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FAITH’S DESTINATION: AS IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH:
Today the Lord is opening a new chapter of our walk of faith. One of the main thoughts of the Spirit has been to highlight the progressive nature of faith. We are learning line upon line, precept upon precept, that faith has a destination. I believe it is the right of every one in Christ to have the Most Holy faith that Jesus spoke of, lived by and demonstrated throughout His life. It was not defined by His nationality or upbringing. The belief that Jesus had toward God, Himself and the creation of the world, was all realized from His heart by faith. In fact the Bible states that Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Right there you can hear the progressive nature of faith. It has a beginning and an ending. Faith has a destination and what Christ has begun in us all, He is going to bring to a complete and perfect maturity that will be a great release of His people to move and have their being in God, as never before, right here on earth. (Phil. 1:6) To lay a foundation, let’s explore some scriptures to emphasize, inspire and raise up within consciousness a life giving Word of Faith. Because of the many we will cite, there is one that perhaps is the most important of all and that is Romans 10:17 “So then FAITH COMES by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” So even if, you are a person that feels like their faith is lacking or not very high up on your list of things to do, keep this in mind.
Faith Comes:
We begin by listing some words that help define what Faith is. It comes from the Greek word, pistis and carries several aspects to its meaning. Simply it means to believe, belief, to trust, to be persuaded, the conviction of the truth of anything. So what these words do is describe, define what faith becomes when it’s manifesting in your heart. There is a belief, a trust, a persuasion about something true that is sown into your heart and mind. It may be a small and even unknown type of event at first but ultimately, properly watered by the water of God’s Word, it grows and allows Christ to take His rightful place in our lives Spirit, Soul and Body.
Faith, in its purest state is Trust. The trust of God’s promise because God is faithful and will do what He promised.
Let’s illustrate this as if there is something you have to do, run an errand or keep an appointment and this time the car is in the shop getting repaired. You have to be on the other side of town and it’s important to be there on time. Having thought about it you called a taxi. You had used them before and they were reliable and picked you up on time. Then a friend calls and says no don’t do that I’ll pick you up. You don’t think twice, but say OK, because you know this person and they always keep their word.
That is exactly what faith becomes in us. We hear God’s promises spoken to us in the anointing of the Holy Spirit and receive assurance and confidence that you can TRUST what God said even to the saving of your soul. Not only does our faith bring a trust about tomorrow, but it brings confidence and strength to trust God to be in your life in such a way as to manifest His gifts, glory, power and nature to-day.
One reason for this emphasis about Faith is, that there is such a desire for many to breakthrough and access that which is beyond the veil and are mistaking an intellectual grasp of the knowledge of the Most Holy with spiritual encounter and experience. The Spirit of God has shown me many times that the sons and daughters who are most vulnerable to slight deceptions of truth and corruption of faith are those who have come to the threshold of deep spiritual experience and identity change. The reasons that stand behind that statement would take another article but often what is lacking is spiritual discernment.
It was not a young Jesus that was tested in the wilderness and tempted of the devil. It was a man (Jesus) of about 30 years of age, who heard the voice of God testify out of Heaven who Christ is to God. He declared His Identity and immediately was driven to be tempted of the devil. The test of whether he would yield his action and power to the prodding of Satan or stand in trust of what He heard at His baptism.
Therefore it is significant that we are commanded to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. “Beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints”... Jude 1:3
Earnestly contend - #1864 From the Greek, epagonizomai is a compound formed from Strongs #1909 epi, which is a preposition meaning upon and denoting something placed upon or over and against. Used with Strongs #75 agonizomai, meaning to strive, labor fervently as one who enters a contest such as athletic games.
Metaphorically to endeavor with strenuous zeal in order to obtain a prize. Behind this stands the picture of athletes contending for the crown of victory, taking into account all the training and preparation necessary to qualify and compete. You can also see from the Greek text a word that would be translated to English, as agonize or agony within the meaning of the word contend. This serves to strengthen the hidden nature of intensity the athlete goes through to come into the best shape possible. But more deeply speaks of the agony of the cross upon the one who carried it for us and how we too shall agonize for the redemption of the body as it is written, “ourselves also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit even we ourselves GROAN (agonize, agony desire) within ourselves waiting for the adoption, to wit the redemption of the body.
