"ON EAGLES’ WINGS MINISTRIES"
“Oneness with God—beyond theory!” March 2015. part 1.
“I and my Father are ONE.” John 10: 30. “What? Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is ONE BODY? For two, saith he, shall be ONE FLESH. But he that is joined unto the Lord IS ONE SPIRIT.” 1st Corinthians 6:16, 17.
“That they all may BE ONE; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be ONE IN US: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17: 21.
Instead of shying away from ONENESS with God, Jesus emphasized it. The scriptures quoted above are well known, and well preached, even by us who read this newsletter. Some of our prominent teachers in Sonship and the Kingdom have constantly taught on them and have written on them over the years. It is my intent to draw your attention much closer to the truth that perhaps, we managed to overlook or have treated lightly. This is somewhat along the line of the “Lost Gospel” that was published December 2014. The entire series will be centered around 1st Corinthians 6: 16, 17.
Back in London, in 1968, the Lord spoke to my heart saying: “When you read the bible, read slowly: and watch every word, because words have meanings.” It is remarkable how a single word used out of context or mistranslated can distort the truth and even send us headlong into gross errors. During this study, I will invite you to observe with me what it really means to be ONE with God; and also the reality between hearing about God, and knowing HIM.” Paul wrote: “For I KNOW whom I have believed.” 2nd Timothy 1:12. He did not simply know about Jesus! One encounter with Christ Jesus, and he was never the same again for the rest of his life.
When we read about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Moses, Paul, Peter, James and John; we are reading about the experiences of people who actually knew God in person, and established a personal relationship with the person of God himself. As an example, let us review Abraham’s experience! “And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time next year. “Look at this closely! “And he (GOD) left off talking with him, and GOD WENT UP from Abraham.” Genesis 17:20-22.
Over time, God made about seven bodily appearances to Abraham in what is called the ophanes. Abraham, in a house prayer meeting, could not turn to Genesis or Exodus to read what some other author wrote about God. Having the ability to turn to the writings of Paul or John, or James, or even Jesus, can be judged as to whether it is a blessing or a liability. Watch this! You get saved and quickly feel a call to the ministry! You are introduced to a bible college or seminary that falls under the umbrella of a prominent religious entity. Your training for the ministry begins in earnest! But from whom do your obtain your lessons? On what basis are your text books written? Or who are the prominent figures of faith that you are going to study?
In bible school you will learn church history: a catalogue of cults and isims, and even how to write a sermon. You will have to memorize a number of bible passages, and describe the attributes of God. Do you want to know what made the Apostle Paul different and most profound? Listen: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:11, 12. There is no substitute for the revelation of Christ.
How about that for religious training? Moses was a fugitive at the backside of the desert, when God got a hold of him and what happened? He went from being a fugitive to become a god. “And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.” Exodus 7:1. It meant that when Moses spoke, it was God speaking: and indeed (If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God.) This brings us back to the subject of ONENESS with God. Does oneness mean one thing in one verse of scripture, and something else in a different verse? Possibly! But there is always unison! So let us prove the point to be sure! In John 17, Jesus prayed that his “Collective Body” should be ONE, even as he and his Father are ONE. But alas! Jesus took it a bit further in terms of the reality that comes from ONENESS.
“And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in ONE; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them (US) as thou hast loved me.” John 17:22, 23. The oneness to which Christ referred is of the same nature, purpose, and relevance as that which he had with the Father. When he said, “I and my Father are ONE” it was meant for us to be engrafted into that same equation of relationship: the same family tree, family traits, characteristics and values; and the same sense of being. The Lord said: “The glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be ONE, even as we are ONE.” It is evident that our Lord held nothing back of what he received of the Father.
We can conclude that Christ knew that if the world is to believe that he was sent by the Father, there had to be a people living and serving as ONE with him and ONE with the Father. But he made it plain that he held nothing back from his disciples (you and I.) Is all of this true? Paul wrote saying the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Christ bodily. Then he went on to say: “And ye are complete IN HIM, which is the head of all principality and power.” Colossians 2: 10, 11. Here is logic and truth!
If the Godhead (all that the Trinity possesses) was in Christ, and now Christ lives in us (the hope of glory—Colossians 1: 27) isn’t the fullness of the Godhead also dwelling in us? Of course! That is why Paul said that we are complete in him! Thank you Jesus! It means that we lack nothing in our standing with God. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” 2nd Peter 1: 3. Was all of Christ’s glory passed on to us? Did he not say plainly that the glory which he received of the Father he has given unto us? It should garb our attention in a new and meaningful way if we consider the fact of what Jesus said.
If his words are true, shouldn’t we take a second or third look at ourselves and how we live to see evidence of the glory of which Jesus spoke? Along with what Jesus said, we must add the words of the Apostle Paul. He made it quite clear that since the Lord himself said “two shall be one flesh” if a man joins himself to a harlot he automatically makes himself a harlot also.
