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Neville 09-22-1969THE NATURE OF GODTo think ofthe Bible's events as historical, and the characters recorded there as persons suchas youand I, isto see truthtempered to the weakness ofthe humanform, unable to stand the stronglight ofrevelation. But Itellyou:it is inus, as persons, that the nature ofGod is revealed.Paultells us his conversioncame througha revelationof Jesus Christ. It did not come through a man, therebycausing him to change religions. No. Paul never forsook Judaism, but interpreted the meaning of the OldTestament through revelation. But was Paul a person, an individualbeing such as you are, as I am; or is he,too, one ofthese eternalcharacters? That is the questionI amaskingtonight.I tell you:all of the characters of scripture, including Paul, are eternal states. One day, whether you be maleor female, youwillreachthe state ofPaul, and your journeyinthe world ofdeathwillcome to its end.A friend ofmine - a ladywith two children and expecting her third - wrote, saying:"In vision I saw the Bibleopened to the New Testament and heard the words:`Youare Paul.' I was so startled I broke the visionandawoke questioning the words, `I am Paul? I am Paul? I am Paul?' The idea seemed too much for me tograsp, so I returned to sleep and the dreamcontinued. I saw the entire New Testament opened at the Book of Matthew, then an invisible hand moved the pages through the Book of Revelation as I heard the words:`It's allabout Paul,' So I ask you:Who is Paul?"Paulis a state youenter when, havingbeen introduced to Christianityor Judaism, the secret behind the wordsis revealed. Inthe state of Paul, youdiscover youare the Lord Jesus Christ who is God the Father. It is Paulwho says: "When it pleased God to reveal his son in me, I conferred not with flesh and blood." When thevision is yours, to whom could you turn to ask what they thought of it? They would tell you that you wereinsane, so youwould turnto no man; rather youwould abide inthe visionand dwelluponit.Paul's conversion did not change his religion, for he never forsook Judaism. His one disappointment was thathe could not convince his fellow religionists ofthe truthofwhat had takenplace inhim. Paul represents everyindividual - be he male or female - who arrives at that point in time when he awakens to discover that thecharacters of scripture did not exist in time and space, but are eternal spiritual states, which the individualmoves throughtoward the climax, whichis Jesus Christ.The fundamental story of scripture is a metamorphosis - a complete change of form. Like the grub worm istransformed into the butterfly, so man - as we understand him - is turned into Jesus Christ. And when ithappens inyou, there is no one to whomyoucan turn. It is a fact youcannot deny. I could no more denymyexperiences of Christ unfolding withinme, thanI candeny the fact that I amstanding before younow. And I
 
am not unique. Christ will unfold in every child bornof woman. He must, for God cannot and will not fail tofulfillhis promise inall.The word "Saul" means "to inquire; to ask."Entering the state of Saul, you are questioning life - its purposeand plan. Is there a God? Why am I here? Saul's is a questing mind, one which is seekingan answer to thephenomena oflife.Todayis the wonderfulDayofAtonement whichcame to its end at sundownwiththe singingofa great psalmin every synagogue which begins, "Awake O Sleeper who forgot eternity in the pursuit of the moment."Havingforgottenthat we are allone in eternity, we are called upon to awaken, but awaken fromwhat? Fromthe pursuit of the moment. Then, inthe eternalstate called Paul, the storyofJesus willunfold inyou, and you,too, will say: "From now on I regard no one from the human point of view; even though I once regardedChrist fromthe humanpoint ofview, I regard himthus no longer."Like every Jew, Paul was lookingfor anexternal messiah, one who would come to be the anointed kingandsave Israelfrom the enemy. Thenhe discovered the messiahwas within himand would never appear on theoutside. Paul's thirteenletters were writtentwentyyears before the Book ofMark, whichwas the first gospel;so Paulcould not have quoted the New Testament, onlythe Old.He never converted in the sense of converting from Judaismto Christianity, or Catholicismto Protestantism.After the revelation, Paul understood that which was revealed to the prophets; for he discovered that themessiah which was to come, was himself, saying:"When it pleased God to reveal his son in me, I conferrednot withfleshand blood."There is a poembyBrowningcalled "Saul,"inwhichDavid tells ofthe comingofthe messiah, saying:"O Saul, it shallbe a face like myfaceThat shallreceive thee. A manlike unto me thoushalt love,And be loved by, forever. A hand like this hand shallopenthe doorTo a new life for thee. See the Christ stand."Standing before the demented king, David is telling Saul that when he sees Christ, he will wear the face of David. That he willlove and be loved byhimforever. Extendinghis hand, David tells Saulthat this knowledgewillopenthe gate to a new life; for David is the onlyChrist Saulwillever see.When Christ stands before you, he will wear the face of David and reveal you as the Lord God Jehovah.Then you willsay: "Thou art my son, today I have begotten thee." This will be the experience of every childborn of woman; for awareness - although limited by a garment of flesh and blood, restricted and weak - isGod, the father ofalllife, and there is no other God.Now, whenPaul spoke ofsin he wasn't speaking of a little misdemeanor, or even a bigone. To Paul, if youare not radiatingthe gloryofGod and are not now the express image ofhis person, youare sinningand fallingshort of that glory. Only when you enter into the state called Paul, will you radiate God's glory and expresshis image; for it is inthat state that David reveals youto yourself.
