Jacob Israel

No Gods Before Me

Jacob Israel7 Comments

NO GODS BEFORE ME!

There was a time when I was scared. There was a time when I felt powerless in this world. A time when I did not think life was worth living at all.

I made the mistake of thinking, it was all about me. Woe ways me, in fact, I would say and on cue every cloud would turn grey. I was a child in my ignorance then. But like any child, I would grow in spirit, wisdom and strength.

But until that time, like any child, when things went bad I wondered, “Why God?”, and worse still, “Why Me?”, which is the worst thought a person can have.

Because when you don’t believe things should be happening the way they are to you then you have forgotten ( died to knowledge of ) that all things were created for you, and more importantly, BY YOU!

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Col 1:16,17.

The scriptures express our divinity clearly, “ye are gods but you shall die as mere men”… This passage from psalms I opened my novel with.

In fact, my entire novel is allegory for us all to WAKE UP to the truth of who we really are.

Because when we came into this world, an enemy (the lies we hear) planted tares within us and because of this we began to believe we were something we were not.

This CARNAL EGO of as I like to call him, the first idea of who we are,
we die to who we really are and a life of struggle and sadness follows .

To understand this helps us as we walk through this valley of the shadow of death to FEAR NO EVIL… For truly there is no such thing.

There was a time that I was so ignorant and so lost into the “GOD OUTSIDE OF ME” delusion that I was like those children at play Jesus spoke of in scripture…

Luke 7:32
They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace (RELIGION) and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.

Like those children I had ignorantly been convinced that somehow God and I were separate.

I put my faith in this far away God. I feared this far away God. And not only that, I sacrificed for this God.

I even dropped everything and left a rising and super successful career in Television for this God that I had been brainwashed to serve. But not just this “Father God” the pastor and priests had told me about, I also believed in his son a man named Jesus who I was told died for me, who I was told was the only way to know God (or so I was told). So I also put this son before even this almighty God I had been convinced of.

Ignorantly I also wore crosses, had paintings of this Jesus God, and I really believed. I really believed all the people I trusted to tell me the truth about God, like most do so I never questioned, like most do as children at play. Until, the day the lights were turned on for me and I began to see how wrong I had been. And how amazing the truth really was.

The commandments themselves begin with not just a warning of what might happen if we have GODS other than the TRUTH, but promises that one day even the most lost WILL NOT HAVE GODS BEFORE ME…


Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

By the end of this essay you will understand that you have many “gods” in this world and the biggest of which is the person you ignorantly believe yourself to be.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

So much for all those images of fish on car bumpers, crosses on chains, and paintings, statues, and idols of the man Jesus everywhere.

However, this is just the most obvious god we have before the truth. There are many, many more. Everything we put our faith in and serve, from our ego to the almighty dollar is a god we serve.

You see we have all been convinced to worship and serve the creation, not the creator. The scripture teaches us NO ONE has seen God at any time, just as NO ONE can see the THOUGHT within ones mind. The scriptures teach us that God is NOT a Man that he should lie, or the son of man that he should repent, and yet almost every religion teaches us to worship a god who is created in the image of man, instead of embracing the fact that GOD is within everyone and everything, and creates everyone and everything seen and unseen through us.

You will soon see we are given the name (nature of God) and we, like
Jesus should not think that is something that is blasphemous. In fact, we are commanded to NOT take this NAME in Vain… Which means “for nothing” – this command has nothing to do with swearing, but everything to do with giving other gods YOUR worship.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Exodus 20:3-5, 7 KJV)

Let me begin to explain how I was when I was younger. I was not the happiest or most hopeful child, so I began to look for answers. I went to religions tree and swallowed its fruit daily, which actually made things harder for me… (I see this now, but back then I clothed myself with religious pride which made me feel better than others, who did not do what I did (confess Jesus as lord), even though deep down I knew it was wrong to think such. So many of these false beliefs (gods) I deep down I knew was more damaging than good.

This God they taught me to believe in was more like wicked mankind then anything else.

This God demanded follow without question and would punish you unjustly if you did not.

This God was so far away from me and so darn upset with the person that I had become. That I could NEVER earn a place in his kingdom. Back then I believed I had to worship the son he murdered for
Me so I would not burn endlessly.

This is a perverse thing to believe and there is grea

And so I worked the ground of my life in constant misery like Adam after being cast from paradise.

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 3:17 KJV)

This great allegory is what happens the day we leave the truth of who we are for the idea of what we have been convinced we are, which is something we are not.

Cursed was the ground for ADAM’S sake… Now, we are NOT talking about the literal ground or earth beneath us. The GROUND is an allegory of Adam’s day to day life in the “first man.” Symbolic of his WORKS on this earth. You see, because of our mistaken identity our life in this world is cursed to bring only sorrow. Truly, if it did not Adam, and WE, would never change.

“Through much tribulation we enter the Kingdom.”

How true this is for us all.

Now why is the ground of our life cursed?

The reason is simple.

Like Adam, in the story, we too left the unity of the spirit and followed after EVE (which is the mother of all living, our intellect). Like Adam we swallowed the FRUIT our intellect gave us to eat. Exampled below…

“This is right, this is wrong, you are this, you are that, cant do this, must do that”

This is the cursed TREE of the Knowledge or Good and Evil, whose bastard child is double minded mankind. This is the TREE (branches of thought) that when we become one with this way of thinking (eat its fruit) we DIE (become ignorant) and this is how it happens.

The serpent (the lies we hear since birth) convinces us we can be LIKE God IF, and only IF we eat of this tree…. “You have to do this or that… Or else!”

Now, when you EAT (consume fully what you are presented) you ultimately DIGEST what you have been given to “eat”, and when this happens… You become ONE with it.

That FRUIT becomes you.

So if you eat the fruit of a liars tree, and you take the lies of this world hook, like, and sinker, to heart and you become the lie. The end result of this unholy union is YOU DIE (become ignorant of who you are and what you are capable of) and that brings on a world of hurt for you.

This is why, I once thought a life in this world was a grievous thing. I simply did not know any better. I KILLED the truth within me at the place of the skull (my mind) and yet, the TRUTH of LOVE did not care, because who we really are, knows who we think we are simply KNOWS NOTHING AT ALL!

And how is the TRUTH put to death within us?

Well, as babies our parents told us who we were, who they decided we were to be… “You are Jacob” or so and so. Next they formed us into who THEY were trying to create us to be. They did this ignorantly of course. Blind leading the blind.

You see the first idea of who we are, does not realize that we create our fears as easily as our hopes. Whatever mind set we nourish takes root. And until this CURSE is broken, it is past down from generation to generation.

Parents brain wash their children and make them twice the child of hell they are themselves. They give the baby a name, teach it to fit in and believe everything they, the ignorant parents say and believe, and one day that perfect baby believes it.

Next, the world gets a hold of that baby and convinces them other horrible things are true, that simply are not. And this process never ends, until we end it.

And so, that perfect baby, who was filled with nothing but infinite possibility and potential embraces fear, which has torment in it. The baby then becomes the child and man or woman that believes them self to be only the image of a corruptible, mortal, weak human being.

The baby is cast out of his or her blissful peace and catapulted into a world of idolatry.

In the first idea of who we are we all have gods we serve and not all of them go by holy names. We are ruled by these gods we ignorantly worship, we fear these gods, dedicate our life to these gods and are slaves to these gods.

And yet, creation was always meant to be under our foot, creation was meant to serve us and yet we have been brainwashed to serve and worship it.

However, the day will come and for some it has come already where even the idea of ourselves is put under the only one that truly exists to begin with… So that GOD (LOVE) may be ALL in ALL.

That is the day we are patiently waiting for. The EARNEST EXPECTATION of the Manifestation of the sons of God. The entrance into the SECOND MAN, who is LORD of all, with the death of the firstborn man, who is earthy and carnal and lost.

The death of the first born of this world is pictured in the plagues of Egypt as well as many others. Because we are nothing but slaves of Pharoah (which is our shame according to scripture) until that first born of all in this world dies.

There was a time, for me, that life was extremely hard, until the first born was put on notice, and that first idea of me, I realized, was NOT ME AT ALL.

There is no joy or peace in the first man. No matter how hard we try, if we are still in that first cursed man, Adam (which most are), then no matter how hard we try to produce a great life we will always struggle and suffer. Just as Adam did. No matter how hard we work, no fruit worthy of the kingdom will be produced, because it will be a vain, idolatrous pursuit of ego.

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 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. (Genesis 3:17-19 KJV)

From the DUST (lies and idolatry according to scripture) the first ego man comes and to the DUST this adversary returns.

There was a time when I was ignorant. A time when I was blind and did not see the truth. This is pictured in the many stories of deaf, dumb, lame, and blind people Jesus (the truth) heals in scripture.

In the first man we all DIE to the truth of who we are and we begin to put many gods before us, in the second man we live again in the truth knowing we and God are in fact ONE!

When leave the hellish ignorance of the first man. (1st idea of who we are) for the 2nd man we are put back into our RIGHT mindset, which understands that there IS NO GOD BEFORE US for we are BEFORE the idea of who we are.

Scripture tells us that we are to have the same mind as Christ, who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, which means to have the the mind of Christ is to know you and God are one in the same.

But that time my friends is over.

If you haven’t caught on by now, scripture tells us that the 1st man is the natural man, and the 2nd man is from heaven above.

Now this is a mystery that I have written extensively about.

These are the two men in one bed, the two women grinding at the wheel, these are in fact the two MINDS within us all.

The first man is convinced he is mortal, self absorbed, weak, and ignorant. The first man is FORMED out of the dust (dead flesh/carnal imagination) of the earth (man’s soul). That first NATURAL man is the YOU you THINK you are but are not.

The first man is of the EARTH (temporal/ignorant/ego centric) EARTHY (mortal/finite) – but the SECOND MAN (the second you) is SPIRITUAL (infinite, empowered, loving, united, eternal, with no beginning and end).

You see there was a time I suffered, because I was ruled by that first man. As I said, the first man is NOT the spiritual one, the godly one, no, it is the natural one. Hopefully now, this will help you to understand the following passages from 1st Corinthians…


“Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.”

Now we have been tricked into believing that this second man from Heaven is Jesus only. Oh what a mistake that is.

Jesus clearly taught us, “as he is so are we in this world”. He is a symbol, called the first born among many brethren. If this be literal, then we should know that we and Jesus are exactly alike. As you and I are exactly alike.

I am no better than you, Jesus is no better than me. The difference being, Jesus perhaps understood who he was before everyone else, which symbolically places him in that older brother role for those younger, more inexperienced, and ignorant siblings to learn from.

No, this verse which speaks of the first and last man (Adam), is directly linked to you, me and everyone.

Within each of us there are two nations at war. Two MINDS fighting for control.

And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23 KJV)

The LAST shall be FIRST. The ELDER (Older) shall serve the YOUNGER. The last MIND (spiritual YOU) shall take pre eminence over the FIRST (natural YOU)…. Because ULTIMATELY, there shall be no GODS before the I AM that is really you.

Now, of course the older, more comfortable, EGO is what we are used to. And this carnal idea of who we are will fight to the death and even convince you to do horrible things before admitting, who you think you are, what you believe, and everything you have put your faith in is a lie.

No one wants the NEW WINE! Which is why the VESSEL that contains the wine in the parable shatters when New Wine enters it.

The TRUTH is bigger than the VESSEL.

This LORD (which literally means, THE EXISTING ONE) of HOSTS, is the SPIRIT OF TRUTH and LOVE that is WHO we all are, the HOST is who we think we are… And this vessel MUST be destroyed before the TRUTH rises from it’s ignorant death (the life of suffering we endured).

Ignorant before the cross, Enlightened after it. Natural first then that which is spiritual. This is good news for us all, because we all will RISE from the death of our first concept of who we might be.

Pictured beautifully in the words written by John, “and the WORD (thought, spirit, logic, creation) BECAME flesh and DWELT AMONG us.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 KJV)

This is speaking of the day the TRUTH is revealed to you, birthed from within you. The day the SECOND MAN (which is the real you) steps out to say… HERE I AM LORD!

And we CAN’T LOSE!