But by the same token: “He that is joined to the Lord is ONE SPIRIT.” Take it slowly here! That ONE SPIRIT means in this union man’s very existence and lifestyle should be fashioned after the SPIRIT that he has become. (In fact, that he always was and is.) Let us take it from the top; starting with the best of us! We teach this truth with gusto and deep conviction. Our listeners should dance and shout because of the good news that we are joined to the Lord and that we are now ONE SPIRIT with God.
But in terms of our lifestyle, taking into account every aspect of our daily existence: do we live in the reality of us being one spirit with the Eternal Spirit God? Is it merely a theory, or is it a reality that we enshrine and is allowed to change every fiber of our being? As I look closer and closer upon these truths, I am convinced that for the most part, we listen and accept truth as it is imparted to us. We even feel goose bumps and chills as the word is preached to us. But don’t we soon return to life as it has been and seems destined to continue for a long time? The time has come for us to apply or appropriate unto ourselves the truth of scripture in practical, actual living terms.
Have you ever pondered this matter? “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. (El Elyon) But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.” Psalm 82: 6, 7. This verse shows quite clearly how one with a high calling from God could squander it for one reason or another. If we read all of these scriptures about us being one with God in agreement with the very prayer of Jesus Christ, yet walk away and live like the prodigal son down by the pig pen, it has no bearing upon the Divine Mind.
Oneness with God is not a new and strange doctrine. God started the process himself by creation man in his own image, and thought it to be a good thing. Not only did he create the first man and called it good: but we are told, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” John 1: 4, 9. Paul on his travels came upon a certain people in Athens who were worshipping an unknown god. Watch very closely how Paul dispelled their vain philosophy.
He announced: “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” Acts 17: 27-29.
This takes us to the closest and most profound aspect of what we are talking about! To be God’s offspring means that we are his next-of-kin. We were produced in the bowels of the Father and came to life by the very Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. I am encouraging all of us to take a closer look at every word we read in the bible. Keep them in their proper perspective and harvest the truths contained therein.
Jesus understood the concept of which we speak: the family relationship between himself and those whom God hath birthed unto himself. The writer of the Hebrews puts it this way: “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of ONE: for which cause (because of this truth) he (Jesus Christ) is not ashamed to call them (us) brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren (Christ is your Savior and also your brother) in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” Hebrews 2: 11, 12. Notice how the theme of oneness between us and God has not diminished or gone awry throughout the bible. The theme stands predominant as a cardinal truth seemingly woven into God’s plan of salvation before time began. But having said all of the above, we are still left to wonder how much will this affect us? Will we be stirred into action with a burning zeal to recover, rekindle, or unearth that realm of spirit to which we rightly belong?
Have we got the propensity to change back from what we seemingly ARE to what in reality we WERE before time began? ?Listen to me carefully! To read and listen to the truth of being ONE SPIRIT with God is one thing. But to walk away to live like ordinary human beings is to deny the power of the Almighty and turn aside that which the precious blood of Jesus Christ has bought for us. James laid before us a classic case of “mistaken identity.” We need to review his epistle, because it seems that we quickly lose our identity amid the worldly turmoil and contrary winds that blow against us.
James wrote: “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” James 1: 22-24. James is saying that forgetting one’s face is actually forgetting one’s true identity: and having done so, one goes off to live his life from a distorted or mistaken identity.
One would think that Jesus had massive conflicts within himself because he was God made flesh. But here is how the Father figured it out on our behalf. “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, (his collective Body) that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” Hebrews 2: 17. “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” Phil.2: 7.
I would like to suggest that one of the most important lessons Jesus taught “by example” is the fact that he lived like any other human being, but was not influenced by its whims and mundane desires. His humanity was not a liability to him. He lived by the Father within and told the people that he is from above, while they are from beneath. I would further suggest that as Jesus lived and worked as the Son of God, his human body was not allowed to hinder his work, or even diminished his power over death. It is clear in scripture that death had no power over Christ even though he got angry, wept, and got tired and hungry as he stopped by a well to rest, while his disciples went to buy food. That is how human he was—just like us—and us like him. We gladly repeat: “As Jesus IS, so are we in this world.” That is true! Can we keep that concept in the realm of the Holy Spirit?
Are we not missing the major spiritual ingredients that made Jesus different from us? We have shown from scripture that we are one with Jesus and he acknowledges that truth. (Heb. 2: 11, 12.) But in actuality, don’t we yield too much to our humanity than to our spiritual being and heritage? ONENESS as a theory is vain and useless to say the least. It stands to reason that to be ONE SPIRIT with God carries more elaborate realities than we’ve been told or experienced.
