Aug 8th, 2010: MANIFESTING CHRIST

PART # 1 C THE STAFF AND SWORD MINISTRY AUGUST 2010

MANIFESTING CHRISTA CLOSER WALK WITH JESUS

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO

MANIFEST CHRIST?

by Nancy-TONI Youngbrandt

Since the first part of this year, we have had a couple of situations arise which havebrought me to pray more about . just what it means to "Manifest Christ." In these situationstwo issues came to the surface: one was being able to recognize in ourselves when the Spiritof Christ is manifesting within us, and when our soul/spirit is involved. The second wasmore a matter of rightly discerning the manifestation of Christ in others — specifically thoseclaiming to have already birthed the manchild. In each case, deception was involved, butmostly it only succeeded where the person chose to believe the deception and failed tosurrender to Jesus and the Holy Spirit working through others warning that individual of thedeception he was into.

Now in Mark 13:5-6 Jesus did warn us, saying, "TAKE HEED LEST ANY MANDECEIVE YOU: FOR MANYSHALL COME INMY NAME, SA YJNG, JAM CHRIST,AND SHALL DECEIVE MANY. "Here, where it says "any man", this speaks of either maleor female, either one can deceive us if we don't know Jesus Christ and His Spirit forourselves, and aren't surrendered to His Will. As with all of us, we have to trust Jesus tokeep us and show us when we are going off His Path and into deception, but we also haveto be open to His correction, if that is indeed the case.

As time goes on, and the more a believer watches all that is going on in our nation, theeasier it becomes to identify with what it says in lJohn 2:18-20:

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come,even now are there many ant/christs; whereby we know that it is the last time. Theywent our from us, but they were not of us: for it they had been of'us, they would nodoubt have continued with us: bit they went out, that the might he made inani fest thatthey were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know allthings. "

MANIFESTING CHRIST - WHAT DOES IT MEAN? August 8, 2010

It is interesting to note that John points out these antichrists came out from among them,in other words, the Church. They were involved in Christian circles but were not really ofthem. Secondly, John is saying that they went from the Church for the express purpose thatthey might be made manifest for what they really were — not of Christ. However, those thatdid remain in Christ have an advantage — they have an anointing (unction) from the HolyOne, and can know all things by that very One.

In is also interesting to note that in Scripture, as the children of the devil are mademanifest, so also are the children of God being made manifest. Later in I John 3: 2-10 hegoes on to explain:

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it cloth not yet appear what we shall he:but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall he like Him ; for we shall see Himas He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He ispure.... And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is notsin. Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him,neither known Him.

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous,even as He is righteous. He that commiteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinnethfrom the beginning. For this purpose the Son of'God was manifested, that He might

destroy the works of the devil.Whosoever is born of God Both not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and

he cannot sin, because he is born of God. in this the children of God are mani est, andthe children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither ishe that loveth not his brother. "

Here we see the big key to any discussion on Manifesting Christ - and that is thatultimately it is something only God and Jesus Christ can begin and bring to completion inus. Ultimately it is and will be done by God and God alone, working out His righteousnesswithin us. We cannot make it happen or force God to act sooner.

Let's read verse two again — "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yetappear what we shall be:... " — in other words, while we know we are sons of God, we arenot yet walking in the fullness of that, nor do we yet see what we shall be when thathappens. Next we read this: "... but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be likeHim; for we shall see him as he is. " In other words, we know that Jesus does appear, orreveals His fullness to us, then we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He truly is.( How wonderful!!)

This in turn, will take some preparation within us because to see Him as He truly is meansthat our sin must he completely under His Blood; our will must be completely surrendered

MANIFESTING CHRIST - WHAT DOES TT MEAN? August 8, 2010

to His Will; and our carnal/self nature must be crucified with Him, or it won't be able tobear being in His Presence to such an extent. It won't be Jesus separating Himself from us,but our sin separating us from Him. Therefore, the purpose of these articles has been toshare on a variety of subjects all relating to preparing every part of ourselves to be in thebest place spiritually for when that time comes to manifest Christ according to God's Willand Purposes. So, with that in mind, let's continue on with this discussion.