“All will come to the knowledge of the truth and the stature of the perfect man!”

The good news is, as we have borne the image of that suffering, sad, lost, first man, we shall also bear the image of the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON of GOD. Which is a poetic way of saying, who you were in the first IDEA of you was an earthy, natural man… But your second IDEA of who you are (the second man) is GODS ONLY BEGOTTEN… God manifested in the flesh. One with God. God in you, as you, in this world. And then the two natures become ONE.

This was Jesus’ prayer, and it is now my prayer…

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 KJV)

This is the HOPE of GLORY, and why it is important to understand this mystery.

AS LONG AS YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE YOUR EGO you will have GODS before the TRUTH… And you will never know who you are or I AM.

The first you, the earthy you, is going to suffer and feel week and powerless to change things. But we must remember, this will not be forever. Because the second you, which is the spiritual manifestation of who you REALLY are in this world is waiting to be BORN AGAIN.

“And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.”

The kingdom of God that everyone has convinced you is some golden paved paradise in the sky, is actually “righteousness, peace and joy”. It is ruling and reigning in unison with the spirit of truth and love that is within you, and that IS you.

The word KINGDOM literally translates into “to rule” and God is LOVE.

So the mystery of the Kingdom of God is being ruled by Love and ruling WITH love. Yet, the natural first man cannot receive this.

Because to the natural man to love unconditionally is foolishness to them. So the message of this essay, the things I am about to share, and have shared, for some, they won’t believe it, or receive it… They can’t.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

The natural man, which I have also called the carnal man, or the ID, or the enemy and the devil is corrupt, and it sees itself this way.

This is why there was a time when I was miserable and worshiped
many of the false gods religion, tradition, and society trained me to worship.

So, just like some of you, I too have been ruled by heartache and pain. But I was set free from it all.

I, like Paul, was SET on the road that was straight and put back into my right mind… And now I too have become that voice in the wilderness trying to make the paths of others in this world, straight and narrow, so they too may enter in and SIN (think foolishly) no more.

For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (Matthew 3:3 KJV)

So, be of good cheer my friends, because in an instant, in the twinkling of your eye, you will see the mystery and you shall wake up and be changed into the one you were destined to be… THE ONE THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN YOU AND ME! And in that instant you will take hold of that cross and breathe in the possibility, that YOU ARE THAT GREAT I AM and you will be whoever you want to be… Because in that moment you become free. And you rise out of the death that has become of your life, waking up from your monotonous ignorant sleep as if a loud trumpet had sounded.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:46-52 KJV)

So the time of my idolatry and suffering is over. And yes, it took time to get there. And yes, it isn’t easy or pleasant. In the first man nothing is easy or pleasant but it is through our tribulation that we finally enter in.

There was a time when life was very difficult, but no longer.

It is because of all of my sufferings, all of my pain and disappointment that prompted that SEED WITHIN ME to WAKE UP. It was because I could take it no longer, that I realized I never needed to take it to begin with.

I had been tricked. The TRUTH of who I was which I traded for the lies of who I began to believe myself to be, brought only suffering for ME! And so my suffering and hard times had to be.

The kingdom of lies called my ego had become a stronghold, a prison, secured tight. So only through the demolition of this ignorant palace could the joy I have now be found.

One day, you too will know that every bit of heartache and heartbreak paves the way for the LIFE you were born to live. And yes, it can hurt to get there.

Acts 14:22
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God

Such is the tale of fallen humanity. And what was it we fell from? Truth, Love, Purpose, Unity, and Joy. But as the scriptures state, he that ascends to heaven is he that first descended into the lowest pits of hell.

If you have ears to hear this… In order to be exalted, one must first be abased.

And so our FALL proves essential to our RISING ONCE AGAIN.

And it is TIME TO RISE AGAIN my friends!

For out of all my suffering, out of all my heartache and pain I found joy unspeakable, faith unshakeable, and a vision of how truly awesome this experience called life can be, is, and always has been.

For out of that darkness came light, out of the abandonment and abuse came unity, kindness, and strength. Out of the ignorance that had become of my life came a wisdom so great that against the better judgment of most trapped in this world, I had to share it with everyone…

This is proven in the fact that you are reading my essay here today.

When one has finally found the LIGHT, one does not hide it under a barrel.

And once, these “mysteries of the Kingdom of God” which is right thinking, peace, and joy, came to “LIGHT” within me I knew what had been hidden could be hidden no more!

For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. (Luke 8:17 KJV)

It’s harvest time people. The SEED is come to life, and it’s fruit, which is love, joy, peace and more has no law to put it to death. Once alive again, nothing can put this

This joy I now have, this love I now feel, this peace that embraces me, this goodness that leads me, this FRUIT is evidence that NOW is the TIME TO HAVE NO GODS BEFORE ME!

Now is the time to put that SICKLE in! Now is the time to CAST YOUR NET on the RIGHT side!

Joel 3:13
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

People are so very lost today. Every moment, or every day seems a grievous thing. This is how it was for me as well. For that is the DEATH that has become of our lives. But I tell you rejoice, for that SECOND MAN within you and me, that great treasure hidden in the field of your life, is going to burst forth and with it, salvation comes.

The truth has been hidden…

Proverbs 25:2
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

And now that you are searching out what matters the truth is revealed.

Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

You are dead in Adam and you are alive in Christ…

Ye are gods… Arise oh god and judge the nations by having no GOD before the TRUTH of LOVE and the only one who really exists… YOU!

I hope you enjoyed this essay, please do subscribe, and share this with others. The Truth Sets You Free!

Peace to you and yours, Jacob

Proverbs 3
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

THE TRUMPET SOUNDS – FEAR NO MORE!

Jacob Israel12 Comments

THE TRUMPET SOUNDS – FEAR NO MORE!

This short powerful mini documentary will take your breath away! You have been lied to by this world your whole life, you have been fed a constant diet of fear, worry, shame, greed, and pride. Because of this cruel brainwashing you took upon yourself the sins/lies of the world and WHO YOU TRULY ARE IN ESSENCE DIED… but that is about to change!

You are more than you know! This short mini movie will open your eyes to a great enemy hiding in plain sight. “Roaming to and fro seeking whom it may devour”. This “enemy” disguises itself as “god” and most worship this liar as god. For your enemy is most certainly the god of this carnal ignorant world. Yet, this enemy is not your god anymore… because now the truth you have begun to see clear.

This enemy, your adversary, the devil is also called the carnal ego/id of mankind. This is the JUDAS that dines with you, sits at the table with you, and betrays you for THE LOVE OF MONEY AND POWER. This “enemy” is the root of your fear and it has stolen your life away with it.

The “god” of this world, the devil, the serpent, which is man’s carnal ego or the “ID”, is the very enemy people have been worshipping their whole lives unaware. Because of this few know how to truly live their life. Life has become more of a chore, it is about suffering and fear and worry and doubt instead of righteousness (right thinking), peace, joy and power…

HOWEVER, THAT IS ALL ABOUT TO CHANGE!

It’s time to wake up to the new day we are in and LIVE our life!

After watching this video you may just see “SATAN, FALL LIKE LIGHTENING FROM HEAVEN (your higher thinking)!”

The TRUTH sets you free from the lies you believe about yourself and others. When the DAYSTAR rises in your heart you will know which voice to listen to, which words to bring forth, which thoughts to manifest and which thoughts to cast away and you will FEAR NO MORE.

Please enjoy this short mini movie called “The Trumpet Sounds – Fear No More” and enjoy a poem I wrote on this topic called, “Two In One Bed” – the double minded man is unstable in all his ways. It’s time to be of ONE MIND, ONE HEART, ONE SPIRIT, ONE TRUTH, ONE LOVE, AND ONE LIFE TOGETHER! Please do share with others and subscribe to this blog if you haven’t already. Much love to you and yours, Jacob

–
“TWO IN ONE BED”
There are two voices in everyone’s head.
The quieter voice is always the better choice, because the louder offers only fear and dread.
The quieter voice is love and truth, the louder voice will lie to you and make you wish you were dead.
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
This is why you must find the quieter voice today.
The louder voice will shout and pout and will do everything to make you believe these thoughts are actually coming from you.
The Louder voice will demand action, demand revenge, and will always make you do what you should not do.
The quieter is your hope, salvation, and great reward, this you will find.
The louder will grind hope and peace to powder if you allow it each and every time.
This is why the still quiet voice you must find.
You can choose to win or lose, whether to fall or rise.
The loudest is the room is always wrong, while the one who thinks before he acts and speaks is wise.
So take your thoughts captive and see whether they be true or lies.
In the end, my friend, you will thank me, because the quiet voice is peace, power, purpose and perfection finally realized.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9UbXEhvheQ&feature=youtu.be

POWER OF FORGIVENESS

Jacob Israel10 Comments

forgive

POWER OF FORGIVENESS

We all know the story of the woman caught in adultery. She was a woman who (we are told) had an affair and was caught. She was then brought before Jesus in the Temple by a group of men who wanted to stone her to death. Jesus proceeds to write in the ground as they tempt him by asking what they should do to her. Jesus doesn’t fall into their trap by saying “You cannot throw a stone”, or by saying, “Well get to it”. No, what Jesus does is so much more profound and powerful. He says, “let those without sin cast the first stone.”

On a simple level, Jesus is pointing out that we all fall short. That we all have made mistakes and that no one is greater than another so as to punish them.

After his bold and wise statement the woman’s accusers are convicted by his words and they leave. Now this is where the story get’s interesting. After the accusers leave, Jesus says to the “adulterous women”, “Who is left to condemn you?” . The woman, to her surprise, finds all had gone. She realized there was no one who could condemn her.

When one LEARNS THIS LESSON… that NO ONE is CONDEMNING YOU… then you are FREE to go about your life and SIN NO MORE! – Simply put, the shame we feel each and every day keeps us in a constant state of suffering. This shame, a majority of the time is self-imposed. Of course, we were first conditioned to believe we were no good. Religion, society, our parents did a great job of this. Ignorantly using shame and fear to manipulate us to behave a certain way. Saying things like, “Good boys and girls dress a certain way or act a certain way. Good boys and girls just do what they are told and never question authority.” These examples are nothing compared to how religion convinced us all that our creator hates us so, that we are no good the way we are, because we were so very bad for simply being born…

However, in the story of the adulterous woman the TRUTH is made beautifully clear… THERE IS NO ONE LEFT TO CONDEMN YOU… No one is there to truly tear you down for your self imposed, ill informed, short comings. Once we realize that we can stop hiding and running from the fear that others think we are no good we can finally go and LIVE our life without SIN (foolish, fear inspired thoughts).

Now in the scriptures there is a whole lot of talk about sin. Most don’t truly understand what this “sin” is. Sin means to MISS the MARK (truth). It is foolish thinking. Sin is simply not knowing any better. Which is why Jesus said on that cross, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. (Proverbs 24:9 KJV)

In truth, to take this story of the adulterous woman solely as a historical event, one would be sinning. Because, these stories we find are meant to be taken spiritually. It is the spirit of the story that gives us life/enlightenment/wisdom.

“WISDOM IS A TREE OF LIFE… IN ALL YOUR GETTING… GET WISDOM!”

So every part of the adulterous woman story has a deeper meaning. The woman, the stones, Jesus, the accusers, everything means so, so much more.

Today we are going to look at this story in a new light and see how it applies to our life. Because when the veil is taken away from this story we will find that we are both the victim and those who condemn, both the accused and the one who provides salvation.

The wonderful thing about these stories we find in scripture is they can be taken so many different ways. And it is peeling back the layers of these that seem to be literal, and historical, stories that we find the true blessing of what was written so many years ago.

If you have been to my site before I shouldn’t have to remind you that the Kingdom of Heaven is a mystery, that Jesus ONLY spoke in parables/allegory to the masses, and that God opens his mouth in dark sayings and parable. Which is a poetic way of saying, there is more to the scriptures than meets the natural eye.

But 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. (1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV)

Our waking life is also a mystery that we will, and must, uncover. The scriptures are the same. Some understand higher things and some cannot, so for those that are not yet ready to be told plainly, the scriptures are written symbolically to help gradually lead everyone where they need to go.