St. Paul used this picture of training, gymnastics and preparation in several of his epistles to the church, to encourage the members of Christ’s Body to seek after His fullness in our lives in the same way athletes train and prepare and study with focused intensity to win the prize. Here is what St. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, chapter 9 “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all but one receiveth the prize? So, run that you may obtain.” 1Corinthians 9:24
The most recent Olympics, which took place in Beijing, China, serve as an example of contending for the medals of victory, after many years of intense training and dedication to disciplines necessary to win. Keeping the body in condition. All these aspects of sports draw a beautiful analogy of the walk of the Sons and Daughters of God. Here again Paul draws upon the sports metaphor to inspire our own training and growth in Christ. “And every man that striveth for MASTERY is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible.” 1Corinthians 9:25
Now as we begin to step into that higher place of understanding or beyond the veil of flesh and surface interpretation, we do so carefully and prayerfully. With no desire to exalt knowledge above the Lord nor find us leaning or trusting in any other principle, place or thing but the Lord Himself. I think of the picture in the beautiful story of the Song of Solomon. The entire story of love is a prophetic Word of life for those who are pressing toward the mark of the high calling.
The King represents a type of Christ, dwelling in us. The Shulamite symbolizes a type of every soul, that part of us that is transformed through knowing the King within. This entire story of love is actually speaking of our awakening to the Kingdom of God. To discovering His love toward us and for us and becoming related to the King in a Divine romance that transforms our Identity Spirit, Soul and Body. In order to draw out with purpose and application the one important lesson, it was necessary to outline the following spiritual facts, though a bit off the track of our subject.
It serves to illustrate the attitude of heart and mind before God as we ascend upward, we are willing, humble, lowered unto His bosom and ready to hear the thoughts of His Heart. The Shulamite maiden whose story is our story, is seen coming up out of the wilderness on three occasions. It is not until her third experience that she is found in a state of contentment, assurance and in union, leaning upon the breast of her beloved. This is the ultimate state of consciousness the Lord is bringing us to. A relationship that uniting with our own heart and mind that the two walk as one.
The message of the Song of Songs is stated by St. Paul in his first epistle to Timothy chapter one verse five. “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” I believe the real purpose in this verse is that we should contend for nothing less than authentic, life changing conscious transforming faith which brings to those who receive it such assurance and confidence toward God that it has inspired many of the rich hymnals that celebrate truth such as….”Blessed Assurance….JESUS is mine” or “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound…”
Add to this the scripture in 1 Corinthians 2:5, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of Man but in the power of God. Now we begin to climb a spiritual mountain of revelation knowledge to gain understanding and discover things that cannot be seen on the surface or understood with the letter of the Word. There are some things that God wants to reveal to us that can be seen and understood no other way except the Spirit of God carry you away to that high mountain apart. (Rev. 21:10)
There is a path that no fowl knoweth and which vultures eye hath not seen (Job 28:7) This just affirms the fact that the natural man or carnal minded believer cannot see some of the things God has prepared for us. This is not a criticism but rather a trumpet of awakening and to show the hidden nature of our experience and how God has hidden truth within truth. (Rev. 5:1) Now as we approach the hour of His glorious appearing in and through the saints, an exponential expansion of spiritual knowledge shall flow among the Body of Christ speaking in the magnificence of the Almighty God, oracles of life, light and understanding the inner hidden and spiritual meaning and application of God’s Word.
To that end just as Jesus took Peter, James and John after six days to a high mountain apart, the Spirit of the Lord is catching us up to a higher dominion of His glorious presence where as we hear HIS VOICE and the Words that sound strike a point within that changes all that was, is and shall be they will resound within our own consciousness as being one in us and through us moving your state of being from an in part realm of life and truth to be fully known as you are known in Him and to know of His knowledge of you.
