ILLUSIONS

A picture is being used in this study to make a visual point to what our beliefs may or may not be. This involves politics, science, and especially religion. Education can certainly be added to the list as well a lot of other beliefs.

The authorities, so called, and definitely their students, assume that everything declared on their side of isle to be true, but a large sum of what rolls down the pike is unstable as this simple illusion. Which, of course, there is a set day when they all will be cast into the deepest sea to never return.

Since most of us are mature adults, and as we look at the example image, we know that there is no movement to it at all. Even though our eyes, or minds, perceive movement, we know there is none. Would to God that all of our illusions were so easily grasped, regardless of how long we have heard and embraced them.

It is natural for the human mind to impress upon one's sight, that is their perceived sight, as it may or not be. Such a sight, of course, are illusions, and it is not uncommon for them to be totally void of reality. After we have received the revelation, knowledge, and experience from on High; we know that those same impressions are far from factual.

Sensible reasoning tells us that the image is as stationary as a rock set in cement. Even so, if you should stare long enough at this rock-solid illusion, it will eventually appear to move as well. Even so, your experience over the years, of course, will not let you believe this lie..

Regardless of how easily it is determined by rational observers that the illustration used herein is an illusion. For that matter, everyone over 3 or 4 years old will know that what they see is not real. This is a classic case of seeing is truly not always believing; yet there are probably half the population of the religious and political world are oblivious to such illusions, and with some it is more that this, they are grandiose delusions.

However, as simple as this should be, illusions are not so easily perceived, especially when it comes to politics and religion. Within the confines of these arenas of illusions and delusions, it is not uncommon for the members of each to embrace every word and suggestion as if those falsehoods are liquid gold flowing from the array of "honest" appearing officials of the government and church hierarchy, not to and and erroneous notions could be seen for what they truly are also.

It is clear as crystal that the subjects of politicians look up to them as if they are some sort of anomalies, that they are special people who know all there is to know about everything; but it is easily seen by at least half of the population that their popularity is mainly due to having access to other people's money and are very good speakers. Please beware, always, that the words they speak are not pure spools of spun gold. There are times, however, when they tell the truth.

As political leaders are commonly idolized, it is much the same with those of religion. It is a no-brainer that those of most religious organizations see their teachers and preachers as anointed vessels from on High who have been called to delve deeply into the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ.

Frankly, if you will take a moment and recall some of those declared and widely accepted doctrines, you will know that some of their news is not what we would call good at all. They are certainly not Godly, and by no means good.

It matters not the reason why the members and students of the organized church systems do not see and embrace the truth – like the squiggly bars on the graphic illusion, their perceptions are still illusions. They are simply things that are wrongly perceived. Even if it is out of raw ignorance due to having never heard the truth, they continue on as illusions. To be reminded of how unreal they are, take another look at the impressive image in first paragraph of out study and consider that this could be more like a bowl of Jello rather than a rock like that of Gibralter or the Cornerstone of the Temple.

There is a plethora of subjects that we have discused over the years; but it would take more time than possible to address them in these short studies.

We have noted in the past that all things were created in the Beginning, and that Beginning was Christ Jesus. Moreover, as all things began in Him, all things had to come out of Him, and everything that came out of Him must eventually find their Ending in Him. It’s a law; namely, the law of circularity. (rf. Colossianps, 1:15-19).

The mass exodus commenced after, Adam, humanity’s federal head, received the deadly fruit from his wife, and as it was with her, said— I will be as God. It was then that the extremes, those things which were born in darkness for the occasion, were sandwiched between the Beginning and the End. David must have known something of that darkness; for in the anguish of his soul he cried out — "...he (the enemy) hath made me to dwell in darkness..." Psalm 143:3.

The apple of God’s eye, like all men born of a woman, was caught for a season between the Light, between the Beginning and the End, and no amount of positive confession could relieve him of that dreadful plight. And it was the same serpent which beguiled Eve that was the root cause of David’s temporary darkness, a darkness which covered the face of his glory and the deep of his soul.