Mark 4:11
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

So while the story of the adulterous story may seem cut and dry, there is a lot more hidden within it’s verses. As I stated earlier, we are after the “Spirit” of the story here on “Jacobs’s Ladder”.

My passion is to share what these parables mean so we can apply this wisdom to our lives. And for those who are not ready, the allegory reveals sealed up until the appointed time.

Matthew 13:13
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

In short, private interpretation just doesn’t cut it. It is the inspiration of the LORD, which literally means “the Existing One, or The One Who Exists”, that helps us to see what these allegories really mean. This “LORD/Existing One” is the CHRIST within you, which is the POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD… which is YOUR LIFE! This is where the revelation comes from… WITHIN.

The Kingdom of God is within us, and from the throne of glory we receive the deeper meaning of these stories. You see this inspiration and revelation cannot come from others, it can only come from WITHIN YOU! Even if someone had the truth and tried sharing it with you, if YOU weren’t ready to receive it, you wouldn’t be able too, regardless of how much evidence was presented.

This is why one must not simply take the word of others, one must seek and they will find. When you do HUNT FOR THIS TREASURE HIDDEN IN YOUR EARTHEN VESSEL eventually you will have what it is you are looking for.

The scriptures state, that the truth is poured out for those who seek it. We see many asking God to increase their wisdom, faith, and understanding. We see Solomon asking for wisdom, and we always see these gentle souls finding what it is they looked for to begin with.

Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

The GREAT TEACHER is within you, this teacher is ONE with you, this teacher is YOUR LIFE, your hope, and your great salvation. DAILY, within you this great TEACHER/LORD/One who truly exists is teaching you (the you, you think you are).

Matthew 26:55
I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.

The power and wisdom of God is within us all, teaching us daily. Sadly we have been conditioned to listen to the god of this world (our egotistical carnal minds/enemy/devil) instead of the TRUTH which sets us free.

So if you seek TRUTH, and GOD IS SPIRIT AND TRUTH AND LOVE… If you seek these things, they will be added to you. Now if truth be told, it works the opposite way to. If you focus on misery you will find it. Whatever a person seeks they will find. If you seek truth, hope, faith and love you will be blessed with these things. If you seek ego, riches, lust, etc… you will find these things as well.

Proverbs 11:27
He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.

The reason I am writing this is because lately I have been looking back at some of my writing and videos from the past few years. Some of what I saw and read I loved and some of what I saw and read, just didn’t sound like me at all anymore. We all indeed grow spiritually. And I have grown much in the last couple of years. I find today I am more humble and forgiving than I have been. I think higher of others than I have before and I truly want to walk in peace with everyone. My fundamental beliefs haven’t changed, but my attitude sure has.

There was a time that I would hold onto the pain others caused me. Intellectually I understood people who do harm “know not what they do”. But I was hurt, abused, mocked, and because of this instead of taking the high road I found myself deep within wanting to strike back. Instead of entering the straight gate of peace and righteousness (right thinking) I followed the broad road, one paved with thoughts of revenge and justice. Basically, I wanted to put these critics in their place and in seeking this, I found only pain.

And if we are honest with ourselves. When people hurt us and we in turn strike back to hurt them… we are no better.

This is why we must NOT JUDGE… We must LOVE… we must LAY DOWN OUR STONES!

Today, I am in a different place. I haven’t exactly mastered the art of forgiveness but each day I get a little better and my patience and compassion for even those who hurt me has increased. Today, I don’t feel like I should be standing in judgment over anyone. Sure I don’t understand why some people feel the need to hurt others, but just because I don’t understand their actions doesn’t give me the right to take any of it personally. The truth is when we do this, the only person we hurt is ourselves.

There is a famous saying, the author escapes me… “Other people’s opinions are none of my business”

Now, I have written in the past about what it really means to truly forgive. And how in your forgiveness you are forgiven as well. I have written about what, “forgive and you will be forgiven”, really means before. So let me take a moment and remind you all. The word “Forgive” means to “release a debt”. To forgive is LETTING GO.

To forgive doesn’t mean you pretend to like people who hurt you all the while condemning them in your heart, to forgive means you don’t look to past behavior. To forgive means you LET IT GO! You don’t hold any past offence against anyone, and in so doing your heart is free from the weight of carrying that burden of being upset at these people all the time.

Think about how much of your time is spent living and reliving moments where people have hurt you. It is a torment that is unlike any other. Think how much better it would be if you just let it all go.

Sure that sounds all well and good, right? But it is one thing to say this and understand it, but it is a whole other thing completely to walk this out in your daily life.

I know this well because when looking back at some of my past essays I can easily see how very hard it was for me to forgive. I was like those men chasing that woman down with stones in their hands. I saw people who had done me and others wrong and I wanted justice. And when I threw those stones in my heart , and I cursed them, and I allowed these stones to fly… you know what I found?… I found that in so doing it didn’t make me feel better at all.

In fact, being angry at others for hurting me brought me more pain and suffering than the offence itself.

Here is the reason why… because not only could I not let go of being angry at them but now I had to deal with my own inadequacy of being able to do so. The only thing worse than this is when I allowed my anger to build to a point where I lash out and make my feelings known.

“Words are like toothpaste, once it’s out, IT’S OUT AND CAN’T BE PUT BACK IN!”

And every time I let those STONES fly, the shame of doing this hung heavier around my neck than the anger before it, and that is not living people.

When we don’t let go of past offences not only are we plagued by the actions and words of those who hurt us, but then we are tempted to strike back which opens us up to a whole new, and terrible, world of suffering. This is why it is of utmost importance that we all learn the great lesson of forgiveness. Without it we will NEVER know the peace that we are all hoping to find.

The first step to overcoming any addiction is to recognize that you have a problem with that addiction!

Believe me when I say not being able to truly forgive is something we are all terribly addicted to. This never brings out the best in us, it always brings out the worst. It never leads to life, it always leads to death (ignorant suffering/hell).

Matthew 7:13
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat

How can anyone truly love their life if they don’t love who they are and have the ability to love others? This is the straight gate!

Without forgiveness it is impossible to enjoy life, it impossible to live at peace with others, and impossible to be at peace within yourself. You will always have someone to be angry with, and you will always have part of yourself that you cannot stand.

If we could forgive we would have no ill will toward anyone. If we could forgive our relationships would thrive, our families would know the pure joy of love, and we would begin to have an excitement in our lives that we never knew before.

Forgiveness is the key to our salvation. Look at the example of the crucifixion. At Golgotha (the place of the skull) we see Jesus (Salvation) crosses over from death to life. And what is the declaration he makes first?

Luke 23
34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

These are the first words he speaks after being placed on the cross. He chose forgiveness and because of this was allowed to give up the ghost of his previous suffering and enter into true rest.

The ability to forgive what many would consider unforgivable is the very thing that has to be done by us all if we ever want to cross over from the death of our carnal minds into the life of Christ (power and wisdom of God).

We must lay down our stones (judgment and condemnation). We must stop seeing ourselves as right in our own eyes and others as wrong. Truly, we have all fallen short. The longer we elevate ourselves at the expense of others the longer we will suffer. The longer we repay hate for hate the more we will reap it in return. The longer we hate ourselves the longer we suffer, the instant we enter into forgiveness we are set free.

Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap

If you continue to “sow to the flesh” you will reap corruption (corrupt thinking). The longer you fuel the fires of anger toward those who have done you wrong the longer you will be plagued by the suffering that comes with it. However, the more you take your thoughts of anger captive and cast them away, the more treasure you store up for yourself and the more peace you will find within.

The longer you hate yourself and others, the more miserable your life will be. But I promise you the more you forgive others and yourself, the more joy you will find.

The problem is we have been conditioned away from forgiveness. Today people point fingers every which way, towards those that hurt them, towards those act or look different, towards those who think different and believe different. And we are ALL guilty of this, our guilt causes our suffering. Which is why we must LET IT GO!

The greater your capacity to forgive is, the more grateful you become in life. This is pictured beautifully in the story of the woman with the alabaster box.

Luke 7:47
Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

The more you are able to forgive others and yourself, the more love you have. The more you love the more you forgive, the more you forgive the more you truly begin to live.

Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord

We need to change our thinking. We need to forgive BECAUSE it is the only way to freedom. We need to take a good long look at ourselves in the mirror and say, forgive me for the times I could not forgive. We need to pray that we will be ale to forgive and force ourselves to take the higher road. It may be hard at first but soon the high road will become our only road and it will no longer seem as work, because we know in so doing we find everlasting life and peace!

I want to be a light in this world and it would be easy when I am mistreated for me to want to lash out and seek justice for myself. But the instant I do this, that light goes out and I live in darkness and pain because I allowed it. Time has taught me, that when I take revenge into my own hands I am inviting more suffering into my life.

Romans 12:19
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord

Time has also taught me that when I refuse to give in to that wicked egotistic carnal mind of mine that I find strength to overcome it. When we resist the urge to hold others accountable for our current emotional state, we find that urge leave us.

James 4:6-8
6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you

God is love and we cannot know love when we choose the pride of anger instead. God resists the proud, which means when you act out of your anger toward others it will NEVER bring you a positive and peaceful end. But if you are humble and you forgive and trust God, the urge to do harm, the urge to condemn others and yourself will flee! It will leave you so you can know the peace that you allowed to be stolen from you to begin with, because you didn’t first forgive.

With all of that being said, I want to open your eyes to perhaps seeing the parable of the adulterous woman in a new light.

JOHN 8
2And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

Notice this scene takes place in the morning. The SUN (son/truth) hadn’t fully risen, it had just risen. WITHIN the temple Jesus (the way, truth, life) was teaching. Look at the Temple as YOUR SOUL, and Jesus as the Spirit of God within you that is teaching you daily. (The SON just rose and began to teach)

3And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

You see, even though the TRUTH of God was being taught within the Temple (you), the religious mind of condemnation is also at work trying to find a part of you that can be condemned.

Have you ever tried to just sit and clear your mind. The instant you, all of these terrible thoughts and memories flood your mind. Next thing you know, instead of enjoying that peace you are occupied by these negative thoughts. This is exactly what this story is teaching us. That even when we are seeking the TRUTH, the enemy of our carnal mind is at work to distract us and tempt us to do wrong.

Adultery and Prostitution in scripture is always a symbol of cheating on God, or leaving God for the ways and thoughts of this world. A cheating spouse is the perfect picture of mankind’s soul who leaves the husband of truth for another.

Jeremiah 3:8
And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also

Within us our carnal minds are always at work trying to usurp power and control over love. The carnal mind is that voice of the adulterous woman, the harlot of Babylon, trying to get us all drunk and lead us into the bondage of sin (ignorance and suffering/ missing the mark of our true life.)

Just like the pharisees and scribes were on the look out for anyone to fall short of the law, within us our carnal minds are always pointing out people who do wrong and then try to convince us that they need to be punished.

Our carnal minds are so good at condemnation that this snake will convince you to lash out and then after it gets what it wants, it will then bring you before the truth and condemn YOU for your actions. The enemy is indeed a roaming lion seeking whom it may devour.

But Jesus didn’t take the bait as so many of us would have. He refused to go along with the thought of condemnation. And if he did, he would be the next one on the chopping block. As that is exactly what the Pharisees and Scribes wanted.

But Jesus walked in forgiveness which makes it impossible to condemn another, much less someone who did not offend him personally. Jesus understood as we should, that people don’t do bad things because they know better. They do bad things because they “Know not what they do.”

6This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

Now look at the wonderful symbolism here. The Pharisees and Scribes tempted Jesus to condemn the woman so that they could in return ACCUSE HIM! This is exactly how our carnal minds act. They pump us up with thoughts of revenge, only to make our lives harder and to condemn us all the more when we go along for that pernicious ride.

Now how did Jesus handle this? … He stooped down. The TRUTH always has to come down to the level at which the people are able to grasp it. He didn’t stand above them saying how wrong they were. He took a submissive position so they would hear him. No one will listen to another if that person comes across as a cocky know it all.

Jesus came down to their level, and when he was there, that is when he began to teach them. By placing his finger (authority of truth and love) on the ground (their souls)… The symbolism of placing a finger on the ground to write is wonderful.

