we may have a love for the people, it should not be
that love which is the primary factor in serving. It is our love for Him, and
until there is no one anywhere who does not know Him and His love, that burning
desire to serve will remain, and we will never cease from that service until
there is not one man left in hell.
If our service is not undergirded by our
Love for Christ, it will not be long before defeat sets in, and then heartbreak.
If the foundation of our service is born out of zeal, self-aggrandizement,
emotions, sympathy, and/or mere love for the people, failure is inevitable; for
we will be confronted with a great deal of misunderstanding, hatred, and disdain
from many of them. A longtime friend of ours knows firsthand about rejection
from those she loves due to sharing a wonderful truth. She wrote:
Exile
Smiling, unsuspecting, I confessed.
"I believe in the enduring, unending mercy
of God," I said.
They turned on me, with vengeance, these
trusted friends.
They met in groups to plot against me.
Their voices raised into a fevered pitch
Of anger, malice, hatefulness,
Shrieking for my exile;
When it was done, they locked the door
against me and returned
To singing their songs, reading their
verses,
Folding their hands in pious prayers for
the lost,
Content in their conviction.
They had rid Christ's body of the
dangerous, perverse and corrupt filth
Of faith in the enduring, unending mercy
of God.
Patsy Jackson
Although religious people who are void of
the Spirit of Christ and His love are deaf, blind, cold, and heartless, their
institutions serve a purpose as being holding tanks until the time of their
restoration. Until then, it is as the student of religion and historian, Walter
Houston Clark, suggested, saying that religion often acts like a vaccination:
"One goes to church and gets a little something that then protects him or her
against the real thing." Another has said: "One of the main functions of
formalized religion is to protect people against a direct experience of God." We
believe this to be very true, and if the foundation of Patsy's love had been
only for the people, and if her relationship with her Lord was like an
inoculation against Him, she could have easily been cast into the darkness of
despair and ceased her pressing toward the mark of the prized of the high
calling. And with the deep wounds inflicted upon her, it would have been very
easy for her to never again serve people anywhere or at anytime. And we have
seen this happen to people who were rejected by those they loved. However,
Patsy's motivation was and still is her love for God.
As it is for Patsy, no amount of rejection
will stop us from serving our broken bread to hungry people. For that matter,
rejection is a part of our breaking so others may eat, and after the nations are
served this broken bread, there will be a great multiplication of it, twelve
baskets full of God's government over the entire earth.
Every fragment of that multiplying word --
every man, woman, and child -- will be gathered together into the End. Every
broken peace will be joined together with the whole, and the meekness we have
been noticing for sometime will then abound everywhere: "The wolf shall dwell
with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the
young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the
cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the
lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole
of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full
of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there
shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it
shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious." Isa. 11:6-10.
The wonder of it! Eternity having been set
in the tiny acorn of the man called Jesus Christ, waiting to fill the universe
with the plantation of mighty Live-oak trees! My, my, my, my, my! As Terry
Miller would say.
To be continued...
Elwin R. Roach
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