Tearing Open the Veil – Wallace Articles

09/04/20

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OPEN

This talk builds on information given in two earlier presentations; so you may wish to familiarize yourself with those before continuing this one. The first message was entitled, “Unity With Christ”; and the second was entitled, “Baptism With Fire”.

What does it mean to have a spiritual nature? To be united with God? This is the question for today. When we’re introduced to the idea that God is in us we struggle, first to accept that He’s really there, then to understand how He can work through us. To hear we have a spiritual self in addition to our regular physical self is confusing; and we wonder what it is, how there can be another being inside us, and how to get in touch with it. Then to be told we have to unite with it and learn to develop new abilities, seems an impossibility. But we must keep trying until we get it.

The words we humans use in all our common languages have been coined to describe things in the world around us. Since our experiences are based in the physical world, the words we use are designed to describe physical objects, conditions, and events. However, on those occasions when we have an interaction with the spiritual world we are at a loss to describe it accurately because we only have physical-based words at our disposal; and most spiritual things just can’t be explained with a limited vocabulary and finite concepts.

Physical-based words used to describe spiritual concepts lead to misconceptions about the spiritual world. The words we use have limitations and lead to wrong ideas. Yet these words are the only thing we have at first; so we’re constrained to use them until our spiritual experiences open our understanding to concepts beyond the physical realm. To put it another way, spiritual things can’t be accurately described; they must be experienced. Only by experiencing the spiritual realm can we begin to comprehend it.

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A: MOSES

We see this struggle illustrated in the life of Moses. Although God restored Moses to a dual-nature, Moses didn’t instantly and automatically know all it entailed — there was a lot he needed to learn before he could make full use of his new abilities. One of the first and most important lessons was a change in attitude. Let’s take a look at the way Moses’ personality developed over time.

It is sometimes difficult to relate to Biblical characters because while reading the stories of their experiences we tend to think of them as merely allegories or parables. Their time, their culture, and their experiences are so far removed from our own that it’s impossible to comprehend the feelings involved, and thus impossible to identify with what’s being explained.

For example, none of us today know what it’s like to live as a slave. Nope, sorry; your jokes about being married don’t count. Nor ones about your boss. Likewise, very few of us have participated in animal sacrifice as a means of obtaining forgiveness from God. Neither have any of us encountered soldiers hacking each other to death with swords and spears. These things are so foreign to our own experiences that we can’t truly relate; at best we can only imagine what they might be like, or look to Hollywood depictions.

Why do I mention these things? Because the Biblical characters we read about had experience with all of these things, and their personality and religious outlook were shaped by them. So when we read the account of God asking Abraham to plunge a knife into the heart of his only son, we cannot know the depth of his struggle. Love for his son versus love for his God. Neither can we comprehend why God would even make such a demand. All we can do is tell ourselves, “Well, there must have been some kind of reason.”

So it is that when we study the life of Moses we find little with which we can relate. For instance, how many of us have been raised as a prince of an important kingdom? Living in a palace with every whim catered to. Or how many of us have lived as a shepherd? Camping in a small tent under the stars as our flock moves from field to field. We just don’t know what it is to be these things. But we must make an effort to understand at least as much as we might.

We also have difficulty keeping in mind the time scales involved. The story of Moses can be read in just a few hours; so it’s hard to remember that it covers a period of 120 years. We read he spent 40 years as prince of Egypt, 40 years a fugitive shepherd, and 40 years as head of the nation of Israel; but these are just numbers. We seldom stop to think that each period could be considered a lifetime. For many people 40 years is all they get.

Can you remember where you were and what you were doing 40 years ago? Do you recall how much you’ve done between then and now? Do you recognize how you’ve changed in this time as a result of what you’ve been through? Now consider again Moses having life periods of this length; and imagine how he’s been affected by each circumstance.

Forty years as a prince of the most powerful nation on Earth. Surely he was indulged and coddled; getting whatever he wanted, every command obeyed, seeing men live or die at his word. Think of the spoiled children you’ve encountered; what were they like? And do you remember the self-assurance you had as a twenty year old who knew it all?