7So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

These simple words have such authority. Which is why we see Jesus LIFTING UP HIMSELF. This is a picture of the TRUTH being raised within those who did not know better.

Simply saying, “he that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” speaks to us all. Not only does it say we all make mistakes and should forgive, but it gives us the freedom to forgive ourselves for our actions… because we all make mistakes.

When you realize that we all make mistakes because we do not know better it is so much easier to forgive those who do us wrong. We cannot stand above others in judgment when they do wrong, because we have done wrong too. And when we learn this we begin to see ourselves walking it out in our own lives.

8And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

When we see that we are no better than others we begin to act that way. We begin to see that we are all in this together, what we do to one we do to ourselves and in learning this we begin to make better choices.

10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

When the TRUTH of God is lifted up WITHIN US, we understand there is never anyone who can truly condemn us, accuse us, or hurt us. In addition, by knowing this, we learn that we no longer have to condemn, accuse, or hurt anyone in return… Much less ourselves.

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

We are forgiven people so we must forgive! We all have made mistakes, we all have, but it is time to let it all go. It is time for us to forgive those who have done us harm and forgive ourselves for the harm we have done.

Our sins are forgiven, and when you know this… THERE IS NO ONE THAT CAN CONDEMN YOU ANYMORE.

I may have made mistakes in the past and rushed to judgment because of things that were done to me, but I can let that go… because back then I knew no better. And now I know better, I will take it one day at a time, and pray that I walk in forgiveness always, because without it I will never truly find peace. And neither will you.

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Jacob
http://www.JacobIsrael.org

FISHERS OF MEN

Jacob Israel9 Comments

fishers

FISHERS OF MEN

Mark 1:17-18
17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
18 And STRAIGHTWAY THEY FORSOOK THEIR NETS, and followed him.

In the gospels there is a wonderful story about how Jesus found men toiling under the sun trying to catch fish, but only catching some, with their nets.

Many have taken the story to mean that Jesus came over and told them that they should give up on their careers, follow him and spread the gospel instead. But this my friends is not only what this story means. In fact, what the revelation of this story could mean for your life is quite profound.

You see, not everything that you read about in Scripture is as it seems. There’s a hidden treasure that when revealed can change the very lives of those who read the stories to begin with.

For those of you new to “Jacob’s Ladder” you will find much of what I write here deals with the hidden mystery of scripture. For it is the SPIRIT of the scriptures that give life (enlightenment) to the reader. As the apostle Paul wrote, “the letter/literal kills”. The MEANING/SPIRIT of the story teaches a person something, while focusing on the literal aspects of the story (which were never meant to be taken that way) kills the very LIFE/ENLIGHTENMENT found within the revelation of what that story means.

So much of what we read in the scriptures are an allegory. Which is why Jesus said clearly to his disciples in the gospels, “it is given to you to know the MYSTERIES of the Kingdom of God and unto them who do not have this insight ALL THINGS are shared in PARABLE”.

Now does this all mean that there were not literal events that happened that we read about? Well, that is not really the point is it? What REALLY matters is what a person gains from the story. I often use the parable of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” to illustrate this point. It does not matter whether there was a boy or a wolf, what matters is the SPIRIT of this story, which is of course that one should not lie or exaggerate.

The same is true for the events surrounding these “Fishermen”. It does not matter whether there were literal fisherman or literal nets, what REALLY matters is WHAT THE STORY MEANS FOR US. What TRUTH is hidden within these verses. What is it that “GOD” is trying to say hidden within the context of these stories? That is what matters!

After all…


It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. (Proverbs 25:2 KJV)

The TRUTH is hidden within these stories and it is our great honor to find these treasures for ourselves. The revelation of which, comes only when one looks beyond the literal story until the spirit of the story clicks within and is revealed. When this happens it is like the “lights go on” and one finally understands the depth, and freedom, of the revelation that was once hidden within what seemed to be a pretty cut and dry story or a man telling a bunch of other men to follow him.

Now when this revelation hits it is like a LIGHT finally shining in a dark place allowing an individual to finally move about with the confidence, and wisdom, of where they should go next.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:19-21 KJV)

Now I do want to point out that the truth can’t be forced. It must come from deep within, it must be revealed. And when the TRUTH is revealed it is like being healed of blindness spiritually. The TRUTH gives SIGHT to the blind, EARS to the deaf, strength to the lame, a tongue to the mute, brings to life what has been dead/ignorant, casts out the lies/demons that possess men and women, and much, much more.

We see this happening time and time again with every “miracle” Jesus performed. It DOES not matter whether they were literally healed or not, what mattered is that they HEARD THE TRUTH and UNDERSTOOD THE TRUTH.

Colossians 1:27
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

So it is the TRUE MEANING of this story that I wish to share today…

What does it really mean? Why did these men leave their chosen profession and forsake their nets? Are their nets symbolic of something else? Are the Fish A METAPHOR for more?

The answer to all of these questions is YES, YES, AND AMEN!

For years we have taken this story to mean that men and women everywhere should leave everything BEHIND to go out and preach the “message” their particular church says people must adhere to. Basically, bad religion has given people the idea that they should give up on all of their responsibilities to further religion’s agenda/message. Because “saving souls is more important than time with your family, friends, interests, or current employment.” The irony found when Jesus tells the bad religious elite… Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (Matthew 23:15 KJV)

Bad Religion takes scriptures and twist them. Scriptures like Luke 18:29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. … Bad Religion has used these scriptures to manipulate people into focusing on serving bad religion and bad religion alone regardless of how many families or lives are torn apart in the process.

And the ignorant fish in the sea take the bait and believe these passages are literal… but as Paul states, “These things are allegory!”

Sadly, people today have taken these things literally and have used even these scriptures to justify not living up to the responsibilities of being a parent or spouse. A great example of how the LETTER/LITERAL kills.

The tricks, snares and nets of religion can convince people that they would be rewarded for such nonsense like leaving jobs, homes, family and friends behind to serve Bad Religion’s version of the Kingdom of God. Which they present as some FUTURE award… when the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND GOD has always been and NOW EVENT.

Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

The salvation of our souls is finding this RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, AND JOY within us. This is HEAVEN ABOVE. A higher form of thinking. RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE AND JOY are not found in selfish ambition, but by LOVE! If truth be told this HEAVEN that Bad Religion is selling today does not exist!

BEHOLD THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS WITHIN YOU. The POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD (Christ) saves us from the lies/nets bad religion has cast upon us to control us.

In Isaiah is the best example of what HEAVEN, and what EARTH, is…

Isaiah 55:9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

HEAVEN = God’s Thoughts/TRUTH = PEACE
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

EARTH = Man’s ignorant/carnal thoughts

God has thoughts of peace, power, and a sound mind. God does not give us the SPIRIT OF FEAR, yet man’s ways are below God’s ways… And one of the greatest NETS Bad Religion has used for far too long is FEAR. “Do this or that OR ELSE!” But the TRUTH delivers us from these nets, as Jesus delivered these men from their nets.

It is the TRUTH that sets a person free. No NET is needed to DRAG anyone to the truth. It’s YOKE is easy, it is not the NET/YOKE OF RELIGION which is a heavy burden. Jesus said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest Matthew 11:28 and again when Jesus said… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:30

THESE NETS THE FISHERMEN WERE USING BECOME THE YOKES AND BURDENS we all suffer with today. Which is why we are told to… Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14

There was no joy, peace, and righteousness/right-thinking found in casting net after net into the sea of ignorance we call this world for these men. This is the reason that when the TRUTH (Jesus) appeared to them they were ready to FORSAKE their nets once again for all and become fishers of men!

So it becomes clear, the story of the fishermen leaving their nets behind to follow JESUS is a symbol of so much more. Every piece of this story is rich in meaning and hope. These NETS have more to do with the lies of religion and this world than literally catching fish as you will soon see.

As Micah recalls…

Micah 7:2
The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright/honest among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a NET.

You will soon see these NETS are everywhere today, and they mean one thing for those caught and that is DEATH/SUFFERING. While the captors can enjoy the spoils of the catch (their money and devotion).

You see these FISH HAVE GOLD INSIDE! Controlling people means more than just devotion and blind faith, it means their wealth is your wealth. BAD RELIGION knew this and JESUS KNEW THIS.

Jesus proved this point when the religious leaders demanded temple tax and he told his disciple to catch a fish (which you will soon see is an ignorant person) and take the gold from its mouth.

Matthew 17:27
Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

BAD RELIGION wants that money, and to get it you had to HOOK or SNARE one of the ignorant fish/people in the sea to do so.

Let’s talk about some of those NETS
1) Net of FEAR- HELL, DAMNATION
2) Net of PRIDE – you are better than others
3) Net of Prosperity – You will be healthy and wealthy
4) Net of Power – You can become a super human
5) Net of future reward – You go to Heaven and it is all worth it
6) Net of Family or Friend pressure – If you aren’t like the bad religious you can’t be with them
7) Net of miracle healing
8) Net of prophetic words – people telling you they have heard from God directly

The list goes on and on… and they are ALWAYS CASTING THAT NET OUT ON THE WRONG SIDE

It’s all about money and power for the Bad Religious, and those NETS had to constantly be mended, because they were easily broken. Which is why in each encounter in the Gospels we see the fishermen either using their nets or tending to their nets. These NETS were important to their financial well-being. Yet, immediately following their encounter with this man Jesus they all left their nets. Mind you, they did not just leave their nets, they FORSOOK them.

Now why is this important? You may ask.

Well, these NETS by now you should see offer nothing in return but DEATH for fish. The NETS these fishermen were used to make their living is still practiced today, until the TRUTH shows up and shows them a better way.

Jesus came along and showed them THAT better way… the WAY… THE TRUTH… and LIFE! Jesus promised to make them fishers of men instead.

The difference being what Jesus offered did not mean death for these “fish/ignorant people” it meant life. And this LIFE was something that bad religion and politics has stolen away from them all.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10 KJV)

So you see, those who have gotten the masses on their bad religious hooks, and caught the unaware in their bad religious nets only came to steal from those they catch and in return kill their true hope and peace.

Ecclesiastes 9:12
For MAN also knoweth not his time: as the FISHES that are taken in an evil NET, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

These thieves continue on this day using their lies and promises and fear to keep the ignorant FISH buying into their religious and political lies. These thieves who say as long as their FISH do as they say, give, obey, serve, make followers and don’t question, promise that when the FISH are finally in the grave they will finally enter the gates of heaven.

But these thieves that call themselves religious leaders offer nothing but the death of a fulfilled life. No one, and I repeat no one can enter into the kingdom of heaven under their rule. Mainly because they have twisted everything we read about in scripture into something else. They have created a fantastic narrative that only offers them the power and wealth they crave.

These thieves make false promises and put on grand shows tickling the ears of those who hear and like a net dragged in the sea anyone they catch finds nothing but promises that are never kept, pride, bigotry, intolerance, greed and much worse. One can never find Righteousness (right thinking) Peace, Joy and Power in corrupt thinking. And anyone who tries to enter into the kingdom any other way but through Loves gate and denying one’s self, the same becomes a thief and robber as well, who too will find themselves dragging the allegorical net trying to kill more in the name of a god bad religion made up.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:1, 10 KJV)

But Jesus showed them a better way. He revealed the truth to them and he did so using the bait of love and a more abundant life.

So right away they left their nets and followed him. They followed him not for worldly gain but for that peace that surpassed their current understanding.

I would like to state that they did not just leave their NETS behind to follow Jesus, they FORSOOK their nets!

That is quiet an interesting word used to describe them leaving their nets behind, if that is all we are meant to take from it. Let us look at what the word “Forsook” means.

Forsook in Greek – Aphiemi
Literal meaning: “to abandon, leave desolate SO ONE CAN GO FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.”

This word, “forsook” offers us insight into the deeper meaning of the disciples leaving their nets to become “fishers of men”.

To get to the place of wisdom, to return to their first estate, to move from their current understanding to where they truly wanted to go they had to leave the LIES OF BAD RELIGION behind.