The reason for this as we can postulate, is that no matter how inspired a sermon might be, we only benefit when we apply the truth in our daily life where the rubber meets the road as the saying goes.
and even sitting in a worship service awash with all NINE GIFTS of the Spirit, and personal words of prophecy being shared, we walk away back into the world that is saturated and dominated by negative vibes and death practices. Let us examine the concept of ONENESS from a practical scriptural point of view. Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath Day, and was quickly accused of breaking the Sabbath to which he replied: “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Now watch for the reactions of those who opposed the Lord. “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him (ignoring their own law—thou shalt not kill) because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” John 5: 14-18. In John 5 the Jews sought to kill Jesus, both for breaking the Sabbath and for making himself equal with God. As we turn to chapter 10, we see Jesus once again in conflict with those who opposed him. “I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Seemingly, these Jews had a good argument in their case: so how did Jesus set the record straight? “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture CANNOT BE BROKEN; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified , and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” John 10:30-36.
People, both the churched and the unchurched are willing to accept “good works” like these Jews: They’ll accept healings, miracles, and other good works that benefit their body. We love your good works and sermons that make us happy with promises of wealth and success any time now, and we will support you. But don’t tell us that you are one with God as ONE SPIRIT! Don’t tell us that you have partaken of the divine nature and that God now lives in you (as he said in 2nd Corinthians 6: 16.)
The general consensus among the people was that this man was born among them; and they watched him working in his father’s carpenter’s shop. Later on, they saw him eating and drinking among publicans and sinners, even with female prostitutes and some taken in adultery. Under such circumstances, how dare him say that God is his Father, making himself equal with God. Many preachers have difficulties preaching our ONENESS WITH GOD. Sure, they read it and pass on to other scriptures. Let us be sure here! Did Jesus verbally teach us to be like his Father? Even as your heavenly Father is holy, so be ye also holy. As your heavenly Father is perfect, so be ye also perfect. Do we need a dictionary to understand what Jesus said? Be holy as God is!
Be perfect as God is: and if it were impossible Jesus would never have pointed that out as conditions that we must attain unto. Put this in the depths of your spirit! Every time Jesus referred to God as his Father, the Jews understood that he must be equal with God, and sought his life. From our present vantage point, it is generally accepted when we pray “Our Father which art in heaven.”
It is quite okay when we begin a prayer on television, at a camp meeting, or even in the halls of Congress, by saying: “Dear heavenly Father to whom all souls belong.” We just called God our Father: obviously that will go un-noticed and unchallenged; but not when we teach our oneness with God as ONE SPIRIT. The truth in oneness with God as a reality should not be extraordinary and hard to accept. After all, it was God, who, in the beginning created man in His image, with the New Testament calling us to be conformed to the image of his Son.
Jesus did not go around telling everyone that he is equal with God. In one place he remarked that it was the Father living in him who’s doing the work. But every time he referred to God as his Father, the Jews picked up stones to stone him in their anger. The idea of father and son relationship was clear to them, and should also be clear to us. Remember that in the temple after healing a man, he simply said that his Father works, (continues to work) so he also works. But by claiming that God is his Father, the Jews knew that if that is the case, he must be equal with God.
So bear in mind that every time you say “Our Father which art in heaven” you are actually declaring the fact that God is your Father, and if that be the case, you must be equal with God. (Created in his image, possessing his breath of life by which we live.) That brings out the truth that he that is joined unto the Lord is ONE SPIRIT. This is not because we demand it! It is not because our ego wants to reach out and grab it! It is so because God has determined it to be so. In fact Jesus put his resurrected seal upon this concept. “But go to my brethren (Jesus called all of us his brethren—brothers) and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and unto my God, and your God.” John 20:17.What Jesus offered as a matter of Divine approval, is that as he Jesus is equal with God, so are we his brethren. He made no distinction between his standing with the Father and our standing also with the Father. He is satisfied to call us “brethren.”
Here is a fact that we will do well never to forget! Although Jesus clothed himself in human form and became as a servant even unto death: he never felt obligated to, or controlled by, the body of flesh into which he was robed. Years ago back home, I used to listen to “The Voice of Prophecy Broadcast” emanating from Pasadena, California under the auspices of the “World Wide Church of God” and I still love their signature tune that says: There is a place of quiet rest, Near to the heart of God, A place where sin cannot molest, Near to the heart of God. O Jesus, blest Redeemer, Sent from the heart of God, Hold us who wait before Thee, Near to the heart of God. There is a place of comfort sweet, Near to the heart of God, A place where we our Savior meet, Near to the heart of God. Have you ever found that place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God? Have you ever felt as it were his very heartbeat? Have you ever felt that God and you together have filled the whole world? As I write this study, even the very fibers of my being seem to rise and have climbed into a higher place that surrounds the very throne of the Almighty.
As we with open face behold this glory of which we speak, we are being changed into that same image by the Holy Spirit from glory to glory. Do not think as men (humans) rather think of the fact that we are the offspring of God, or his very next-of-kin. He continues to look upon his offspring which he knew before time began. Hold on to these truths and become one with them. Leave no place for sickness and death for he has made all things new and John wrote: And there shall be no more death. Rev. 21: 4. This mortal MUST put ON immortality, and this corruptible MUST put on incorruption!
Royce O. Kennedy
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