Only after we’ve been beaten down by the harsh realities of life do we begin to doubt our infallibility a little and start tempering our ego. How much hard time would Moses have felt before he was 40? Probably not much, if any. So his belief that he could free a nation of slaves from a nation of oppressors merely by killing one taskmaster is right in line with his pampered personality.

Thus we can almost understand why it took another forty years for him to change from an extreme of pride to an extreme of humility. Consider yourself — how long has it taken you to give up long-held beliefs that you only reluctantly acknowledged were wrong?

Moses’ forty years as a shepherd was a drastic change in status. Going from a palace to a tent; from the most respected position in the nation to the most detested occupation of society; from commanding millions of citizens, soldiers, and slaves, to trying to herd a bunch of stupid animals.

Hence it’s easy to appreciate that by the end of that next forty years he’d grown insecure and self-distrusting. After all, look how much his last big decision had cost him. So when God called him back to leadership, it’s no wonder his response was for God to choose someone else.

Think about what you’d do. Would you like to take on a huge dangerous project at 80 years old? You’re probably just grateful to still be alive, and your only aspiration is to make it to the bathroom in time, then spend the day in your easy chair.

Nevertheless, God wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer and made Moses an offer he couldn’t refuse. Now with God as his business partner, and Moses with a teachable attitude, he begins learning how to balance his extremes and unite them into a properly functioning ‘man of God’. He also begins learning how to use the new powers and abilities God has given him. But this was a process, and it took time. He had to learn to use the power to do miracles, like calling down plagues and parting the sea. But he also had to change his way of thinking — of himself and about God.

When God called Moses to be His spokesman to the Israelites and the Egyptians, Moses was reluctant. At first he tried to talk his way out of it; but God had an answer for every objection. Then, once he finally gave in, he did his best to keep emotionally distanced from the task. He didn’t want to accept responsibility for all that was happening; he wanted to maintain deniability.

For example, regarding the plagues that fell on Egypt, Moses could tell the Egyptians and himself that it was God who did it. And regarding the order for the Israelites to leave Egypt, he could tell them and Pharaoh that it was the command of God, not himself.

Hence it was when the nation of fleeing Israelites found themselves trapped on the shore of the Red Sea with the army of Egypt coming quickly behind them, Moses felt at a loss for what to do. God then used this crisis to help Moses take a step forward in his development as a leader. God told Moses that he, Moses, would have to provide an escape for his people using his own (new) power and spiritual authority. God then told Moses how to do it; but it was left to Moses to carry out. Fortunately, Moses complied and the people were saved.

Then a short time later God pushed Moses to make another step forward in personalizing his responsibility. God told Moses that this group of people were too entrenched in their old customs to be able to accept the new concepts God was presenting; so He suggested that this entire group be destroyed and the two of them could start over with a new group. Whether or not God would really have gone through with this, we’ll never know. But as for using an extreme suggestion to force someone timid into finally making a decision, it certainly worked on Moses.

Moses could have kept thinking, “They’re not my responsibility. If God wants to do that, then He can.” But instead Moses thought, “No! It may be true that these people aren’t the greatest; but at least they’re mine! And I don’t want to see them wiped out. So if God wants to destroy them, then He’ll have to destroy me too!”

This stand by Moses was the result of a shift in his thinking from just carrying out someone else’s orders, to taking that responsibility as his own. From that point on, we see Moses taking command as a true leader. Yes, he continued to consult with God on a daily basis, and typically followed God’s advice; but he knew the final decisions rested with himself.

We see this illustrated in the circumstance when the people needed water and Moses said, “Do I have to get you water from a rock?!” He then proceeded to do just that. Twice! There are many principles to be taken from this event; but the one most relevant to today’s lesson is Moses’ demonstration that he took personal responsibility for the needs of his people.

One final thought regarding the threat by God to destroy the people: God wanted to give a dual-nature to all the Israelites, not just Moses; but they declined out of fear. They had been given an encounter with God at Mt. Sinai. They saw and felt earthshaking supernatural manifestations, and heard directly the voice of God. But instead of accepting what was offered, they rejected it. They were afraid of the One trying to help them advance. As a result God nearly rejected them in return; only Moses’ intervention saved them. God now wants to restore a dual-nature to us today. … How will we respond?