His appointed time of darkness, his tribulation filled occasion, worked its eternal purpose, as it does with every son. This has been common knowledge, but it seems to be fading. I earnestly differ with their views; for tribulations work intricately in our lives. If nothing else, tribulation works patience, but more than that. Tribulation is part of the temporary which serves in preparing us to reign like loving fathers and mothers in the earth. If there is any doubt about it, Paul can dispel it with this:

"...That we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22. The cross is a very necessary part of our lives; for you see, there must be death before there can be a resurrection. Without it, God's ultimate power and authority would cease. Some, however, feel that they have received brand new revelation, saying that the sacrifice of Jesus was unnecessary; but Paul would disagree:

"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor. 1:17-18.

"For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world (such as a wooden cross) to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world (such as a wooden cross) to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world (such as a wooden cross), and things which are despised (such as a wooden cross), hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are." 1 Cor. 1:22-28.

Unfathomable things have been born in God's appointed time of man’s darkness, and despising the cross of Jesus is only one of them. Jesus, of course, despised the shame of the cross, not the cross itself; for it is written of this:

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame... Heb. 12:2.

A couple of those births in darkness appear to be entities of their own, one of good the other of evil. The evil one consisted of those that can transform themselves into “angels of light.” They are not uninvited by any means, but are part of that which helps in paving the road to the manifestion of the sons of God.

Although totally opposed to one-another, the two can be summed up as one; for when either is taught effectively, the other is brought into it. In a sense, they go hand in hand, not at the same time, but one after the other, such as, "And the evening and the morning were the first day." (Two events, one outcome – the Resurrection!

No doubt, we have all seen measures of both; for many spiritual things have come and gone to pass, and according to Jesus, the Kingdom of God has been with us for more than 2000 years.(rf. Matthew 12:28, Mark 1:14-15). When he said, “It is finished.” Much liberty has been taken and used His words amiss. It is clear that He was declaring that His purpose for being lowered into the realm of darkness had been finished. It had come to an end, and His sacrifice was the redemption of mankind, past, present, and future.

With His called and obedient act of the dark cross, He finished His judicial purpose of exonerating and freeing every human soul along with all creation. He left nothing undone. By the highest law among all living, Jesus legally finished what His Father sent Him to do; but all things which were created in Him in the beginning were certainly not finished/finalized materially at that time, and likewise with the manifestation of the sons of God.

We pray that everyone reading this study can see the legal, omnipotent power of that which is yet to be manifested in its fullness and become a reality for all to witness and be a part of. We have not yet seen those of creation released from their groans. Regardless of the claim, we have not seen the redemption of our bodies. However, we can be sure that those temporal services help usher us into it. If we are still suffering infirmities, reproaches, restraints, persecutions, and distresses for Christ’s sake, then we are not finished.

Although the works of God were finished from the foundation of the world,— it is yet to be seen in its express fullness in us or in the world. Not all things are being manifested at this time; for that which is for the occasion is still working that eternal weight of glory in us. Some, of course, shy away from this working which bypasses all processing. I have heard it said that: “Fullness is now a reality. We no longer live in the in part realm, for the fullness of God is in each of us. The in part realm is history. Each one of us is the fullness of God. We do not know in part, for we know as we are known. We possess all that is necessary. There is nothing more to desire nor is there anything lacking.”

It would be nice if the above statements were so; but like green apples, they are not ripe. They have not finished going through the process of growing, and the process of ripening cannot be rushed.

It matters not what we profess and claim. That is not what makes it so. God has not put His immutable plan of the ages under the desires of every man who is a liar. He is still working according to His unwavering purpose, and that purpose will be finished in due time. And that due time will be when the darkness for the occasion is swallowed by the light of Himself!

During the appointed darkness, we may tire of waiting and become frustrated with the impurity of the word ministered today, a word having a mixture of both Adam and Christ. This could cause us to be tempted to declare that there is no mixture, that everything God created in the Beginning is finished, and all we have to do is to realize it. The same would go for the manifestation of the Son’s God, saying it has been with us since Pentecost, and the only thing lacking is our failure to believe it. If this is so, I would have to wonder why our drinking water is not so clear. I would have to ask, what are those specks floating around in the drinking vessels of the Kingdom, and why does it leave a bitter taste in our mouths? Jesus was the manifestation of God's creation waited for, He fulfilled His part as the firstborn, the prototype of which all the sons are fashioned after. I would, therefore, have to ask another question, why are we not seeing the glory in the sons that the people saw in Jesus 2000 years ago? John saw that glory: "And His Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14 — but we haven’t.