SCRIPTURES ON MANIFESTINGIn Scripture there are many references to manifesting, whether its God manifesting or

the Devil, but the ones that interest me for this topic are quite specific to the Father andChrist not only manifesting to us but within us as well.

For example, Jesus says in John 14:21-23:"He that bath My con 'm andments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he

that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifestMyself to /in.

Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyselfunto us, and not unto the world?

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and myFather will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him."

Here we see God's and Jesus' desire to not only manifest (reveal, show) Themselves tous but to actually make their abode in us — to live and remain in us,

The Apostle Paul speaks quite a bit about this in his writings, carrying the word onforward. In 2 Corinthians 4:10-1 1 he tells us:

"Always hearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also ofJesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always deliveredunto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in ourmortal flesh. "

To me, this tells me that Jesus not only wishes to save us spiritually after our mortal body

ceases in this world, but that He has a work to do now — within our living mortal body or

flesh.

Then Paul goes on in Romans 8:29-30 to further define God's plan this way: "For whoa?

He did foreknow, He also did p •edestinate to be conformed to the image of Nis Son.

that He in ght be the firstborn ainongmmany brethren. Moreover whom He didpredestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, there He also justified: andwhom He justified.. them He also glorif ed. "


SCRIPTURES ON MANIFESTING continuedPaul also speaks of something more for God's children in Christ in Colossians 3:1-3,10:

"I/ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christsitleth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things onthe earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God, ... A nd have put onthe new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that createdhim: "

Perhaps the clearest and most direct revelation of Jesus' desire to manifest in His people,out of an unity and oneness with God the Father and Himself, is in John, chapter 17. In thefirst 5 verses we see Jesus praying to God that the Father would glorify the Son, that the Son

also may glorify Him in return. Jesus' prayer is: "And now, 0 Father, glorify thou mewitlt thine own self with the glory which I had with three before the world was."(John 17:5)

Next, Jesus then prayed for the disciples. He prayed: "... I pra'' not for the world, butfor them which Thou hast given tne; for they are thine. And all mine are titine,and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them." (John 17:9-10)

From there, Jesus then prayed for the church as a whole. He went on to pray for not onlythe disciples, but those who would believe on Him through their word. His prayer was this:

"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that theyalso may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou Hirst sent inc. Andthe glory which thou gayest inc I have given them; that they may be one, evenas we are one: I in them, and thou in Inc. that they maybe madeperfcct in one ;and that the world may know that thou host sent me, and hast loved them, asthou hast loved inc. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, bewith inc where I am; that they m ay behold rrr y glory, which thou hustgiverr rne:for thou lovedst me before time fuundution of the world. " ( John 17:21-24)

To me, it all comes down to a closer, and even closer, walk with Jesus. To be glorified, tobe changed into His image, to become one with Him and the Father, is what it's all about.To me, the culmination of that unity and oneness will result in manifesting Christ and beingchanged into His likeness.

CHUCK-JOHNEL'S EXPERIENCETalking about the potential through the Word of God is certainly interesting and edifying

but then there cones the practical application of that spiritual reality that leaves it open asto just how God will do such a thing in each of us, and what we might experience andencounter. To examine the nuts and bolts' of manifesting Christ, I would like to share


CHUCK-JOHNEL'S EXPERIENCE continuedbriefly Chuck-JOHNEL's experience when Jesus literally manifested in him and whathappened.

It was back in the early 1980's, at a house meeting full of pastors and lay people. First amissionary couple from India spoke and then Chuck-JOHNEL. To make a long story short,it was during this meeting when all of a sudden Chuck-JOHNEL could Jesus in Heaven inone moment, and then the next he was looking down from Heaven at his body and themeeting, and Jesus was now literally in Chuck-JGI-INEL's body. At this moment in time.Jesus was literally in Chuck-JOHNEL's body, walking and talking to the people there whileChuck-JGHNEL watched from the sidelines. After this experience, when he was returnedto his body, Chuck-JOHNEL still walked in the glow of that manifestation and heightenedawareness ofth1ngs by the Spirit of God. Children and adults alike were drawn to him: somewanted to just touch him. Chuck-JGHNEL said he could just look at people in restaurantsand know deep things about them. It was a wonderful but short-lived time. Why? Becausehe couldn't retain it. The carnality, self-nature and unsanctified parts of his heart and soulemerged and the experience was eventuall y lost. He wasn't ready to walk in the fullness ofChrist yet, but it was helpful in revealing and understanding the resistance that can lie withineach of us, and what needs to dealt with if any of us are to fully operate as the son of GodHe made us to be.