Moses’ spiritual development went through three stages, as illustrated by his three life periods. First, he had the typical religious training that most people have; at least those with any religious interest at all. This is church attendance, following some rules, and making small modifications to your way of thinking. Second, he went through a period of self examination and questioning his standing with God. The result was a profound change in his personality and outlook. Third, he entered an intimate relationship with God where he was fully empowered, and began functioning and thinking as a restored son of God. We too must seek similar development; let’s just hope we can learn faster than Moses did.

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B: BEING SPIRITUAL

What’s it like to have a spiritual nature? To be able to operate in the spiritual realm as well as the physical realm? Let’s get a foundation for our exploration by looking at the lives of those Biblical characters who experienced it. A few described their encounter with the spiritual realm, and a few demonstrated the things they could do with their dual nature.

In the Book of Daniel, chapters 7 – 9, Daniel tells about having dreams and visions which gave prophetic images of the Future. Then in chapters 10 – 12 he tells of encountering Archangels and being told what will happen in the Future.

There are descriptions of great beasts: such as, a winged lion, a great bear, a four-headed winged leopard, and an indescribable beast with many horns. There’s also a description of the Ancient of Days glowing with bright light, streams of fire coming from His throne, and surrounded by millions of angels. Daniel also had a lengthy conversation with the Archangel Gabriel during which he’s given an outline of world events for thousands of years to come.

In the Book of Ezekiel, chapters 1 – 3, Ezekiel tells of encountering God. He describes the wheeled throne God was on, the surrounding beings and creatures, the whirlwind and fire, and the tremendously fearful effect it had on him. But then God strengthened him and the two of them were able to converse; thus God was able to tell Ezekiel many things which would soon come to pass.

Ezekiel too described fearsome creatures, a fiery throne, and the glowing Lord above it. The sight was so tremendous he fell to the ground, and only by being given a special strengthening from the Spirit was he able to converse with God. Then after the encounter was over, he remained overwhelmed to the point of being unable to talk for a week afterward; similar to Daniel’s after-effect.

From the descriptions given by Daniel and Ezekiel we begin to realize how foreign the spiritual realm is to us. Strange beings, unimaginable concepts, and the paralyzing splendor of an all-powerful God. These descriptions serve to make us realize that our present ideas about God are extremely limited.

As we read of the experiences of the Apostles John and Paul, we gain further confirmation that the spiritual realm is far beyond what we normally think. John tells us in the Revelations that he saw and spoke with the Son of God; whom he described as glowing like the sun and a voice like rushing water. The appearance made John fall as if dead, until he was touched and strengthened. He was then taken to Heaven and saw God on His throne. There was lightning and fire, beasts and elders, and myriads of angels. He was then shown future events that would affect all people of the world for the remainder of human time.

Likewise, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12 that he went to Heaven and saw many awesome sights and heard many secret things which he was then forbidden to relate. And although he doesn’t give us a description of Heaven, the spiritual power he had afterwards is regarded as equal to that of Jesus’ Disciples. There are numerous accounts of him doing miracles, and surviving many physical and spiritual attacks. At the end of his ministry he was only able to be captured and killed because he consented to it. He declared for himself that his mission was done and he was ready to rest.

Other Disciples also exhibited miraculous ability due to gaining access to their spiritual self and learning to function in the spiritual realm For example, Peter showed he could heal the sick with just his shadow passing over them (Ac 5:15), and strike people dead with just a word (Ac 5:5&10). Philip too did many miracles and healing (Ac 8:5-8), and was even able to instantly transport from one place to another (Ac 8:39-40).

But though the Apostles and many of their followers had access to supernatural power, most of them didn’t use it to save themselves when put on trial for their lives. They took the position that they’d rather die themselves than use the power wrongly and bring dishonor on God. Thus we read that nearly all the Apostles were martyred, as well as many that followed them.