As this article is entitled, Faith’s Destination. We have begun to see that the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith and no where is that seen more clearly than in the epistle to the Hebrews. This deep epistle shows how we are moving from shadows into light, from symbols and signs to reality breaking through. From a carnal minded interpretation of the Word to the revealed purpose God has for us today and Now. This entire epistle enables anyone seeking to move away from religion and tradition to their Inheritance in God, the Rest given in Christ and the Perfection manifesting by the Holy Spirit.
In chapter 11 often called the ‘Hall of Fame of Faith’ we also see the outworking of faith, from the faith of Abel to the faith of Enoch whom we have written about previously to the faith of Noah, to which we want to share a few words as it prophesies of our journey to this high place of clarity, transformation and Identity. Jesus reached all the way back to this day to show that as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the coming of the son of man. Matthew 24:37
The fact is, life hasn’t changed very much though thousands of years have passed since then. The issues affecting their lives then are very much the same as today. Now at the time of Noah’s birth and during his life the conditions of earth fell under the curse of Adam’s transgression. As a result, a state of Paradise no longer existed and in its place was a world of hard labor. God told Adam and Eve, that these troubles were the direct consequence of their disobedience and the curse due to the entrance of sin and death into the world.
Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Genesis 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Since that day the natural world and carnal man has been subject to this same bondage until now.
Romans 8: 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Just as the book of Ecclesiastes states, (Ecc. 1:9) “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”
For nearly two thousand years the record of God’s Word shows that nothing had changed since that day when our first parents were cast out of Paradise. There is nothing new done under the sun, and there was no reason to believe that anything different would occur as a result of the birth of someone. The people of that day were not moved to any action of their own as Noah preached righteousness and was building the ark. They continued to live with no expectation that anything would change for better or for worse. In fact, Jesus stated that they knew nothing till the day that Noah entered the Ark and the flood came. Of course by then it was too late to help themselves.
St. Peter also touched upon the attitude of the people in his day as they preached about Christ to the people of Israel and the coming judgment of God upon the Jewish nation.
He stated in 2 Peter 3:4 that there were scoffers, people who deliberately mocked the declarations of the apostles and prophets. They said” Where is the promise of His coming? For since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” So the people of St. Peter’s day were making the same assumptions and living in the same disbelief as those of Noah’s day.
Well, as we teach and preach the present truth message and purpose of God for our lives today it is often met with this same out of touch attitude that nothing changes nobody will overcome and there is no real hope manifesting in their life. No one believed it but Noah’s Father SAW something about the birth of His son that was prophetic and divine. He named (natured) him Noah, which means REST because his life would bring comfort to the toil of mankind from the beginning of creation.
Genesis 5:29 And he called his name Noah, saying, this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
In spite of the traditions, customs, history and manner of life, Lamech saw something so special in the birth of Noah he declared Noah would bring a change from toil and labor to rest and comfort, the exact opposite of the nature of things at that time. The people in Noah’s day could not discern anything special in Noah, nor his message. They willfully did not believe that God would act or do something he had never done before.
In this same way the natural people of the world do not expect anything to happen that will reveal heaven on earth or break any other tradition, custom or manner of life they are used to. In this same way many of Christ’s own people are not taught by the Holy Spirit to understand the meaning and purpose of Christ in them and where He is leading them today. Jesus Himself said that by the traditions of men you make the word of God of no effect.
The people of Noah’s day were not moved to faith for reasons that are very common with today’s world on many levels. Jesus taught that the people were distracted by daily life. They were marrying and giving in marriage. (Matthew 24:38) This also pointed to the wholesale corruption of the marriage state, just as it is under assault today. They were moved by violence from their youth. (Genesis 6:5) We see a whole generation of young people in the middle east and elsewhere, that are being taught to hate and to grow up for revenge against supposed hurts, etc. They claim to serve the true and Living God and yet commit acts and atrocities of evil that were once only thought to be associated with mental maniacs and truly sick people.