The apostle Paul spoke about this very thing, when he considered all he had learned from religion, all he had done in the name of religion, he called DUNG! Paul knew the snares and nets of bad religion as well as anyone. Paul and well as David knew how deadly these NETs could be. He knew a NET of LIES cast unto the ignorant fish of the world, meant death and hell (ignorant suffering)for the people.

Psalm 35:7,8
For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul. Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

The “FISH” by now, you should understand are symbols of the ignorance holding MEN AND WOMEN EVERYWHERE captive. It is their carnal ignorance.

Jesus compared ignorant men and women to FISH, when promising to make his new recruits “Fishers of Men”.

Jonah was swallowed by a GREAT FISH, and resided in the FISH’S BELLY for three days much like Jesus did in the belly of the EARTH. Here we see a connection that must be made. The first obvious connection is that the belly of the fish is also a symbol for the belly of the earth, which we also now know from earlier, is also a symbol of MAN’S CARNAL WAYS AND THOUGHTS. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are Gods ways higher than man’s, God’s thoughts higher than man’s thoughts.”

Jonah is an allegory of the SPIRIT MAN trapped within the IGNORANCE OF THE CARNAL MAN (fish). Look also what the BELLY OF THE FISH is called by JONAH… HELL!

Jonah 2:1-3
2 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly,
2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of HELL cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

In this verse we see the Fish’s Belly also called the belly of HELL. We know that HELL is the word used to describe the suffering that accompanies ignorance. The FISH are those that are ignorant and lost to the ways of this world (lust of eyes, flesh, pride of life).

We also find that Jesus was found in the belly of the EARTH.

Matthew 12:40
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the fish’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

We are also told that when Jesus died he entered HELL (Ignorant suffering) to set the captives free in 1st Peter 3.

THE BELLY is also a punishment for the SERPENT (carnal ego man) who goes about on his belly digesting only dust/lies. The BELLY is a great symbol for the “womb of the carnal mind”. The BELLY of the FISH is a person’s carnal lust and ego. This is why we see the lying serpent cursed to go about on his belly.

Genesis 3:14
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

THE BELLY is a symbol for the “womb of ignorance and carnal thinking” indeed as Job puts it… Job 15:35
They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their BELLY PREPARES DECEIT.

But just as JONAH was freed from his ignorant hell, just as Jesus was freed from the sins of the world that cast him into the depths of the earth/hell/grave, just as these fishermen were delivered from their miserable lives, so also are we when we stop trying to rule over others, make money from others, or get others to do what we want them to do. The instant we forsake the NETS of our past and become fishers of men ourselves by sharing the truth without wanting anything in return, then the heavens open up and we find the rest Jesus promised.

There are those who kill their FISH – The bad religious do this. There are those who fish men out of their ignorant despair and offer them life and hope.

When Jesus asked them to follow him he was leading them to the kingdom of heaven, and I pray we can do the same for others! Which are we? Fisher of Men or Killers of Fish?

John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

IT’S TIME FOR THE FISH TO COME OUT OF THE WATER! IT’S TIME TO HELP OTHERS WALK UPON THE WATERS INSTEAD OF DROWING IN THEM… ONCE WE PULL THESE FISH OUT OF THEIR IGNORANCE, THE HEAVENS WILL OPEN UP AND THEY TOO WILL KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF.

Matthew 3:16
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

It’s time for Bad Religion to forsake their nets, let’s help them all become fishers of men by showing LOVE!

Jacob
(I hope you enjoyed this essay. Please do subscribe if you haven’t, it’s free and easy, and please do share this website with those who will benefit from it. Also thank you for any and all support! Jacob)

The Journey – A Poem/Video

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THE JOURNEY – A POEM

I wrote this short poem years ago for my children. It reminds us all how we need to take the time to smell the roses, to enjoy our lives, to revel in the wonder of it all. Too many people are worried about the future, or focused on the past instead of truly living their lives in the now. I thought putting it to music and some art I found on the internet would make it more enjoyable. Please do subscribe to my blog, it is completely free and will keep you posted on all the new things I write and share here… Also, as with all of the other hundreds of essays found here feel free to share as you see fit. Have the best life ever, Jacob

ELYSIUM NOW

Jacob Israel10 Comments

elysium-movie-1920x1440
ELYSIUM NOW

Today I took my son to see the movie Elyisium. I couldn’t help but see the writer’s ambition to show the world as sad as it is today and warn us of where it may be tomorrow. The earth in Elyisium was a place most miserable, which is very much like the lives most people are living today. The miserable on Earth turned to violence, drugs, and theft to finally make their way to Elysium, who of course is ruled by the wealthy, who only dangle that carrot of paradise to keep the poor earthlings at bay.

Isn’t this the way we are all living now? Like slaves? What if I told you the way out of your suffering is not electing the right leader, waiting for the government to make things right. Nor is freedom found at the end of a gun or revolution.

What if I told you, you hold the key to paradise within? Would you listen?

Enjoy this thought provoking video and please do subscribe, it is completely free and will keep you updated with all new essays and videos placed here. Thank you for visiting today and thank you for sharing this website with others. Jacob

DRIVE

Jacob Israel2 Comments

drive
“DRIVE”

“DRIVE”
What is salvation, the choir sings, what is it that the future will bring?
Will it be gates of pearl, will it be great wisdom making sense of the pain in the world?
Will there be streets of gold, or treasures untold, will life’s mystery unfold before our once uninterested eyes?
When the cold ground settles and dries, and time has forgotten the tears once cried, over the grave that swallowed what you once called life.
What will it be for you and me? Will we finally be free? Or will be wish we had a chance to do it all over again?
Asking for forgiveness from a dear old friend, connecting with a relative before the end, giving to help those living with struggle and pain, forgetting what it means to blame, complain, or to remain in the sad cycle of should of, could of, would of.
Will we wish someone had dished about the secrets to this here thing called life? Wouldn’t that be nice? Waking up in the morning and no longer longing for things to finally go your way, to simply wake up and be excited to say, “This is going to be a most excellent day!”
That sounds like salvation to me, declared the choir director ignorantly while directing the congregation to the wrong tree so when they leave they’ll forget to see what is in front entirely.
The rear view mirror has never been clearer but it’s an illusion that does not exist anymore. This is what mirrors are for, to keep us looking on what is behind until we become so blind we can no longer find the hunger and passion that we’ve convinced ourself to ignore, even though it put us in the driver seat to explore.
Perhaps, when we’ve come to the end, and this sad choir is our only friend, we’ll see we were always free even though we behaved as comatose slaves who prayed for a savior delayed eternally.
It will be then, our hand will extend, to grab hold of the steering wheel of life all over again, loving ourselves, enemies and friends, living for the moment and forgetting the past while still creating memories that last.
Finally in the driver seat driving and having a blast!
-Jacob Israel

I sure hope you enjoyed this poem and video. Please do subscribe, share with others, and thank you for your support! It is my greatest pleasure to have the ability to share my thoughts with you. I love you all so dearly, Jacob

THE TEMPTATION

Jacob Israel23 Comments

THE TEMPTATION

You may be surprised to hear that the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is actually an allegory of the temptations we face each and every day…

(Before you dig into this essay I want to encourage everyone to subscribe, it is totally free and it will inform you of any new material I post here. I also want to remind you I have hundreds of other essays you can all choose from by simply going to the area on the right of the page under the title “More Essays”. As always thank you for your comments and any and all of your support, it is priceless and so appreciated. Enjoy the article.)

You may be surprised to hear that the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is actually an allegory of the temptations we face each and every day… That is NOT to say that there was not a literal man named Jesus, who was literally tempted in the wilderness. The point to this essay people is this… IT DOESN’T MATTER WHETHER OR NOT THE STORY IS LITERAL. What matters is what the story means spiritually for us.

A reader shared a great line with me the other day, they said, we need to be mindful of the MYSTERY not get hung up in the HISTORY. YES! So much truth in those words. The Mystery of the Kingdom of God is what we are after, NOT THE HISTORY of what happened.

For example, it doesn’t matter if there was a literal boy who cried wolf or not. What matters is the SPIRIT of the story. I know I use that example a lot but it really does help to make this point. We don’t profit from proving that there was a boy and wolf in the past. We profit when we understand that we shouldn’t lie or embellish because there might be terrible consequences. This, this my friends is what my essays are all about. Sharing the SPIRIT of the story, not simply repeating the history of it.

It is only when we understand the spirit of the story that we find our way. The LETTER (literal understanding) kills, it is only the SPIRIT that gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:6
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

We need to learn the difference between things we can take literally and things we must discern spiritually. And that can be tricky sometimes. However, if we allow the spirit of truth and love to lead us it is easier than you may think. It is true that the scriptures can have both literal and spiritual interpretations.

Example: “Thou shalt not kill” – Of course this is meant to be understood literally, but it also has a spiritual meaning. For you can Kill the Spirit of someone or something just as you can take the life of another.

When David fought Goliath, if you see the story spiritually, you see a Picture of Christ destroying the Carnal man. The symbolism of this story is beautiful, a smooth stone hitting and killing Goliath with one blow to the head (which is symbolic of the mind and how we think), then David taking the Giant’s sword and cutting off Goliath’s head (which is the authority of the carnal man). Whenever we are presented with stories in scripture where someone is cutting off another’s head, whether it is Goliath, John the Baptist, or crushing the head of the serpent, it is always symbolic of destroying the authority and rule of what that “person or thing” represents spiritually.

Every one of these stories is indeed an allegory for our waking life. We learn from these stories literally as well as spiritually. The trick is finding when we should take something at its word and when to look deeper, or both.

Now you may have been told that Jesus, the man, was perfect and did not sin. That Jesus, the man, never doubted and never struggled the way we struggle. Well, if we take the scriptures at their word, we find, LITERALLY, that it couldn’t be farther from the truth.

God does not play favorites, what one must endure all endure.

Romans 2:11
For there is no respect of persons with God.

Mental note: If God is no respecter of persons, we should be as well.

Now, if you really want to take the scriptures at their literal word, JESUS SINNED, just as we sinned… In fact, Jesus BECAME sin for us. Now let us think about how this “Jesus” became sin for us.

AN IMPORTANT THING TO CONSIDER: The idea of a literal Jesus that is separate and unique from us is indeed SIN (a foolish thought) for us… Something to chew on for later.

Let me explain the ways “Jesus” has become sin for us.

We have been taught that Jesus had a different birth than us, that he had a different relationship with God than us, that Jesus did what we could not do, that Jesus TOOK upon himself the SINS of the world to save us, if only we put our faith in him. But this is simply what religion has sold us, and IT ISN’T TRUE.

The scriptures command that we should not make any image as to what God looks like, talks like, seems like. The scriptures are clear, we are NOT to compare God to a “corruptible physical man”, that we should not Compare God (The creator) with the created, because God is beyond the created thing. We are commanded not to make any image of God, whether birds of the air, fish of the sea, anything in the sky, the earth, or the deep… YET, every religion has its idols… Jesus, the six-foot tall, handsome, bearded, blue-eyed, hollywood man is perhaps the best marketed name on planet earth. But the scriptures if we take them at their literal word tell us this is A HUGE MISTAKE.

Romans 1:22-24
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

Exodus 20:2-4
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 “You shall HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth

Yet, you don’t have to go far to see images of God as a man. Just google the word God on an image search and you will see a man named Jesus everywhere, or an old muscle-bound guy who looks like an angry Santa Claus. YET, the ONLY GOD there is, IS WITHIN US… not outside of.

Luke 17:20-22
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’[a] For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

We have been sold a lie. We have been told that in a single man from two thousand years ago our salvation is found. As opposed to understanding that “that man” is a symbol of all of us. For we and he (jesus) are the same. This is when our love is perfected, when we realize this.

1 John 4:17
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because AS HE IS, SO ARE WE in this world.

It has never been about believing THAT HE IS OUR SAVIOR, or that what he did somehow wipes away all of our sin (foolish thoughts) as many say. There are countless Christians that have believed this who continue on in misery and continue to do horrible things. We don’t find salvation by simply believing that what is recounted in scripture is all literally true, we find salvation by FOLLOWING THE PATH, THE WAY, and FINDING THE LIGHT AND TRUTH that is within us all.