Even John the Beloved who couldn’t be executed (according to tradition and the writings of Tertullian), accepted imprisonment on Patmos for the remainder of his life. He then used the time to write the Book of Revelations so Christians thereafter could know what to expect from God in the following years.

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C: LIMITS OF PERCEPTION

Again I ask: What’s it like to have a spiritual nature? To help answer this let’s next look at the extent of our physical and psychological perception. One of the first questions a modern scholar asks about the visions and events described in the Bible is, “Are those things literal or symbolic? Reality or analogy?” In other words, do the ‘beasts’ described by Daniel, Ezekiel, and John actually exist in the spiritual realm, or are they merely symbols? If only allegories, why were they identical for each of them? Likewise, their descriptions of God on His throne were identical; so was that also only an emblem of a concept? Or is the description genuine? We should be consistent in our interpretation: either it’s all analogy, or it’s all real. Since we think the description of God is literal, then won’t the Beasts be also?

As we begin to reconsider our idealized concepts of God and open our minds to the attempt to know Him more accurately, perhaps the first thing we must accept is that sometimes God can be terrible.

There are a few among us who can easily acknowledge this idea because they’ve experienced it first hand and know it too well. But most modern Christians consider only the personality of Jesus during the few years He lived on Earth to carry out a given mission; they then think this short revelation encompasses the entirety of God’s nature. I suggest to you that this brief embodiment represented only a small part of what is an infinite and complex Being.

To expand the idea of our limited imagery let me touch another concept. Suppose I said to you God is unfair? What would your reaction be? Are you thinking, “Oh, no! How could he say that?! God is loving and kind. He’s also a God of Justice; so how could He be unfair?” In the Bible God says of Himself that He is unfair, then goes on to explain ‘how’ and ‘why’.

When Adam & Eve were created and given a home in Eden, God gave them a single rule — “Don’t eat from that one tree.” That was it: easy. They were then told — “If you break the rule, you’ll have to die.” OK. Harsh; but explained clearly and simply enough for them to understand what would happen. As you’ve read, Adam & Eve then proceeded to break the rule; and as a result they both are now dead. So far everything is exactly as God said it would be, so there’s nothing unfair about it.

We then learn that Adam & Eve’s guilt was passed on to their children and children’s children. Upon hearing this we start to wonder if maybe the punishment was greater than the crime. But we don’t want to think badly of God, so we content ourselves with thinking the offense must have had greater impact than we see; and we allow that it’s the result of a strict application of justice. We also think that we too deserve to be punished for their crime because now we’ve done sins of our own. This way we can keep thinking God is just.

But at this point God does something we can’t explain away. He sends Jesus to pay our death penalty for us. In no way can this be considered fair. Jesus was accused of something He didn’t do; He was condemned despite being innocent; and He was beaten and put to death without deserving it. There was nothing ‘just’ about this whole affair; yet God stood by and let it happen. It’s not fair to punish the innocent and let the guilty go free: but God did it.

Now that I’ve explained you’re saying, “Well, yeah. In that situation God was unfair; but it was for a good cause.” Yes; from our perspective it was a good thing. Yet from the perspective of the one being punished wrongly, it’s not so good. Now you’re starting to understand what I meant when I said, ‘sometimes God is unfair’. And you can now accept that statement by qualifying it with the addition — ‘depending on your perspective’.

That’s exactly my point: we have a hard time understanding God as He really is because our perspective is limited to only our own point of view. We can’t see objectively.

This then leads to a great dichotomy; one which we have difficulty resolving. We want to love God and think only good things about Him; but there are things we’ve heard, and sometimes experienced, which reveal a very different image from the one we wish to have. So we tend to develop two differing images of Him, then try to deny the less favorable one. Essentially, we like to think of Him in human terms, and as the embodiment of everything good and only good.

Unfortunately there is no way to escape the scarier image because God Himself keeps revealing that part to us when we’re least wanting to see it. If we then try to accept this other side of Him, we’re forced into the concept that He isn’t human. He can be both kind and terrible at the same time. We say we want to know Him better, but do we really? This type of God is a great peril! It’s no wonder so many people fear Him, and even try to escape His presence to save themselves. Think of the Israelites at Mt Sinai. How can one really know a personality that is full of contradiction and danger.

