REPROVING A FAMOUS TEACHER

FALSE CONCEPTS OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BORN AGAIN

Dear friends how often have we heard preachers and evangelists speaking to their audience about being ‘born again’? Each has his own idea of what to do - raise your hand, march down the isle, kneel at the ‘mourner’s bench’, sign a ‘decision card’ get baptized and on and on,

 but I dare say that few actually understand what it means to literally be ‘born again’ and that is because they only read one or two verses from the third chapter of John’s Gospel.

     What I am about to write in this article will not be comprehended by the closed minded. And I fear that my words will simply fly over the heads of certain evangelists and T. V. preachers but I feel that it is crucial to understand what Jesus was really telling Nicodemus the famous Master of Israel. So let’s examine what he said.

     Jesus is not saying that the believer is like the wind. He is saying that the Spirit is like the wind and that it makes sound when it arrives. Let’s examine some examples. We’ll start with baptism of the Holy Spirit experienced by the Twelve in the upper room.

"When the day of Pentecost finally came, they (the twelve) were all in one accord in one place. Suddenly, there came a sound from heaven like a mighty rushing wind and it filled all the entire house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them, split tongues of fire which rested upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, according as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1-4

     Now, bear with me in what I am about to say. Those who have listened to this Sound, will tell you that over a period of time, as one continually listens (read that watches) that it manifests in ten different sounds. And I hope to explore these sounds with my reader,

 in this article. This is the small still Voice that one hears after stilling the emotions and the mind. As it is written, "Be still and Know that I AM God." - Psl. 46:10 An example of this, is Elijah, when he fled from

 Queen Jezebel. She had threatened to kill him because he had had all her prophets of Baal slain. With the help of an angel, he eventually wound up at Mount Horeb (or Sinai) in southern Arabia.

     The word of the LORD came to him, while he was living in a cave there, saying, "Go forth and stand upon the mountain before the LORD. And behold the LORD passed by and a great and powerful wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD but the LORD was not in the wind and after the wind an earthquake, but the

 LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, a fire but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire a small still Voice. And after Elijah heard it, he wrapped his mantle around his face and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. And behold, there came a Voice to him asking; ‘What are you doing here Elijah’. - I Kings 19:11-13

     Up to this point, Elijah had been a great prophet but after hearing the Voice, he became a true Master, authorized to commission new prophets and kings. The wind and earthquake and fire were not the Voice of God but only manifestations of his presence. What we want to cover in this article is the Universal Sound current which sustains the entire Universe that can be heard by the saints of God.

     Now, there is a real fire from God and there is an imitation of God’s fire, which many preachers parade around with, purporting to speak God’s words. The scripture records a warning to us of two such men: "Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took both of them their censer

 and put fire in it and put the incense in and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded. And there went out a fire from the LORD and devoured them, so that they died before the LORD." - Lev. 10:1,2 Again, the fire was not God, it was merely the manifestation of God’s presence. (See Ex. 30:9; Num. 11:1, 2)

    God asked his people; "Has there ever been a people who heard the Voice of God speaking from the fire as you have, and lived?" - Deut. 4:33 When Moses came upon the burning bush, he saw its light and heard a voice speaking out of it.

HEARING THE VOICE & THE NEW COVENANT

     Jesus made it clear that there are two Resurrections: one is a literal resurrection from the dead, the other is Spiritual Resurrection which comes by listening to the Voice. "Truly, Truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now arrived, when the dead shall HEAR THE VOICE of the Son of Goad and THOSE WHO HEAR SHALL LIVE." - John 5:25

     This is something Nicodemus should have known but maybe he just forgot it. It is clearly taught in Isaiah: "Incline your ear and come to me: Hear and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you." Isa. 55:3 Furthermore, those who hear and come to life shall make up a huge army: "He said to me ‘Prophesy unto these (dry) bones

 and say to them, O you dry bones, HEAR the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into YOU AND YOU SHALL LIVE." . . . "So, I prophesied as he had commanded me and the breath came into them and they lived and stood upon their feet , an exceeding great army." - Ezek. 37:4, 5, 10.

    So, we see the ignorance of the famous teacher, Nicodemus. It is interesting to note that the Aramaic version uses the word ‘huma’ in John 3:6, which breaks down as follows: ‘hu’ meaning God and ‘mah’ meaning water. The very word ‘human’ means ‘hu’ God, ‘man’ meaning mind.

THE MYSTERY OF MAN

     In the Polynesian islands and especially in Hawaii, there exists a breed of priests, left over from the pre-missionary days of the Christians. They are known as the Kahunas and they have some amazing

 abilities; one of which is calling a whole school of fish in, so that their fishermen can catch them. These men teach that man is made up of three Selves: the low self, the middle self and the high self. The high Self has two faces - one male and one female.

     As if to confirm this teaching, the native American Indians along the upper west coast set up totem poles which reflect this truth. The face at the top always represents the High Self.

    Jesus made it clear that we are to give alms of everything we possess and this especially pertains to the High Self. Listen: You fools, did not He who made the outside, also make the inside. You ought to give alms of such things as you have and then all things will be clean to you." - Luke 11:40, 41 This pertains to thanksgiving and many other things.

     In the Hebrew Tabernacle, this truth is also manifested in the structure and furniture of the Tabernacle. The Holy of Holies, which represents the mind, contained the Ark of God. On its top, it had a cover with two Cherubim on it - one male and one female. Inside the Ark were three items: Aaron’s rod, symbolizing will power. Moses’ tables of the Law, which man must have in his heart, and a piece of Manna.