Jesus said another reason the people of that day were overcome of daily life and not moved to save themselves was the importance they placed on eating and drinking and building and planting and buying and selling. (Luke 17:27) This doesn’t sound much different than our world of today. Beyond all this the people of that day could not relate to what they could not hear or see. As it is written in 1 Corinthians 2:14 “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:” for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and by faith was warned of things not seen as yet…moved with fear and prepared and ark to the saving of his house. I think you can already begin to see the parallel truth that Noah’s life reveals as a type of Christ and even more so a type of the coming manifestation of the Sons of God. God was getting ready to do something in the world he had never done before. The time of change had come. The Lord would cause it to rain upon the earth. In scripture even rain has something special to say concerning the sons and daughters of God. In the book of Job God asks Job can you answer, hath the rain a Father?
Think about this, in spite of the current world crisis and state of conflict in the world, our eyes are upon the prize of the High Calling of God. We have seen something special, different, and revealed within us through the birth of Jesus Christ in our hearts. He has placed an expectation of His anointing upon us working the works of God in such a holy and glorious manner such as the world has not seen since the days He walked among us. Since the beginning of time it had not rained on earth. But a mist did rise up from the earth to water the ground.
Genesis 2:5...for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
They could not believe that God could or would do anything different than there own history, traditions and customs taught them. The Lord revealed to Noah, Genesis 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah...I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights The people had seen a mist, water the earth for so long that they could not see it becoming something greater. Today the world has lived with the convenience and somewhat the wonder of scientific invention that they cannot see anything beyond what the natural world of the five senses can demonstrate. Those that do believe in something more, are often trapped somewhere along the spiritual spectrum of orthodox to new age religion or other forms of superstition and even outright atheism. As Jesus said very few find the path that leads to eternal life in your daily living.
They had lived with and in the mist for so long they could not see any other thing, taking place. In this same way the people of God have had the same historical, liturgical and some even spiritual experience for so long, it is hard to see something greater then we have traditionally experienced. But Father God is ready to anoint us, in and with His power in a way that has NEVER happened before. This was the whole meaning of Jesus' teaching. They were distracted and completely unaware of what was actually happening until it happened. But, Noah had heard the WORD of the Lord ahead of time and prepared something that saved His family and the whole world.
As I have previously stated there are some things about our Faith, Redemption, Regeneration, Priesthood, Sonship Identity and the appearing of Christ that cannot be seen on the surface or in the letter of the Word. As it was in the days of Noah, God brought an old dying order of mankind to an end and ordained a new world through the lives of Noah and his family which numbered eight souls, a number that speaks of new beginnings, resurrection life and the eternal nature of God manifesting in mankind. Noah entered the Ark and the rain began to fall. After forty days and forty nights there was no life alive on earth except in the ARK.
The waters that flooded the earth also lifted the Ark high above the tops of mountains. “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.” Genesis 8:4
The ark had RISEN to the Top of a mountain named Ararat, which means “The Curse is reversed.” That is exactly what is taking place as we also journey by the Spirit to a high mountain apart where we can begin to see with clarity and understanding that what Jesus Christ has accomplished for us on the cross has reversed the curse upon the whole earth. Noah had RISEN to a place that pleased Jehovah, so that God reversed His own Word.
Genesis 7:21 ... and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
The scriptures are not historical only but have a present truth purpose that is being formed within us and God is causing a people of rest to ascend and see something that can only be seen in a high and holy place. To experience Him in ways we have never known before. The mist of traditions, superstition, fear and uncertainty has yielded to a divine rain of the Spirit fulfilling itself in and among us with no more curse, death or fear to ever be known again. God is wiping every tear from our eyes, though we see the fiery judgment upon the earth that tries the hearts of men who have not found this great and precious faith. But, we are filled with LOVE, COM/PASSION, KNOWLEDGE AND HELPS.
Because we know the hope of all creation awaits the glorious appearing of sons in the FEAST of TABERNACLES. Not just one but a multitude without number. The prophet Enoch ages before saw down through time to a day when a rain of the anointing power in and through the saints would render judgment and power in the earth.
Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.
To be continued….
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