It is about understanding that His way is the only way, his path is our path, a path we must take. We must die to our ego and rise again. We too must Go to our Father, for God is greater than who we think we are. We too must say, Not my Will, But thine be done. We too must lay down our egotistical lives to have the true life within us all to rise again!

Many say Jesus the Man is God. Yet scriptures teach us… God is NOT A MAN, nor the SON OF MAN!

Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Man is an image that God created. And Jesus is an image that man has created in man’s image and called God. That is a big mistake. Because it puts salvation in the hands of someone or something else, as opposed to putting salvation where it needs to be… and that is within us all. The power of life and death is within us all, it is in our thoughts and tongues. Salvation is in the hands of the spirit of Life, truth and love, salvation is God’s and God’s alone.

Now God created Man in His Image, which means, he made mankind the way he thinks he is. In other words, God had an idea of what God could be or is and decided to make man that way…. Now ironically we have done a similar thing. Consider our ego.

Our EGO is an idea or image of who we think we are. However our EGO it is not WHO we are. Our EGO is merely the image we created for ourselves. That alone is a great revelation that I will try to share a bit later, but sadly, I don’t believe many are ready to receive the full extent of it.

So let’s start by unwrapping how Jesus is actually us. What happened to him happened to us, how he came into this world, we came into this world, what he did we do or will do…

Jesus is said to have taken upon himself the “sins of the world”.

This is exactly what WE all have done as well. Didn’t we ALSO take upon ourselves the sins (cares) of the world when we were born. Didn’t we also trade in joy and peace and unity for the nonsense we began to believe was life on planet earth. Isn’t this why we now cry and seek salvation and redemption? Of course it is the same story. Jesus’ story is our story, and our story is His.

I put to you, as I have done many times before, that JESUS THE MAN, whether historically literally true or not, is A SYMBOL for all of us… about all of us. Just as Buddha, Krishna, and any other avatar that has been written about is.

We ALL have SINNED (Thought foolishly) and come short of the Glory of God. Which is the revelation of the mystery that IS God… We all sinned by believing our salvation laid in the hands of another and not the spirit of truth and love, which is God, that is the center of us all.

Did not God say that he is our Savior! That no one else is our salvation, but God alone?

Read this next passage in Isaiah very carefully. Because it is the Truth of who is within us all and who is the ONLY Savior there is.

Isaiah 45:14-15
They will make supplication to you, saying, ‘Surely GOD IS IN YOU,
And there is NO OTHER; There is NO OTHER GOD. (BUT THE GOD THAT IS IN YOU)”
15 Truly You ARE GOD, who hide Yourself, O God of Israel, the Savior!

The Only God and Savior there is, IS IN YOU. This God is a God who HIDES IN YOU!

That’s right, there is no one that has walked this earth who had it all figured out. So many have painted this picture of Jesus as someone who knew everything, as God knows everything… AND YET…

Mark 13:32
But of that day and that hour knoweth NO MAN, no, not the angels which are in heaven, NEITHER THE SON, but the Father.

It’s time we let go of this idea that a man named Jesus was so much greater than we are. That what he did we can not do, when in fact the majority of scripture teaches quite the opposite. We are in fact told very clearly in scripture that if we do not do as Jesus did, believe as he believed, live as he lived, and see as he saw, that we are none of his.

Mark 8:34
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

So let’s put this idea that Jesus was some sort of superman to rest. Let’s start with the fact that he was TEMPTED!!!!

AND LADIES AD GENTLEMEN, to be tempted means YOU ARE DRAWN AWAY BY YOUR OWN LUSTS!

James 1:14
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

That’s right even Jesus was “drawn away by his own lust”. Just as we are drawn away by our lusts.

And what are these lusts? You ask.

1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

So the long and short of it is, Jesus being tempted by the devil is just another story to help us understand our story.

Our temptations are his and his temptations are ours. Because, IF TRUTH BE TOLD, Jesus is just the name we have chosen to identify the SPIRIT OF GOD’S SON (child) that is WITHIN US ALL.

We have been duped to believe that Jesus alone is God’s son… yet Adam was declared to be God’s son, David was declared to be God’s Son, All of Israel was declared to be God’s son, and we should know by now we are all Israel. We are all God’s son (heir/child/offspring).

Just as ADAM is A SYMBOL of all of mankind in his first nature (ignorance), JESUS (the 2nd Adam/Man) is a SYMBOL of all of mankind rising to his perfected state.

So when we are persecuted, Jesus is persecuted, just as when Jesus was crucified we were crucified.

Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Let’s discuss this above scripture (Gal 2:20). Please re-read GAL 2:20 again if you skimmed over it and then let me explain how I understand it.

“Christ” is our TRUE NATURE, Christ is our “LIFE force” if you will.

Colossians 3:4
When Christ, who IS OUR LIFE, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

We (who we think we are=how we identify ourselves from others)are crucified with our TRUE NATURE (Christ).

Now that doesn’t mean our sense of being (or ego) no longer exists, we still live our life as the person we believe ourselves to be… HOWEVER we understand that although we seem to exist, in fact it is CHRIST (the power and wisdom of God) which is really living within that idea of who we think we are.

So once we come to the understanding that who we REALLY are is so much more than who we THOUGHT WE WERE we begin living with the faith that we are indeed GOD’S SON (child).

And if God’s child, then we TOO are GOD’S SON… AND IF THAT BE TRUE….

We are the SON who loved “the idea of who we thought we were” so much, that who “we really are and were (God’s son)” gave himself for us.

Okay, I don’t know if I can even really put in words what I am trying to state here.

Let me try it this way. When you were born who you were isn’t who you began to believe yourself to be. You were given a name which you began to identify as you, you had experiences growing up which molded you into becoming the person you began to think you were. But what really happened within, is who you REALLY were and ARE, began to love the idea of who you began to think yourself to be so much that YOU allowed your true nature to be put to death for the one you began to think yourself to be… BUT ARE NOT… Deep right?

In other words, “Christ (your true nature) DIED so that YOU (who you think you are) could LIVE” – get it?

Let’s put it another way.

Elohim (plural/many-as we are many) said, “let US make man in OUR image”, and “THEY” made mankind in the IMAGE of who THEY thought they were. Remember an IMAGE is only a representation of its creator. It may look like the creator, sound like the creator, feel like the creator, but the image is not the creator, IT CAN NEVER BE.

In other words, Your EGO (who you think you are) may look like, feel like and sound like YOU… but it can’t be, because your ego isn’t you. It is merely a representation of who you REALLY ARE in this world. YOUR EGO is nothing compared to who you are. You are so much greater than the image of who you are.

Okay, I know what I am sharing may seem far-fetched. But think about this… Isn’t our ego an image of who we believe ourselves to be? And can’t we, LIKE GOD, repent of the person we then became by destroying that image/person and starting again?

Genesis 6:5-7
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Don’t we all at one point or another in our lives say, “I don’t like the person I have become”, “I don’t like the way I think”, “the way I live”, “I don’t want to be the person I am anymore”, “I want to recreate myself?”

And then don’t we then set out to change who we were to become a new and better person? Don’t we set out to destroy the person we made on the earth with every negative thought and bad habit that went along with it?

Of course we do.

So when I stated earlier that Jesus is simply a representation of who we REALLY are, I wasn’t expressing myself metaphorically, I was being literal about the metaphor of Jesus… who is really US.

Now I have written about this for years, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when I say the Temptation of Jesus by the devil in the wilderness is really our temptation to begin with.

We need to first understand that the WILDERNESS that we are tempted in is OUR WAKING LIFE. It is the life we are living right now WITHOUT the full understanding of who we are and what we are capable of.

The wilderness is our waking life which feels more like a journey that goes on and on until we find the promise land.

Think about that for a moment. Isn’t everyone here waiting to die to go to heaven? As if on some journey where the end result is the promiseland?

The irony is WE ARE THE PROMISE LAND. The light and life of God is WITHIN, IT IS ALREADY WHO WE TRULY ARE. And while we are searching high and low for peace outside of us, PEACE has always been within and never far. While we are trying to FIND OURSELVES we have ALWAYS BEEN OURSELVES but refused to believe that.

This world has become OUR WILDERNESS in which we are tempted, because of our EGO (who we think we are).

This world should feel like paradise because we are paradise. I believe it WILL feel this way once AGAIN. the instant we embrace who we really are and let go of WHO WE THINK WE ARE. Our EGO has turned this paradise into a wilderness where we are suffering, struggling to make ends meet, and worse. This is written right there in the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 14:16-18
16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 THAT MADE THE WORLD AS A WILDERNESS.

AND SO, NOW to correct all of this, we have become the VOICE CRYING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS…

Isaiah 40:3
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

The reason we are shouting, “prepare the way of the Lord and to make straight a path for our God” is because we want to live right, we want to know the truth, WE WANT TO BE FREE! So we are actively preparing and taking steps for this great day. The day when the truth of who we are is finally revealed.

So when I state that Jesus’ temptation is our temptation, and our temptation is Jesus’ temptation, I am being quite literal. For Jesus is the name we have given to the salvation of self-realization. Jesus is just the name we used to eventually lead us to the savior that is within us all… SO THAT WHEN WE BELIEVE ON HIM (WHO WE REALLY ARE) WE WILL BE SAVED!

Our journey has never been about putting our faith in another, especially putting our faith in someone from thousands of years ago who supposedly did all the work for us. Our journey is to find that…

1 John 4:17
… as HE is, so are WE in this world.

Your salvation from your fear, worry, doubt, and suffering is not found in believing that some man from thousands of years ago died for you. It is realizing the truth of who you are died so who you think you are can live. And that is why you MUST follow the example laid out before you and LAY down the person you think you are to allow the truth of who you really are to live.

Matthew 16:24
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

To DENY something is to state “It doesn’t exist”. It doesn’t say “deprive” yourself, it states you need to “DENY YOURSELF, TAKE UP THE CROSS AND FOLLOW THE PATH”. To DENY who you think you are, take up your cross from death to life and follow the example laid out before you.

When Jesus was asked, what is the way to the father… He said very clearly. I AM THE WAY.

Now that does not mean you have to believe on him and that it’s all good because he did it already. It means HE IS THE WAY, what “HE” did “YOU” must do, what “HE” found out “YOU” must find out… And you have to BELIEVE this if you will ever have a chance of finding salvation in this world.

And what was one of the first things Jesus found out first before his true ministry began?

Matthew 17:5
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

We too, must understand that WE ARE GOD’S ONLY BEGOTTEN SON IN WHOM GOD IS WELL PLEASED! And immediately after we do this, just as the story of Jesus details, we too will be tempted in the wilderness of our lives.

But it is essential that you understand the symbolism of this temptation and not feel compelled to simply accept the Hollywood version as historical fact. There was no literal snake whispering in Jesus’ ear. This is allegory people and my essays have always been about trying to uncover what that means.

There is so much more for us all to learn from these stories when we don’t rely on private interpretation, or should I say “literal interpretation”. We need to rely on spiritual inspiration.

I tell you the truth when I say the spiritual meaning of these stories is life-giving and wonderful. While trying to make these allegories literally true becomes a stumbling block for all.

In addition once you understand this, you will also see that like scripture, our lives are an allegory as well. Whatever we face has a much deeper spiritual meaning for us to learn. This is why the scriptures teach us that God is known by the physical things around us.

But let me get back to the original point of this essay. The Temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.

Because I have an interesting thing to put before you. In the story of the Temptation Jesus is whisked away by the Devil and basically promised that Jesus could have it all, if he would simply bow down and worship him.

Isn’t it ironic that the Christian Church also teaches that if you worship Jesus, your problems will go away and you can be blessed beyond measure?

Matthew 4:8
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Now I am not saying Jesus is the devil here, I want to be clear. I am saying Man’s EGO is the Devil, and Man’s EGO is tricking you into worshipping someone else to have it all. Now I know there are many that even read this blog that “worship” Jesus… But when tempted in the wilderness, pay attention to the words Jesus used.

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you,[d] Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’

Jesus did not say, it is written YOU SHALL WORSHIP ME (JESUS) AND JESUS ALONE SHALL YOU SERVE… NO! Jesus said very clearly that YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD, YOUR GOD (the devils/egos God), and GOD ALONE SHALL YOU SERVE.