THE HEAVENLY MANNA

     Someone is bound to write me and tell me that the people of Israel ate real manna. I have no quarrel with that but I also believe what Paul the Apostle said: "Now these things (stories) are (intended) as examples for us." - I Cor. 10:6

     There were certain things about the Manna that God rained down upon the people that we need to look at. First off, this word ‘manna’ has been a part of the Polynesian vocabulary for centuries. To them it represents an energy which can be consumed by the High Self. It is an energy which should be used for good, although some have used it to kill their enemies and other wicked things.

     Secondly the Manna which the children of Israel were given, was only good for one day, except on Sabbaths. After that it spoiled. - Exod. 16:19, 20 Which teaches us that we cannot live on the spiritual exercises of the past, whether that be meditation or prayer or whatever. We must live each day as a new day and walk with God anew.

     Thirdly, the people of Israel complained about the bland taste of the manna, because it "was as coriander seed and the color was the color of bdellium . . . . And the taste of it was like the taste of fresh oil.- Lev. 11:7, 8 Remember the oil that was supposed to be in the lamps of the five foolish virgins. This spiritual oil comes from meditation or to use an ancient expression ‘watching’.

     Fourthly, when Moses instructed Aaron to place a pot containing the Manna inside the Ark, he said to him: "Take a pot and place an omer full of manna therein and lay it up before the LORD, (so that) it will be kept for future generations . . . For the Children of Israel did eat manna for forty years. . . . Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah." - Exod.16:33, 35, 36

    St. Clement, commenting on this verse said: "Now an Omer is the tenth part of an Ephah or according to the Septuagint, of the Three Measures, Sensation, the measure of objects of the senses; Speech or reason of names and words; the Mind or understanding of things which are perceived by it. This is the true and just measure by which is

 measured the Decad of which man consists - the body, soul, five senses, speech, seminal power and spiritual power." The parable of the woman who kneaded leaven into three measures of meal comes to mind here but I will not comment on its meaning. Jesus may have been

 referring to these three aspects, when, according to the Gospel of Thomas, he said, "If two or three of you shall agree upon anything, it shall be done for you." Meaning that the lower man must be in agreement with the two other levels of man, if he wants his prayers answered.

IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS

     Earlier I made mention of the Universal Sound current which exists throughout the Universe and sustains every form of manifestation both visible and invisible. We will come to the ten graduations of this Sound shortly, but first we need to look at something else.

     When Jesus said to his disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not true, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I AM, there you may be also." - John 14:1-3

     These ‘mansions’ are not like those that the Rockefellers and the Mellons, and the Carnagies, and the Vanderbilts and the Du Ponts live in. This word is translated from the Greek word ‘monai’ and literally means an ‘abode’. It is the same word used in verse 23. In the days when the translators of the Authorized Version made their translation, the word ‘mansions’ meant simply ’resting places’.

     Dionysus, the Aeopagite (member of the court of Aeropagus) in his ‘Ecclesiastical Hierarchies’ taught that there are Nine levels in the Celestial Kingdom, each of which contained different types of angelic life. In a descending order they are: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Virtues, Archangels and Angels. Dionysus was considered to the Hierophant of the Christian world but not a Pope.

     At every level of the Celestial world and New Jerusalem, there is a music which can be heard by the mystic as he is lead higher and higher in the Kingdom of God. The 12th Century Sufi saint, Suhrawardi, tells us: "On each of these levels, species exist analogous to those in our

 world but they are infinite. Some are peopled by Angels and the human Elect. Others are peopled by Angels, Genii and others by Demons. God alone knows the number these levels and what they contain. The Pilgrim rising from one degree to another discovers on each higher level a

 subtler state, a more entrancing beauty, a more intense spirituality, a more overflowing delight. The highest of these degrees borders on that of the intelligible pure entities of light and very closely resembles it." - P. 514, ‘Forbidden Truths Revealed’, Jeffrey Brackeen

     The mystic Jacob Boehme in his Theosophical Works, wrote about a dialogue between a pupil and the Hierophant, in which he outlines the way to the heavenly city and ultimate union with God:

Pupil "How can I succeed in arriving at the supersensual life in which I may SEE AND HEAR THE SUPREME?"

Hierophant "If you can only for a moment, enter in thought into the formless,where no creature exists, you will HEAR THE VOICE OF THE SUPREME.

Pupil "Is this near or far?"

Hierophant "It is in yourself and if you can command only for one hour the silence of your desires, you will HEAR THE INEXPRESSIBLE WORDS OF THE SUPREME. If your own will and self are silent in you, the perception of the Eternal will manifest through you. Your own hearing, desiring and seeing prevents you from SEEING AND HEARING THE SUPREME." - P.514, ‘Forbidden Truths Revealed’, Jeffrey Brackeen

     I will not go into the science of mediation here, as I have covered it thoroughly in ‘Forbidden Truths Revealed’. Let me say that the ‘New Birth’ does not happen simply because a man may desire it. John made it clear that it does not come through the will of man but from God at his

 pleasure. "John answered, A man can receive nothing except it be given to him from heaven." - John 3: 27 And Jesus added, "Which are Born not because of blood, nor because of the will of the flesh or the will of man, but of God."- John 1:13 May God bless these thoughts to your heart. - Jeffrey Brackeen