NANCY-TONI'S EXPERIENCE

The way I can best explain manifesting Christ and being transformed into His image isfrom an experience I had in prayer. I was with Jesus in Heaven and He was talking to mebut, as is often the case, I don't remember or even seem to fully hear all of what He issaying. 1 know my spirit-man is absorbing everything so I have learned to not worry abouttrying to retain all He says with my soul-mind. I then had the experience of seeing Jesusstanding beside in one moment, and then He seemed to literally step into me, enveloping myspirit-body with His Spirit-body. He wrapped around like me like a transparent glove: whenI looked at my hand, I saw His Hand, with the scars from the nails, surrounding my hand.We were both there but He literally filled and enveloped me. I also began to see things asHe sees; to have His mind and thoughts as if they were my own. It was a great experience,and yet just a brief taste of things to come.

I knew that eventually this spiritual/heavenly reality was meant to manifest in my wholebeing but it would not happen all at once. Rather, I have seen that when I have those timeswith Jesus, and, like I said, I don't immediately remember all that He has told me, I havefound that over time those insights, teachings and revelations seem to emerge from withinas a "Knowing", or insight which I know is from God and His Spirit, and not from me.


NANCY-TONI'S EXPERIENCE continuedI have learned that as we pray and abide in Jesus Christ and His Presence, the more we are

coming into harmony with Jesus Christ and His Spirit working within us. This in turn bringsinto harmony our heart, soul, mind and spirit with Jesus Christ as our head and cover, andthe experiences we have by the Spirit of God, in His Presence, can then being to flow intous and transform us a little bit at a time. Each experience, each word or insight we receivefrom Jesus and God the Father, whether we are consciously aware of it or not, are like seeds:precious seeds which are meant to be received and planted in our hearts so they can takeroot, grow and flourish into our whole being (soul and mind as well).

You see, our conversion and transformation into the fullness of God begins with oursalvation through Jesus Christ, but it isn't a one-time thing, rather it is an on-going processof working out that salvation throughout our entire being (Philippians 2:12). Over the yearsthe Spirit of God has brought me back to the parable of the sower for two main reasons andinsights: one is the importance of the heart and the need to receive the things of God into"good" ground so the benefit can be gained and the fullness realized. The second insight isthat the "seed" from God is not just one seed, Like salvation (although that is an importantseed), but rather it is any word, vision, scripture or revelation from God, Jesus and HisSpirit. Therefore this planting and growing process is never-ending and continuous, but vitalin working the transformation within us necessary to manifesting Christ. However, this isnot the only area which needs to be redeemed and tended to.

THE GREATEST COMANDMENT

It is quite telling that when questioned as to which was the greatest commandment, Jesusreplied:

"THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THYHEART,AND WITH ALL THYSOUL, AND WITH ALL THYHIND. "

( Matthew 22:36)

With this commandment come the revealing of three main areas which need to be broughtto the Lord thy God and given over completely to Him in love. In Mark 12:30 it gives thesame commandment with the addition of "WITH ALL THY STRENGTH," This couldcover the area of the `will' and complete the main areas Christians struggle with most intheir walk in Christ: heart, soul, mind and will.

I mention this because some brethren focus only on one or two areas but fail to recognizethat God wishes to redeem and transform all areas of our being, not just one. God's Spiritand love wishes to become sole owner and operator of all of our heart, soul, mind and will,but the fact is that sin has influenced and operated in each of these areas as evidenced by


THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT continuedScripture repeatedly. Thus, here is where the work of preparation, of keeping our lampstrimmed by the Spirit of God, takes place.

THE SAVING OF THE SOULI have written previously about the heart and its role as a gateway between our soul and

spirit. Our heart is important because what resides there determines much ofthe fruit we willbear in our lives — whether it is of sin and unrighteousness or of the Spirit of God. InMatthew 15: [ 8 Jesus also explained that what defiles a person can also come from the heart.Richard-DANIEL, one of our ministry's prophets, received a word from Jesus back onMarch 7, 2010 which sums this up quite well:

"WORK ON TRUSTING WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART AND NOT YOURSOUL MIND. PROPER HEART TRUST WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THEBLESSED SOUL FUNCTION OF REDEEMED THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.