This line of thinking is unpleasant, so we attempt to avoid it. But doing so gets us no closer to truly knowing God. The only thing for it is to brave up, and open ourselves to the thought that there is more to God than we’ve previously considered.

Once we’ve set ourselves to learn what God is truly like, where do we go for answers? Really. Who do we know who has experienced God? There are great men in the Bible we can read about. We can even read about Jesus and all that He did and said to reveal God to us. But what about our questions? None of those stories and lessons get us to the level of relationship with God that Jesus had. Or that the great men and prophets had. Or even that the Disciples had with Jesus. We read the accounts over and over, we listen to sermon after sermon, and yet we never seem to get what they had.

Do we then go to our Church leaders and ask them for answers? Can they give what we seek? Sadly, for most people the answer is ‘no’. Neither theologians nor philosophers can explain God: how can they teach something they’ve never experienced? Even worse, to hide their ignorance they’ve developed doctrine, dogma, and theology. These not only fail to illuminate the darkness, they actually block the true avenues to God.

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D: HOW TO GROW

So what’s the answer then? Where do we go? To God directly? That sounds great: but how is it done?

The pursuit of ‘how’ to know God is what this Ministry is all about. And, yes, we’ve had a significant degree of success. But we by no means have learned all; there is far more to know. So this brings us back to the question — How? How can we know God? How can we receive the fulfilled nature He desires us to have? If you thinks it’s just a matter of following simple steps — 1, 2, 3 — and, “poof”, you’re done; then you’re mistaken.

Growing into spiritual fullness requires the cooperation of God. Thus, ultimately, it will come at the time He has it appointed. Even so, the parable of the “Unjust Judge” (Lk 18:1-8) advises us there is a benefit to be gained by continuously nagging God for what we want. [So take this as a big hint!]

* SEEK GOD DAILY

Although there are no steps to enlightenment and an ‘act of God’ is needed, there are things we can to do be ready and receptive for what He desires to give.

For example, Jesus’ Disciples were told to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the HS; so they gathered in the Upper Room and maintained an attitude of prayer, discussion, and fellowship. Similarly, for us today, our duty is to explore the will of God daily, and to continue our prayers of healing for others so we can maintain our own supply of oil.

With this metaphor I am alluding to the parable of the Delayed Bridegroom (aka The Ten Virgins), as found in Mt 25:1-13. On this point I’d like to elaborate.

The parable describes a situation where a wedding has been planned and guests have been invited. The host has been told the groom is en-route so the guests are gathered and waiting; but then the groom is delayed for some unexplained reason. As the waiting drags on some guests leave and others fall asleep. Finally, around midnight the cry goes up that he’s arriving, and the waiting guests begin filing into the wedding hall. The story then shifts to ten young maidens who hope to attend but each one of their oil lamps has burned out. Five have brought spare oil and so are able to relight their lamps and go into the wedding. The other five do not have extra oil and have to go in search of a place to buy some; then by the time they return, the ceremony has started and they are locked out.

Why do I mention this in relation to our topic today? Do you recall about ten years ago a strong sentiment which pervaded much of Christianity? There was a general feeling of excitement and anticipation that centered on the outpouring of the HS. Seemingly every Christian and every church was talking about the HS and what they believed was about to happen. Even groups which previously had expressed little interest in the subject were suddenly catching the fever. There was a pervasive feeling that the HS was moving, giving extra power to certain people, and preparing to send the Second Pentecost. People were thrilled and tried to learn as much as they could on the subject.

But as time went by and nothing more happened, the furor diminished and interest faded away. During the past ten years people’s attention has been drawn to world events, political and economic situations, and most recently to the pandemic. In fact, the loss of interest in the HS happened so gradually that no one noticed it leaving. It’s only now that I’ve called your attention to the fact, that you realize the former zeal is long gone.

