The Invisible God

CHAPTER ONE

I have listened to many messages that proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, many of them fizzle out to become motivational rhetoric. I also surmised that most of these ministers mean well in their endeavor to teach the Body of Christ how to walk in the principles of God, or godliness. Nevertheless, oftentimes their teachings take on the similitude of a 12-step program; mixed with scripture, and a little enough conviction, to make a spiritual solution to the many ills in the Body of Christ. These motivational speakers have left the Body of Christ bored and totally non-expectant to truly hear from God. They come to huge conferences to hear the thoughts of the speakers. Notoriety and good public relations has made these personalities the voice of God. Their followers come in looking for a quick fix for life’s problems and situations; but they leave simply psyched up with vain promises.

At the Caribbean Conference in 2015, the Lord taught us an awesome revelation of Himself. He gave us an eye to see Him in eternity and by this He gave us understanding of His eternal plan for mankind. Before we proceed further in the depths of the revelation of the Mystery of Christ, let us recap what we have learned so far.

Let us not forget that God was unapproachable. He confessed to Moses, that no man can see His face and live. The hills quake and melt at His presence. He attempted once to present Himself to Israel in a small portion of His glory, but He was immensely rejected. There was lightning and thunder and His voice caused earthquakes. He was too holy for man to relate to Him. Israel responded to God’s visitation in these words: “Speak thou with us (Moses), and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” Let’s take a closer look at just whom we are dealing with here. Exodus 20:19

Ezekiel 8:1-2

1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me. 2 Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.

Now as we look at this great God, how is it possible for Him to live and walk among the people of the earth; even those whom He had chosen to be His own. There was no way the world could behold the glory of this magnificent Being. Therefore, if He were to have His heart’s desire, He would have to devise a plan to accomplish His eternal purpose. As always He would look to Himself for the remedy; for who else was capable of supplying or fulfilling the need of the Father.

Ezekiel 8:3

3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

What is the meaning of this hand that appeared to come out of the glory of God? A more fitting question would be; “who is this hand that came forth?” According to John, that hand that came forth was Christ Jesus. He was in the bosom of the Father before the world was created. The form or shape God would come to the earth and take on flesh. When the time was right, He was sent to the earth as the image of God.

THE IMAGE OF GOD

St, John 1:18

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The word ‘declare’, does not strictly mean that Jesus merely preached about the Father, but it means that He was the presentation of the Father.

Hebrews 1:3

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

Express Image: an exact or precise, tangible, or visible presentation of God. Jesus is not just what God looks like, Jesus is God manifested in the earthen realm. When the invisible God transcends the spiritual realm and enters into the physical realm, He is Jesus. Jesus is the exact presentation of God. He is God visible and God tangible. Consider the following scripture:

John 14:8-9

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

But the story does not end there.

Ezekiel 8:4-5

4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain. 5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

Just a little side note here; Satan is the great imitator of God. He is the counterfeit of the real thing. Therefore, again he will do what he does; bring forth a manifestation of the satanic trinity. The image of jealousy is the Antichrist. He is Satan incarnate. He will rule over the earth along with his false prophet, who will compel all men to worship the beast. We know that this is not just an idol, it is a person; because in Ezekiel 8 3 , it is noted that a seat is provided for him in the temple of God.

And now, back to the lesson at hand. It was God’s heart to fellowship with His people. But how could this great and Holy God, fellowship with His people? Indeed, the only way this could be accomplished, was for God to become approachable. We get an even clearer understanding when Jesus spoke with the Pharisee Nicodemus.

John 3:1-3

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus could not discern that what He was beholding, was not just an anointed person, but it was God Himself standing before him in a physical, non-threatening body. Within that body was the Holy Spirit wherein the soul of Jesus lived. He is pre-eminent in all things. Thus when the scripture demands of us; “if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit;” Jesus did this. He lived in the Holy Ghost. His soul, the one he declared God would not leave in Hell, was one with the Holy Spirit who lived in a human body. This is the make-up of the Son of God, who is the first of many brethren.

Another startling truth was revealed in the middle-of-the-night conversation that our Lord had with Nicodemus.

John 3:7-8

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth:so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Apostle Michael Thomas taught on this very scripture a few days before the writing of this lesson. In his discourse he explains: Nicodemus was in search of the truth regarding the personage of Christ. No doubt he would take the information that he received back to those with whom he fellowshipped. But Jesus said, “Don’t marvel that I say you must be born again; because just as you are unable to discern the source of the wind (from whence it comes or to where it goes), neither are you able to discern the Kingdom of God. You cannot see that the Kingdom of God is the Church. It is the souls of the righteous made perfect in me. It is a spiritual world that is invisible to your carnal existence. You, Nicodemus, can only put a label on that which you think to see in the natural. That is why to you, I am only a teacher sent by God. But the truth is, I am God.”

THE SOUL OF GOD

The Lord reminded us of the characteristics and nature of the soul. It is the essence of the creature; his being. It is where all thoughts, likes, dislikes, emotions and personal perspectives abide.

Leviticus 26: 11-12

11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

Judges 10:16

And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

In the Church’s inability to see the Kingdom, it also overlooked the fact that God has a soul. The Word is the embodiment of who God really is. The Word is to God as the soul is to God

Therefore just as Adam needed an earthen body to be given expression on earth; likewise, God expresses his soul, through the body of Christ. This means the physical flesh and blood man called Jesus, was and is the image that God designed to walk upon the earth; in which he might express his soul.

It was the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among men. There is however a deepness of this revelation that we must understand.

First of all, in teaching this perspective on His image, you must embrace that the following is indeed the mind of God, a mystery hidden from all but His Sons. The mystery of Christ cannot be discerned with human intellect or carnal knowledge it must be spiritually discerned. It neither depends on the passions and desires of humanity, but the mystery of Christ is the pleasure of the Father’s will. In order for the Word to be profitable in your life, you must purpose in your heart to agree with God regardless of His disposition. Jesus Christ is a manifestation of the will and purpose of God. He is the Soul of God manifested. Keep these truths at the forefront as we proceed to discover the faith of this new creature.