This means people, and PAY ATTENTION… YOUR EGO MUST SERVE GOD! Your TRUE NATURE is in control of YOUR EGO!

WHO YOU ARE TRUMPS WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE!

You are not a helpless victim. You do not need anyone or anything to help you find the peace and freedom you crave. All you need to do is BELIEVE ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

Matthew 19:26
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The temptation is to turn stones (religious laws) into Bread (life-giving food). The Temptation is to bow down and serve your ego and you can have it all, but your EGO/Devil is your prison in which you have the power to not only escape but put under your true control. The temptation is to believe you are helpless and that only if you bow down and serve another that you will find freedom and peace. The temptation is you can live the way you want without consequences. The temptation is to accept yourself as you are and call yourself perfect when you know deep down living out of your ego is far from perfection. The temptation is to believe everything the media feeds you, to believe if you only have this or that you will finally be happy. The temptation is designed to keep you focused on everything that is outside of you, when everything there is has always been within.

YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR EGO. You are more than you could ever believe. When Jesus said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” – He was stating a fact that is true for us all.

For God is everything, and Everything is God. You and every single person share something unique and wonderful in common. YOU ARE ALL THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING, AS AM I. The day begins and ends with each of us. We ARE the center of everything, we are IN THE FATHER AND THE FATHER IS IN US…

A good way to describe that is to look at the world outside of you. You are in this world, but also the world is IN YOU… Because the only way the world and everything in it is known, is by how it is processed within. Everything you see, is actually formed within, everything you hear, EVERYTHING OUTSIDE OF YOU is scientifically proven to be INSIDE OF YOU. And with out YOU nothing would ever exist.

I don’t know how many people are truly ready to see past the temptation of putting your faith outside of yourself. But I do know once you put your faith within and accept that you are so much more than who you think you, then you will know salvation and God in all God’s glory.

John 8:32
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

FIND THE TRUTH PEOPLE!

Thank you again for spending some time on my ladder! 🙂
Jacob

For my novel, The Calling
http://www.JacobIsrael.org

Hidden Wisdom From Above

Jacob Israel10 Comments



Hidden Wisdom From Above

This morning I just had a real strong desire to write. I did not know what to write, in fact the last time I had something that I truly wanted to share, I just didn’t have the time to write it as I started a new job and have been working many hours. Instead I posted a brief “thought for the day” on my facebook about it. It was something that I found to be truly wonderful and yet I was surprised it didn’t get the attention that I thought it would.

As you all know by now, I love it when the “SPIRIT” of the scriptures are uncovered. Because as we all know by now it is the SPIRIT OF THE STORY that gives us life, not the LETTER (literal) understanding of it. We are meant to be ministers of the SPIRIT, of the heart of truth and love, not ministers of historical fact or literal repetition.

2 Corinthians 3:6
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

It is the SPIRIT that gives one peace. It is that AHA moment, when you finally understand what it all means that changes a person’s heart. The focus should never be on the reciting of a particular story or accepting it to be literally true. The focus should always be on what IT ALL MEANS. It is the SPIRIT of the story that has been hidden away within the story that we are destined to share.

We are to share the meaning of the GOSPEL (good news) not simply the repetition of it. What does it matter if you can repeat every single word of the nativity story, if you don’t realize that THIS STORY is YOUR STORY. What does it matter if you can repeat page after page of scripture if you don’t first know what it means?

WHAT IS THE MYSTERY THAT HAS BEEN HIDDEN? That is what we must share. THE SPIRIT of the mystery tucked away neatly within the author’s story.

1 Corinthians 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory

And this mystery is CHRIST IN YOU! But merely repeating those words means nothing, IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU!

Proverbs 26:7
The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

This simple passage reveals a great mystery. The Author is telling you what a LAME man is. Re-read the passage… now what is the LAME man a symbol of?

RIGHT! A FOOL! One who does not know the TRUTH. One who has yet to have the SPIRIT of the PARABLE revealed. One who has yet to have the TRUTH heal his FOOLISH AFFLICTION. And CHRIST (the TRUTH reveals in mankind) HEALS the LAME.

So what I wanted to share recently was the parable of the man with the withered hand. Jesus healed him on the sabbath. This was the short poem I posted, in hopes someone would pick up on its hidden meaning.

When Jesus healed the man with the withered hand, the point wasn’t just to prove that on the Sabbath God had a different plan. The point was to show, that all it takes is compassion for anyone’s hand to grow. This is all allegory you see, for the spiritually and emotionally crippled to be free, all it takes is love and charity. This is why before the man was healed he was first told to “stretch forth his hand”… This for everyone is God’s plan. What we do for others we do for ourselves. This is the key to freedom and how all those hurting will be made well… Our Hand has been withered for far too long, our authority and power needs to be restored so we can begin to sing a new song. We too need to STRETCH FORTH OUR HAND to those in need and I promise when we do our hand that has been withered by lies and greed will be made whole and the peace we have all longed for we will finally see. So today I will Stretch forth your hand, not just for you but for me.

What I was trying to do was show people the SPIRIT of this story. Look, it doesn’t matter one bit whether a man named Jesus literally healed a person’s hand. HOW DOES BELIEVING THIS CHANGE A PERSON? The answer is… IT DOESN’T. All it creates is confusion. Because “as Jesus is so are we in this world.”

1 John 4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Now if this be true, then why can’t you or I just go up to someone without a limb, or who is lame and instantly heal them? The answer is, because the literal healing of the person IS NOT WHAT IS IMPORTANT! God only wants two things from us, LOVE GOD, LOVE OTHERS. If you do this, all of God’s law and spirit is fulfilled.

So how does one see that LOVE is the answer in these stories of people being healed?

One must see the parable! One must learn the hidden wisdom of God.

We must look at each word in scripture and find out what they represent. For the sake of time, I will only share one scripture as a description.

Let’s look at that scripture.

Luke 6:6
And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.

The SABBATH is when we are meant to enter into REST. Meaning we have no more fear, we have hope, peace, we have stopped our works (vain effort) and we trust in God.

However, here we see that MAN (us) on the SABBATH (when we should be resting) found ourselves to have a right hand that was withered.

Now we understand that CHRIST (The TRUTH/Way/Life) of God is the RIGHT HAND OF GOD… So this must mean, that the TRUTH of God is of none effect in our lives. The authority of Love has withered, when it should be whole. Now watch how we begin to unravel the meaning of the withered hand.

The HAND = One Power, Ability, Influence

Exodus 15:6
Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in POWER

The MAN is the story, is always a representation of US. FOR we are the MEN AND WOMEN of scripture.

To have the Power of God withered in your life, means you are not ruled by the TRUTH. When something withers it is first starved of water (doctrine/teaching/understanding). The good news is, there is a way to heal this. And that is found in STRETCHING OUT YOUR HAND.

I hope by now you see that this ALLEGORY is about how the authority and power and love of God is restored when the MAN (us) begins to STRETCH OUT OUR HANDS!!!! Meaning we must LOVE OTHERS! When we do this we are made whole again and the power and authority of God’s truth is restored whole in our lives so we can finally do GOOD!

Because we MUST do good on the sabbath, not evil. We should be resting, we should be loving, we should be trusting, and to do this we MUST understand the SPIRIT of the story. Not just of scripture but of our lives.

Gal 4
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants

The LITERAL is slavery, but the SPIRITUAL iS LIFE! It is time for us to look past the literal and see the SPIRIT of it all.

Every writer loves to delve into allegory as it does more than just paint the picture for you, it allows the picture to unfold into your imagination into something that lives.

Let me explain what I mean by using the classic “Moby Dick” to illustrate. In Melville’s amazing tale, the White Whale and the journey to hunt it down means so much more than just some man trying to get revenge.

For those that don’t know the story, here is a brief synopsis from good ole Wikipedia…

The story tells the adventures of wandering sailor Ishmael, and his voyage on the whaleship Pequod, commanded by Captain Ahab. Ishmael soon learns that Ahab has one purpose on this voyage: to seek out Moby Dick, a ferocious, enigmatic white sperm whale. In a previous encounter, the whale destroyed Ahab’s boat and bit off his leg, which now drives Ahab to take revenge.

Now on one level this story tells an exciting tale, but if one were to just take this story at face value, the true meaning would forever be lost. Because this “White Whale” is not just a literal whale. It symbolizes something greater. Whether it is inner conflict or worldly pressures, well that depends greatly on what the reader needs to learn at the moment.

Every element of Moby Dick, as well as many others classic tales, contain great hidden wisdom. That goes also for Ahab’s “Leg” which was more than just a literal leg but the ability to move on, or “The ship”, “The Crew”, “Ishmael” himself, all of which has a deeper, allegorical meaning.

When the greater truth of a story is uncovered the life of the reader can be changed… Or so that is the hope of every author.

Within my novel, The Calling, characters, locations and scenarios all have a deeper meaning. It was my desire for people to read this novel again and again and have the ability to take something new away from it. This is the same way I read the scriptures.

However, if one were to read my novel, strictly as a literal story, sure it would be an exciting ride but they would miss the “LIFE/SPIRIT” of the story, which I believe could truly make a difference in their lives, much like Melville’s tale, or “Tom Sawyer” and of course the greatest book of them all, The Bible (IN MY HUMBLE OPINION).

But how can one experience change and learn this great wisdom from above, if one doesn’t pray for IT and seek after the deeper meaning.

The question is, how do we SEE this deeper meaning? Who holds the keys to unlocking the treasures hidden away from “literal” sight?

Isaiah 48:6
…I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

We are being shown things all the time. But in the past we didn’t really pay attention. However, today is different, today MANY are waking up. Many are seeing God and the truth of God in a new LIGHT (a new way of seeing the scriptures). Where once people didn’t know how to find the truth within now they are learning that all one needs to do is ask.

“Teach me the Truth Lord, No Matter What The Cost!” – This was my prayer, but that prayer was first a desire that was planted within me. I did not ask for this desire, it was a gift. A gift all of you have been wonderfully given as well.

Psalm 21:2
Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips.

This is the gift of God, lest any man should boast.

Proverbs 25:14
Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain

There is no one more anointed than you. There is no one more special or gifted than you. If only people could see that their salvation (freedom from their ignorant suffering and false ego) lies within. If only people could see that the truth of God does not live in others alone and that the truth of God is not for a special chosen lot who people flock to every sunday. If only people could see that the truth of God is not for those who parade around in the churches, wearing expensive clothes, who love the praise of men and the riches of the world…

Luke 20:46
Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts

If only people could see that TRUTH of God is for us all. It is within us all and waiting to be discovered by us all.

Yet, you will never be free, you will never have hope and peace, until you let go of everything you thought you knew about God and sincerely desire the truth of God.

The good news is many of you reading this right now are already there. In addition you also know it was not by your will alone that brought you to this point.

Romans 9:16
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy

This is great news. This is reason for us all to stand up and shout…

Psalm 62:1
Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation

No matter what we are going through, regardless of where we are, THE HAND OF THE LORD is WITH US and there is a work taking place within us that no one can destroy.

Isaiah 14:27
For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

Now that is great new, isn’t it? WE CAN’T FAIL PEOPLE! No one is too lost to be found, no one is to hurt to be healed, no one is to consumed with anger to forgive, NO ONE IS OUTSIDE OF THE PURPOSE THAT IS WITHIN US ALL.

Sure it may take time for others to see the Light, but that doesn’t mean the light isn’t within them already waiting for their experiences to open the door of their understanding so they can see it and express it to others.

You see God makes everything beautiful in its time. More importantly, God has ALREADY done it.

Ecclesiastes 3:11
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:

Isn’t it time for us to stop arguing over what is literal and what is not. Isn’t it time for us to see to the heart of God so in turn we can show the heart of God to others. It is time for us to finally have HOPE!

Romans 5:5
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

GOD IS LOVE AND TRUTH! And the HIDDEN WISDOM of God is found in every story, in every life, in every situation, in every heart, in every minute or every day. So seek the SPIRIT of the story, not the letter of it all. Seek the WISDOM from above and remember what God’s wisdom truly is.