AS SOON AS YOU DISCERN THE WRONG RESPONSE OR ATTITUDEABOUT OR TOWARD SOMETHING GO BACK TO HEART ORIGINATINGTRUST.CONFIDE IN ME — LET GO OF TROUBLING THINGS."

This goes right along with Jesus instruction to us in John 14:1 — "LET NOT YOURHEART BE TROUBLED: YE BELIEVE IN GOD, BELIEVE ALSO IN ME."

And in John 14:1.7 — "PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU, MY PEACE I GIVE UNTOYOU: NOT AS THE WORLD GIVETH, GIVE I UNTO YOU. LET NOT YOURHEART BE TROUBLED, NEITHER LET IT BE AFRAID. "

After seeing all this, there is no question as to the importance of the heart. However, theheart does not operate alone; it is not an isolated organ but rather a centrally located onethrough which life flows. And as God's Spirit-life flows through the heart, it is to pour outand into the soul, the mind, the will — every part of our being. As Jesus told Richard-DANIEL, "PROPER HEART TRUST WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE BLESSEDSOUL FUNCTION OF REDEEMED THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS." It does notdisplace or replace the soul but rather aids the soul in its redemption.

I have also seen the heart, in a spiritual sense, as a bit like a rudder on a ship. It operatesunseen to us who are above the water but determines the course of the ship none-the-less.So, if the heart is the rudder, then what is the ship? The ship would be your soul, navigatingthrough the waters of life in this world. The helm or steering wheel would be your mind,


THE SAVING OF THE SOUL continuedwhich gives direction to your heart and you r vessel. No one thing operates separately andapart from the rest but rather all are to work together in harmony.

The struggle or working-out process is just who is in control, who is the captain of yourship? Is it your old man, with its self-nature? Is it Satan working through the carnal mind?Or is it Jesus Christ guiding your spirit-man at the helm of your soul? Obviously this thirdoption is the preferred one. When all these are working together and in harmony, yielded tothe Spirit of God, our sailing is good. Even if storms and troubles arise, we come throughthem, sometimes even stronger in faith than before. But if there is a mutiny (usually from

the old selfish nature) and struggle ensues for control, then rocky sailing will lie ahead.

I mention this because in recent discussions on the role of the soul in manifesting Christ,there seems to be a misunderstanding among some that the soul must die. This is not true!Our soul, while it is to go through a form of death or likeness to Jesus' death, it is supposedto be possessed and saved. For the soul to actually, completely die would be like having arudder and no ship; having a helm or wheel to steer a ship but no actually ship. We cannotexist in this world without a soul. As a matter of fact, Jesus died on the cross to SAVE OURSOULS — not to destroy them! In Psalm 49:8 it says, "For the redemption of their soulsis precious." So how did this misunderstanding occur`?

I believe some are misunderstanding the difference between the soul and self or self-nature. And even if they are viewed as the same thing, Jesus said we are to "deny" ourselves,not kill or destroy ourselves (Matthew 16:24).

Perhaps confusion has occurred because I have written about the importance of dying toour self-nature, putting it under the Blood of Jesus and letting it go. This is quite differentthan our soul itself. For an analogy, if our soul is computer, self or the self-nature would belike a program running that computer. It's a glitchy program full of viruses and troubleswhich cause our soul problems and keep it from operating as the Maker intended. Theprogram needs to be changed, and ultimately removed and replaced with a new one by theSpirit of God. It needs a new program that will serve God and not sin and self.

In the analogy of the soul being a ship, then the self-nature would be tike a pirate hijackingthat ship and trying to steer it away from God and into Satan's territory. Self-nature can alsolock the helm or cause the rudder to get stuck, taking the ship off its intended course. Selfis not the ship itself, no more than it is the soul, but it does work to take and keep controlof the ship unless directed through prayer, pleading the Blood and conscious direction toturn control of your soul/ship over to Jesus Christ and Father God.