 
Paul confessed to the Galatians that God sent his son into his heart crying "Father!" And now I tell you thatwhenDavid stood before me and called me father, I saw himmore vividlythenI have ever seenanyone here.I can stillsee his heavenly beauty. I saw David inthe year 1959, yet historyclaims he lived in1000 B.C. ButDavid is not my flesh and blood son; he is part of the unfolding picture of an eternal story in which man isinvolved. The story, as recorded in the Old Testament, was not understood until it unfolded within one whosaid: "I am a child of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee of the Pharisees." Paul never forsook Judaism, but tried to interpret it to those who would listen, but they could not understand. They were - asthey still are today - looking for a physical, external messiah to destroy their enemies and establish hiskingdominthis world; but that is not the story.This eternal truth is housed in every being who walks the earth. One day you will find Christ as your verybeing. You who say "I am" before you state your name, will experience all of the eternal, spiritual statesspokenofand named inscripture, to arrive at the finalstate called Paul.My friend knows she is Paul, for she heard the depth of her soul tell her so. To her the idea seemedincredulous; yet I tell her she heard correctly, for she has been called. She has beenchosen and elected to beanincurrent eyewitness to the great truthwhichwillunfold withinher.The Paul of the Bible is a state everyone will attain. And while in that state, David will reveal your trueidentity. Enter anystate and youbecome that state. While in the state ofwealth, everything youtouchturns togold. In the state of success, youcould turna failing business into a successfulone, for inthe state ofsuccessyoucannot fail.Youare not a success or a failure, but the occupant of a state. Althoughyou remain untouched by anystate,when you enter one, you express it. Put yourselfinto the state of health, and you must express health. Enterthe state offame, and no power canstop youfromexpressingit.And when youenter the state ofPaul, David will stand before youand say:"A face like myface shallreceiveyou. A manlike unto me thoushalt love and be loved byforever. A hand like this hand shallopen the gate of a new life for you. See the Christ stand."Youwill be lookinginto the face ofDavid, the Lord's anointed; and whenhe calls youfather, you know whoyou are, for "No one knows who the Father is except the son, and no one knows who the son is except theFather."David, your son, sets youfree; for he is the sonofJesse, the Bethlehemite, whose revealed name is IAM. Everyone who says, "I am," is the Father of that eternal youth called David. Awake, O sleeper, andremember eternity, the sonofJesse, for onlyhe canrevealyouas God the Father.This is the greatest story ever told. It is an incredible story of a transformation, a metamorphosis. "Meta"means "change"and "morphos"means "form,"so metamorphosis means a radicalchange ofform. This is true,for the beingyouare destined to be, could not functionina bodyoffleshand blood.You willmove into anentirely new age. It is a new world, and in it youneed a new form. The formis spirit,yet you have a human face, a human voice, and human hands. That is the form I saw when I stood in thepresence ofthe Risen Lord and answered his question:"What is the greatest thinginthe world?"inthe wordsofPaul, as "Faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest ofthese is love."
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