The fact is, I am having a hard time beholding His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father in anyone I know today. I see much grace and truth; but I haven’t seen anyone full of grace and truth. A few come close to it; but I don’t see it as being full, and I certainly don’t see it in His corporate body.

The Manifestation of the Sons of God is simply beholding His Glory in the Sons. That is the Manifestation of the Son’s of God, and that pristine glory has not been “beheld,” so there has not been a “manifestation” of the Sons of God as Paul mentioned in Roman’s 8:18-21. Surely His glory, His grace, and His truth have all been seen in a measure since His Spirit was given at Pentecost; but that was not the Manifestation of the Sons of God which the whole creation has been groaning for. And to say that all we have to do is to realize it is nothing but wishful thinking. Such are illusions, which can lead to delusions.

DELUSIONS

Delusions: False beliefs or judgments about reality despite irrefutable evidence to the contrary. Delusions occur especially in religious, political, or mental conditions. Some of the major delusions are those that have to do with what countless ministers have taught over the centuries concerning these falsehoods.

Some of those images of God can be close to what He is, such as saying that His is the God of love, while other teachings go beyond the boundaries of reasoning. They can come from people’s own ideas of what they think God is, should be, or that which is fabricated due to what they have been told by others. When people do not know God in a personal, living way, they can be very easily swayed toward just about any form of beliefs..

If people have been awakened and come into spiritual reality, they will have clear and truthful images of Him. When they hear the voice of the Son of God they will not only see Him as He is, but they will also live as He said they would in John 5:25. They will know more about Him than just having been told what someone embraces. The closer they are to Him the more they will know Him and what His purpose is for them and for the rest of creation. They will also know that He not only can fulfill His purpose, but He will fulfill it! Without such a familiar relationship, their images of Him will be imaginary illusions and can easily develop into delusions which will be as far from reality as daylight is from dark.

Paul mentioned something of their delusions when he wrote: "Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God unto an image made like to corruptible man...." Romans 1:19-23.

Men have built strongholds that 2nd Corinthians 10:4-5 calls imaginations. They believe God to be like themselves, but in their self-imposed humility will attribute to Him greater knowledge and powers. Their image of Him can also be one that is far less than man. For instance, they say that He loves all, is all powerful, and always does what pleases Him; but at the same time, they maintain that He will not save all, or He cannot do so because of man’s so called "free will." Just about everyone who professes Jesus as their savior will say that they would not burn their worst enemies in hell forever, much less their loved ones who might have never measured up to God's standard of righteousness or their church’s tenets of salvation.

If they would not subject their own rebellious or unfortunate children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends to endless punishment; but they believe that God will not only torment them forever; but the same fate supposedly awaits the majority of His others, even if they have never heard of Jesus Christ. This then, tells us, that their love and mercy goes way beyond that of God’s. Not only do they make God in the image of man, but they make Him lower than themselves, so much lower that their image categorizes Him as a diabolical fiend. Think about this! His creation, most of humanity that is in His image and after His likeness shows more love, is more benevolent and merciful than He is. The train of truth does not track on those false rails of irrational thought. They originate in the confines of mens' dark souls; thus, the intellectual creatures of God, form Him in his own inferior image and likeness.

Men take pride in their creations, and it is painful when their masterpieces are threatened or destroyed. Although they do not consciously say, "Let us make God in our likeness and after our image," this is exactly what they do when they project their own image upon Him in the laboratory of their sordid minds. Therein they create Him as one who chooses special people to setup religions that consist of hierarchies, rituals, dogmas, tenets of faith, and programs.

Let us, therefore, dear ones, recognize and forsake the religious, political, and social illusions, especially that which cannot be reasoned with, mainly, those insidious delusions!!!

Elwin R. Roach

Elwin R. Roach

The Pathfinder ✦ PO Box 4004 ✦ Alamogordo, NM 88311-4004

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