The truth is that the soul is a part of who you are; it is not an inanimate object like a ship.It is part of your personality and part of who God made you to be. It is part of what makes

MANIFESTING CHRIST- WHAT DOES IT MEAN? August 10, 2010

THE SAVING OF THE SOUL continued

each of us unique and individual. God doesn't want to destroy it rather He wants to reclaimit, clean it up and get it operating as He originally intended — to be the son of God Hecreated us to be.

Unfortunately, because we are born into sin, who we really are often gets lost, or at leastmuddied and distorted as events and circumstances in our lives shape us and take us invarious directions. Gaining and then giving control of our soul over to the Holy Spirit so thecleaning and repairing process can take place, and then getting it set on God's course for usis a big part of our journey as Christians. Manifesting Christ has everything to do withbecoming and being who God created you to be. And once we begin to truly be who Hemade us to be, we will end up doing what He wants us to do.

TWO VANTAGE POINTS

When it comes to manifesting Christ, there are two vantage points to this move of theSpirit of God: one is the vantage point of viewing and observing it from the outside lookingin; and two is actually being among those who are participating in the manifestation. Ofthose who will be viewing and reacting to it, there will he those who will be drawn by theSpirit and Light of Christ, and there will be those who will be repelled. Jesus, in His timeon earth, certainly experienced both. In the end, it is our un-dealt-with sin that will be theproblem -- a problem more for some than others. Jesus said of those that hated Him, andtherefore the Father, that, "IF I HAD NOT COME AND SPOKEN UNTO THEM,THEY HAD NOT HAD SIN: BUT NOW THEY HA VE NO CLOAK FOR THEIRSIN." (John 15:22) So ever since then, the struggle and conflict in this world betweenrighteousness and unrighteousness the children of Light and the children of darkness, hasgone on in different ways throughout the history of the Church to this day. This rejectionand hostility to Jesus Christ and Father God will only intensify the more He manifests, butalso the blessings and joy of the Lord will too.

For an example of what I am talking about, let's look at the example of Moses. Here Godwas mightily and powerfully leading His people out of bondage and into the Promised Land.On their way there, Moses would go before God to receive instruction and revelation 'for thechildren of Israel. As time went on, the more of God's Presence and Glory Moses wasallowed to experience. It got to the point where Moses had spent so much time in God'sPresence and Glory that Moses' face literally shone with God's Light when he returned tothe people. As a matter of fact, Moses' face was shining so bright and so constantly that thepeople of God could not bear it and asked him to wear a veil, a veil that he kept on exceptwhen in the Presence of God. So what was going on with the people of Israel whereby theycouldn't bear the Light of God's Presence, His Holiness?

MANIFESTING CHRIST - WHAT DOES IT MEAN? August l0, 2010

TWO VANTAGE POINTS continuedWell, the answer is perhaps best explained by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 3. Here

Paul is teaching on the difference between the letter of the law and the Spirit of the Law,which is Christ. He is explaining that the letter of the law does not make you ready to beholdthe glory of the Lord, but that only the Spirit of the Lord, which is Christ. By verse 1 ? Paulis saying that we have hope because of Christ, not because of the letter of the Old

Testament; "And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the childrenof Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished. But theirminds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken awa y inthe reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ. But even untothis day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when itshall turn to the Lord, the veil shall he taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit.•

and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open facebeholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same imagefrom glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord "(?Corinthians 3:13-18)

So there was a veil over their minds and over their hearts which kept them apart from theglory of God. But the Good News is that when we turn to Jesus, and give ourselves over toHim, then the veil can be taken away. Nothing can any longer separate us from beholdingthe glory of the Lord, and of being changed into that same image from glory to glory, by theSpirit of God.

This is a beautiful promise and a beautiful potential of what is there for us in Christ Jesus.However, this only brings me back to the awareness that, in the end, it is all about a closerwalk with and in Jesus Christ. Just receiving and obtaining in our whole being all that Hehas for us seems to be full-time job, but with God, all things are possible. Jesus has pavedthe way and paid the price for us. We must be as Jesus, and be willing to give God our all,everything we have been, everything we are and everything we will be — to pay our ultimateprice of laying down our lives to gain our true life in Christ Jesus.

..ice+- }' tJt&j(J J

Aug 8th, 2010: MANIFESTING CHRIST

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