I would even be so bold as to posit this is the case for nearly all Christians. As in the parable, everyone has fallen asleep; at least with regard to the impending arrival of the HS. Many have left the waiting and returned to their old way of worship — an hour once a week, with a minimum of disruption to their familiar and comfortable way of life. The few who are still somewhat hopeful that He might yet come are for the most part sticking to it out of duty. When the call eventually goes out that the HS is coming in fullness, it will be seen if the ‘faithful’ still have enough oil left for the big event.

As I considered these things I asked myself, “If the feeling of urgency for the HS has left, what has replaced it?” The answer was ‘frustration, anger, and fear’. People are frustrated that their hopes are unfulfilled, angry that their economic situation has worsened, and fearful that even their life and future is uncertain. Yet despite these problems they haven’t strengthened their relationship with God and the HS; instead they’ve lost sight of Him and no longer bring Him to mind. So as I mentioned a short while ago, keep working on your relationship daily and keep praying for others so you can maintain your supply of spiritual oil.

* UNDERSTAND GOD, YOURSELF, AND THE RELATIONSHIP

** GOD **

Another way we can be receptive to the impending power of the HS is to work to better understand the true nature of our relationship with God. But in order to understand this relationship we must first know God and know ourselves.

I’ve stated in earlier talks that it’s important to know God better. That most people’s understanding of God is not only incomplete, it’s unconsciously biased. Therefore we must actively strive to move beyond our idealized image and to begin to know Him as He is.

This is difficult to do because we have no source of information that’s dependable; apart from He himself, that is. Church doctrines, religious writings, and age-old customs are not trustworthy for our purpose; because mankind’s ideas of God change over time as our culture evolves. Man’s image of God and of Christ has changed and developed through the centuries according to the religious needs and thinking of each age. That is, we change God into whatever we currently need Him to be at the time. Thus no historical concept is perfectly accurate.

The closest we can get to a true picture is to look for the ways He uses to to reveal Himself. One of these ways is the Holy Scriptures. But even this is not infallible. Not because the writing is unreliable, but because our understanding and interpretation of what’s presented there is subject to the preconceived ideas we hold before we even open the Text. Thus when you read while wearing colored glasses, whatever you see becomes infused with that tint.

Another source of our image of God is whatever He chooses to reveal about Himself to us directly and individually. And while this is the best source, it comes far too seldom. Nevertheless, we must persist in seeking this type of insight.

** YOURSELF **

In addition to knowing God we must also know ourselves. And here is a great challenge, for rare is the man or woman who truly knows who they are. Instead we’re stuck with the near-impossible task of trying to see ourselves objectively. Who among us can judge our own thoughts and actions without covering them with excuses and good intentions?

The person who truly wishes to know himself or herself must look at the things that make him angry. It’s the things which irritate us about others which can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. For example, who protests most loudly about someone else smoking than a former smoker? And why? Because he still holds the old desire. Likewise, the one who loudly criticizes the “immoral sexual behavior” of others is himself struggling with his own such temptations. The list of examples goes on.

But rather than admit to harboring similar urges, most people resort to denial. And the more tenuous one’s hold on self-restraint, the more vehement and even violent their outrage against those feelings. Denial may give a temporary satisfaction, but it will never lead to a resolution of the underlying causes. Far better to explore for the source of those feelings and thereby remove their power to control us.

In many instances these unwanted feelings have arisen through misunderstanding some aspect of ourselves or our reaction to some past traumatic event. Resolving our internal conflicts and coming to know who we really are is crucial to our growth. For only as we know ourselves psychologically can we begin to develop spiritually. Our spiritual nature is based on truth; just as God is based on truth. And to truly know God and our spiritual self we must strip away delusions, and deceptions, and desires.

** THE RELATIONSHIP **

What are we to God? The answer to this is what determines our relationship to Him. Yes, we are His creation; but what is His attachment to us? Granted, your first reaction will be to say “Love”; but love has many definitions. For example, I love my family, of course; but I also love pizza, and my job, and even a certain TV show. So when we say “God loves us”, what is the level or degree?