JAMES 3
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

For those that want to condemn others, persecute others, tear down others, this is the path to a life of despair. But for those who love all, accept all, and stretch their hands toward all… this is the wisdom that is above all.

It is my great hope, that this WISDOM which is PURE, PEACEABLE, GENTLE, EASY, FILLED WITH MERCY, WITHOUT PARTIALITY, AND WITHOUT HYPOCRISY… it is THIS WISDOM I pray you will seek, as you seek the SPIRIT OF IT ALL!

(If you enjoyed this article please feel free to share with other. Please subscribe, it is free and you will be updated with every new article or video I post here. And for those that have supported the “Voice in the Dead Woods” and continue to do so, I am so thankful to you, it is beyond words.)

Jacob
http://www.JacobIsrael.org

Jacob Answers (The Unforgiveable Sin)

Jacob Israel30 Comments


The Unforgivable Sin

This week I put a line in the water to see what type of discussion could be caught. I received a bunch of wonderful comments and emails with a variety of topics, some I tried to answer as replies, others I responded personally to, but the one I really felt that many could benefit from was a question that came from Ricky Ramos about the unforgivable sin. Here is his question.

Hello, Jacob. I was here before asking you what do you believe is the unpardonable sin. I am interested in your answer because I have been reading about this a lot and havent really gotten an answer that satisfies me. – Ricky Ramos Apr 27, 10:29 pm

What a great question and as Ricky stated, many times I have heard people try to explain this one to me and, like Ricky, I never got an answer that made any sense at all. Just more fear poured upon fear. Well, it’s time we put an end to that. So, let’s tak a look at one of the scriptures that states this.

Matthew 12:32
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Let me start by stating why this is such an important scripture to understand.

We all know by now, HOPEFULLY, that the LETTER (that is, the literal understanding of scripture) KILLS, and the SPIRIT of the scripture gives life.

Time and time again we have seen people twisting and turning the scriptures to mean all sorts of things and to further all sorts of agendas. The scripture that has Ricky asking questions has been used to further the belief in infinite torture, which is the commonly held belief of a literal place called “Hell” that our God of Love supposedly created to send those he created ignorant of him to begin with. SILLY RIGHT?

Now, of course I am not about to go into a deep explanation as to why there is no such place. I have written extensively about this in the past, see my article “Hell Revealed”, or “The Lake of Fire Revealed” for more information about the topic. Hopefully you have been coming to this site long enough to know that the HELL that is written about in scripture is another world for “the place of the dead, the hidden place, the grave, Sheol” etc… meaning it is another word for “Ignorant Suffering”, remember people only the TRUTH sets people free, the lies and cares of this world cause nothing but misery, weeping and gnashing of teeth.

That being said, I’m sure you can see how people can take the scripture in question, that states THERE IS AN UNFORGIVEABLE SIN, and extrapolate that this is evidence that God would torture his ignorant creation endlessly, instead of teaching them, correcting them, guiding them, and saving them from their ignorance AS SCRIPTURE STATES. 🙂

Personally, I can’t see how anyone could deduce that there is anything we could possibly do that would move God to completely give up on us for. Sure we will REAP what we SOW, we will be corrected for what we do wrong, but God give up on us? NEVER!

Psalm 94:14
For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance!

No, there is NOTHING that can seperate us from the LOVE OF GOD! Let me get this first very important point out-of-the-way… There is NOTHING that can seperate us from God!

Romans 8
35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Can anything seperate us from the love of God through Christ? The answer once again is, NO!

Romans 8
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So is it EVER POSSIBLE that God would give up on us? The answer is always, NO, it would be IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO GIVE UP ON US!

Luke 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Nothing is impossible for God. God can do all things!

But it is however IMPOSSIBLE for anyone, or anything to thwart God’s will. Meaning what God wants God gets!

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Isaiah 43:13
Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?”

Daniel 4:35
All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?”

I hope you can see that God’s will WILL be done, regardless. EVEN IF WE DON’T BELIEVE… NOTHING CAN STOP GOD’S WILL!

God doesn’t need US to do anything, say anything, be anything, or believe anything, it is GOD that does the work. YES, he creates the good and the seemingly bad. God does it all! GOD IS IN CONTROL, ALWAYS AND FOREVER! So what God wants God gets… The reason for this is wonderful… And those who have “ears to hear this will”.

2 Timothy 2:13
If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

So even our UNBELIEF can’t stop God’s will. Now why am I making this point?

The answer you will understand the moment you UNDERSTAND what GOD’S WILL is.

You see it is God’s will to have all of mankind saved.

1 Timothy 2:4
Who WILL have ALL men (mankind) to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Now this is REALLY GOOD NEWS (the gospel). No matter what we have done, no matter where we have gone, no matter what we believe and don’t believe, EVENTUALLY all will be saved from their ignorance, and ALL will come to the KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH AND THE STATURE OF THE PERFECT MAN (CHRIST).

So with that being said, HOW COULD ANYONE EVER STATE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO THAT WOULD BE BEYOND GOD’S GRACE AND EVER STRETCHED HAND? The answer is simple, ignorance.

People are just ignorant. Now Ricky, when I explain this to you, you and many other may just clock yourselves in the head with the palm of your hand like someone in a V-8 commercial.

This explanation, I hope, will clear up SO MUCH for SO MANY when it comes to this scripture that has so many scared that they may have ignorantly sinned against the Holy Spirit for which there is NO FORGIVENESS… dun dun dunnnnnn!

Let’s start by DEFINING what FORGIVENESS is.

According to Mirriam Webster, this is the definition:

FORGIVENESS:
a: to give up resentment of or claim to requital for b: to grant relief from payment of

Let me put it plain for you. Say you owe me twenty dollars and can’t pay me back. To FORGIVE you of that debt would mean I say, HEY DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, YOU OWE ME NOTHING.

Forgiveness means YOU DO SOMETHING for which a penalty should be paid and it IS NOT paid but the debt is forgiven!

Let me write that again, to FORGIVE means if someone wrongs you, borrows from you, or does something that need repair or repayment, the person who has done the wrong, or borrowing is simply FORGIVEN of any offense, debt, or error on their part. They aren’t punished, they aren’t held accountable, they aren’t guilty, they don’t need to make amends, they don’t need to make small payments monthly until it is paid back.

TO FORGIVE means to COMPLETELY RELEASE someone from any type of debt, be that a monetary debt, offence, or error.

Okay, hopefully you understand what FORGIVENESS means now.

NOW, you may be able to see why this scripture that has so many people upset and worried is really nothing at all to be upset and worried about. Because if truth be told, we are CONSTANTLY SINNING AGAINST the holy spirit, for which there is no forgiveness. Which means, we are corrected! THAT’S IT!

We aren’t forgiven (RELEASED from our mistake or debt) because if God simply allowed us to do wrong without having us reap what we have sown WE WOULD NEVER LEARN and COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.

You see, God cannot simply FORGIVE us (release completely) from our wrong doings, otherwise how else would be learn from them?

It is not a bad or terrible thing to NOT BE FORGIVEN for sinning (being in error, missing the point, missing the mark, missing the truth).

Let’s say that we grew up to believe that if someone stole from us, that it was God’s will to cut of that person’s hand, that would be a SIN against the HOLY SPIRIT (WHICH IS TRUTH AND LOVE AND LIFE). Meaning, it is NOT God’s will for us to hurt those who hurt us, it is God’s will for us to LOVE and FORGIVE even our enemies.

Matthew 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you

To believe that you must someone hate, condemn, or hurt those who hurt you is SINNING AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT. To put it plainly, you missed the mark, you missed the TRUTH that we must LOVE! In addition, if God was to simply forgive you of that error, you would never learn. SO, there is NO FORGIVENESS for such an act. Now does that mean God condemns you to a place of endless torture? OF COURSE NOT! There is no such thing.

However, it does mean, God will repay the offender by having them reap what they sow. God will correct that offender by allowing the same thing to happen to them whether in this world, or the next.

Matthew 12:32
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

If the words coming out of our mouth are contrary to the TRUTH, it is unforgivable. Meaning, God will correct us and put the right words in our mouth. If our actions are contrary to God’s truth and love, God will correct us. It is unforgivable. AND THAT IS A GOOD THING! Because if we were just allowed to get away with anything and everything, we would NEVER come to the TRUTH and we would be forever lost. Meaning we would never enter the Promise Land of Righteousness, Peace, Joy, and Power in the Holy Ghost.

Just like the child who need to get burned a couple of times before he or she stops touching that hot stove, God corrects us of our ignorance by allowing us to simply reap what we sow. SO WE DON’T HURT OURSELVES FURTHER WITH OUR IGNORANT BEHAVIOR.

Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

If you do foolish things, you will reap those things. If you do right and your actions are pure and there is love in your heart you will reap peace in return.

8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Anyone that teaches that GOD GIVES UP ON US, is in fact SINNING against the HOLY SPIRIT themselves.

And yes for that there is no forgiveness. Meaning, God will have to correct a person that thinks that God will give up them, because THAT IS NOT TRUE, it is error, it is SIN. And it is a horrible place to be spiritually. It is a foolish thought.

Let’s reason… If God gives up on us then we have permission to give up on others. If God wants people to suffer, then it gives us permission to the do the same. THAT IS SIN (foolish thinking). No God is LOVE and love it patient, gentle, kind, it doesn’t seek to strive, it does not HOLD ACCOUNTS and it NEVER CASTS OFF! But love also CORRECTS. Which is why, we are set STRAIGHT when we are riding our High Horse in error as Paul was. We need to be corrected of our SIN (foolish thinking)

Proverbs 24:9
The thought of foolishness is sin

If God simply FORGAVE us for not knowing the truth, and living the truth, then we would never know the TRUTH. And we would be forever lost.

If God didn’t CORRECT us for every error and allowed us to continue on the path of evil (ignorance) then God never loved us to begin with.

But since GOD IS LOVE, God WILL correct us, he can’t allow us to get away with being ignorant. God corrects those he loves.

Hebrews 12:
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

We have long attributed believed forgiveness with how a person feel’s about us.

When a child does wrong, their parents punish them and then when the punishment is over the parent says, “Are you sorry?” And when the child says they are, the parent says, “I forgive you.”

However, THAT is NOT forgiveness, as we now know.

FORGIVESS would be for that parent to simply allow the child to do wrong and not hold him or her accountable. And if we, as parents, did such a thing… we would not be considered good parents. Because we know better than our children. Our children are ignorant of many things that we understand through experience. So when they do wrong we HAVE to correct them so they won’t make those same mistakes again and can go on to live a full, joy filled life. GOD IS NO DIFFERENT!

We can sin again the SON OF MAN (Which is our sense of being/ego) but we CANNOT sin against the HOLY SPIRIT, which is truth. We cannot be ignorant of the TRUTH, we MUST be corrected for this. AND THAT IS ALSO GREAT NEWS! Because through our correction comes the great Glory of what we become when all is said and done.

Romans 8:18
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

As is written in Mark, the reason there is no forgiveness for Blaspheming or Sinning against the Holy Ghost is because the person is in danger of a period of time where they are corrected (judged) so they can be separated from their ignorance instead of being separated from the TRUTH in their own imagination. This is what “eternal damnation” means, it is an undefined period of time (aionos) of separation/judgment. It does NOT MEAN that since the ignorant person is ignorant that God will send them to a place of endless torture, it just means that God MUST correct them. And thank God for that.

So Ricky, I sure hope this has given you an answer that satisfies your question. I hope you now know what forgiveness is, and why correction and guidance is so important.

Most importantly, I hope that everyone reading this essay is left with a feeling of peace, knowing that no matter where they are, no matter what they are going through, everything is working together for their Good.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God loves us so much that he won’t forgive us when we are ignorant of him, he will correct us and bring us to the truth and perfect stature of his son (child) and we can finally believe in the name (NATURE) that is above ALL NAMES (NATURES) so we can finally be FORGIVEN (released) from the ignorance that once haunted us for so long.

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Until next time, LIVE, LAUGH, AND LOVE! BE THAT LIGHT AND DIFFERENCE!
Jacob
http://www.JacobIsrael.org