There are some people who characterize God as an engineer or a craftsman who made the Earth and everything on it, like a gigantic clockwork; then once it was complete he stepped back to let it run on its own. Or perhaps He remained interested and stayed involved to keep it running; like a toy train set. Or maybe there are even some feelings involved, like Geppetto’s love for Pinocchio.

There are also some who characterize Him as an artist. Think of Leonardo daVinci creating the painting of Mona Lisa. It is recognized by many that an artist puts a lot of his personality into the works he creates; and that the artist usually ends up loving the piece of art as if it were his child.

There are some people who hold that God loves us the way we love our own children. When we create a son or daughter we typically form a strong attachment and work hard for many years to provide a safe home, and eventually get it to self-sufficient adulthood.

So which scenario most closely represents God’s feelings? On the one hand it’s commonly said He is our “heavenly Father”. On the other hand how many human fathers can see their child suffering and crying for help, yet stand back and do nothing? It happens, of course; but we then say such a person isn’t a good father. Is this the case with God? Or does He consider that we’re already self-sufficient adults? So is the case then more like when one of our grown children comes home and asks for our retirement fund to invest in a “sure-fire scheme to get rich”? Are we now in the stage of “tough love”?

Again I ask, What is our relationship to God, as He sees it? The answer to this is key to everything. So how can we know? You will, no doubt, point out He loves us so much that Jesus died to save us. But then it can be asked, What has He been doing since then, as our world situation has grown worse and worse, and our cries to Him remain unanswered? These things are hard to reconcile.

Can the situation be likened to a schoolboy who gets beat up by a bully? He tells his father, but instead of the father dealing with the bully, the father teaches the boy how to fight back; so that this bully, and any other one, will leave the boy alone from then on. Are we being taught how to deal with the bully named ‘Satan’? Is this a life lesson to teach us self-sufficiency and help us mature? I suppose it’s possible; but that doesn’t feel very gratifying.

At this point the tendency is to again return to the idea that God is supreme, so He can do whatever He wants. And I can agree wholeheartedly with the basic premise. But that still leaves in question how to fit His love into the equation. What is His attachment to us? How does He see us?

** SELF EVALUATION **

I will now return to an earlier question. How well do you know yourself? Or to frame it like the question just above, how do you view yourself? Are there things about yourself you really like, but other things you don’t? Are you hard on yourself because you’re trying to stop a bad habit? Or do you feel a need to punish yourself a bit for something bad you did and now regret? Or maybe your pushing yourself hard in order to improve or to learn a new skill? In other words, do you always treat yourself kindly? If not, why not? Can you even answer that; or do you not know why you do certain things?

Now then, what is the point of these different ideas I’m pursuing? Why do I ask, ‘How do you see yourself’? And, ‘How does God view you’? It’s because I believe there is a connection between these two points. That is, the way you think of yourself impacts the way God sees you.

For example, if you say of yourself, “I’m too small and worthless to be saved,” do you then expect God to say, “No, you’re wrong; so I’m going to save you whether you want it or not,”? No, I don’t believe that will happen. Or if you say, “What I’ve done is so bad and evil that not even Jesus’ sacrifice can atone for it,” do you think God will agree with you that Jesus’ blood isn’t that worthy?

However, it’s also possible for one’s assessment to go too far in the other direction. So the person who thinks, “I can pretty much do anything I want so long as I ask forgiveness afterwards,” will ultimately find that doesn’t work. Because this type of person is also not valuing Jesus’ sacrifice sufficiently.

It is written in 1 Cor 11:31, “If we judge ourselves we will not be judged (by Him).” But for this to apply our judgment must be accurate, neither too high nor too low. We must give proper evaluation of ourselves and of God. Doing this correctly then helps us see ourselves as God sees us. This is essential for understanding the relationship between us and Him. And this in turn is key to taking the relationship to the next level. And that is the point of this message — getting into fullness in Christ.

E: FEARING GOD

Why, do you suppose the children of Israel, as they stood before God when He appeared on Mt Sinai, feared Him so greatly that they fled and begged to never experience that again? Why, do you suppose those prophets who have appeared before God, either in Heaven or in vision, have trembled as though they were about to be struck dead? And why did they then remain profoundly affected for some time afterward? Does meeting God bring us close to death?

If I asked if you’d like to be united with God, most of you would answer “yes, of course”. But if I then explained there’s a strong possibility of dying from the experience, many of you would suddenly become reluctant.

Why do we fear dying? For many of us it’s because we don’t know what comes next. Are we going to be judged unworthy and sent to Hell? Or even if we feel we’ll probably go to Heaven, that doesn’t happen until some indefinite time in the future. And most of us aren’t ready to give up our lives in the here and now. There’s so much we still want to do.

So if coming before God means perhaps losing our present life, then maybe we’d better not attempt it. Sure, what’s being offered is pretty big, but it’s uncertain; so maybe it’s better to just hold onto the little we currently have. It’s the old ‘bird in the hand’ thing. Right? Here we see fear arising because of the unknown. Thus the importance of knowing God. If you really know Him, then the uncertainty of what will happen next disappears.

So do you know what you’re seeking? Do you know what you’re aspiring to? I posit that we don’t know God; not the way He really is. This is why I stress the need to re-examine our idealized images and discard our faulty concepts. If we’re to unite with Him, we must accurately know Him.

We know God is infinite, all-powerful, and eternal. And we wish to have at least some of that for ourselves. Our desire for the infinite and timeless stems from our realization that we are limited and transient. Here today, gone tomorrow. Thus we seek to connect to God, and through that attachment, that unity, attain freedom from the unknown, and from limitations, and from death. To find completion and permanence. This is what we seek. But getting it is hard, and seemingly risky.

A: Moses went through three stages of spiritual growth — nominal religious interest; deep introspection of himself, of God, and their relationship; then full empowerment as a man of God. We too must work to achieve similar spiritual development.

B: God and the beings of Heaven are different than we imagine. So it would serve us well in our quest to understand God, to give more consideration to the revelations of Heaven that have been given to us.

C: God is not human. So we mustn’t think of Him the way we think of each other. He desires a relationship with us, and He does what He can to reveal himself; but since He is so different than we are, we’re fearful; especially of the aspects we don’t like. Thus we choose not to see everything. But if we are to truly know Him, we have to be open to all He shares.

D: We must strive to remain connected to Him as much as possible. This means spending time daily focusing on the relationship, feeling His presence, and trying to know Him better. The attempt to know Him involves three parts: understanding what He’s truly like, as opposed to an idealized image; understanding ourselves, which requires critical and unbiased self-judgement; and understanding the relationship between us and Him, particularly from His perspective — that is, how does He view us?

E. This which we seek does not come easily and without great personal cost. Yet this should not seem surprising because what we are seeking is of such immense consequence. Have you ever sat down and considered the significance of what you seek? You are asking to be united with, to become one with, an all-powerful, great, and terrible God! How do we even dare ask such a thing? If this were merely our own conception, we should be struck down for such hybris. But we dare to seek, because God Himself has invited us to such, and expressed it as His desire as well. (“May they be one with us,” Jn 17:21). Even so, He never said it would be easy.

Cl: In summary, God acts upon Man, and in return Man responds with something essential to God; thus each influences the other and a relationship forms. A symbiotic partnership of ‘God & Man’ instates us into our proper position and brings fullness of existence. By accepting God’s Spirit, then being transformed until we are one with it, we become an integral part of God Himself. As is written in Scripture, and affirmed by Jesus, “Ye are gods” (Jn 10:34; Ps 82:6). Once complete, we are no longer a reflection or an imitation of Him; we’re actually a part of Him and a new embodiment of His being. He, through His sons, is revealed on Earth again; this time to retake possession and rulership as was meant for Mankind ever since Adam and Eve.

If you study mankind’s genesis, you learn that God made the first humans to rule Earth for Him, and they enjoyed daily face-to-face conversations. But since that time, God has had to make a much greater investment in our race. He paid a cost of infinite value. So we are much more to Him now than originally. Hence we are to not only be restored to our initial place of authority, He is lifting us up to be members of His royal family. What a tremendous transformation! This is how He sees us. This is how He wants us to be.