<TITLE>11. Par 75-83</TITLE>L-75 And, now, as they represent the natural church, Israel represents the spiritual church in its journey. Now, Israel was not an organized nation. As long as they followed God, they were independent. They come up, sojourners, no place to go. Wherever the Pillar of Fire went, they went with It. They were not a organized nation. They had a organism among them, because circumcision gave them that under the commandment by God, but never an organized nation at this time. When they finally become an organized nation, that's where they fell and rejected their Messiah.

L-76   And now we find, always, that when these natural and spiritual, spirits of churches and organizations, meet, there is always a clash. It's never failed to be so. It always clashes. Because, we find that in there is a jealousy. And, in this jealousy, it causes carnal comparisons, impersonations. And we find it in today, as it was then. When God does something for an individual, everybody tries to copy just like God did for that person. See, it causes a competition, and it makes carnality. And then if they cannot, the other side, get the spiritual results, then they take it by a political power, or they substitute something, to upset the people's minds, to draw disciples after themselves.

L-77 That's exactly what took place at the very beginning; as Cain and Abel, both boys here on earth. And when Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, and God vindicated Abel, by coming down and receiving his sacrifice; it caused jealousy with Cain, because he was jealous of his brother, and slew his brother.

L-78   It started at the beginning, that when the natural and the spiritual, yet Cain and Abel worshiped the same God. They both built the same kind of altars. And they both worshiped the same God, at the same church, same altar. But Cain, by carnal reasoning, brought in the fruits of the land and laid them upon the altar as a sacrifice, thinking that surely that this would answer to God for an atonement. So he must have brought in, as people think today, "apples that Adam and Eve took, that caused the sin." And, whatever, I think now they got it down to a "pomegranate" or something now. Some of them said, not long ago, it was something else.

L-79 And, but Abel had the right sacrifice. He knowed that it was blood that did it, so he brought a lamb. And when God received his, now, Abel, by faith, by revelation, no other way. There was no Bible written. So, you see, the beginning of righteousness is God's revealed Truth, and the entire Church of the living God is built upon that.

L-80   Jesus, one day, coming off the mount, said to His disciples, "Who does man say I the Son of man am?"
"One said You're 'Moses' and the other one say You're 'Elias' and You're 'Jeremias, or one of the prophets.'"
He said, "But who do you say that I am?"

L-81 That's when the apostle Peter, inspired of God, quickened by the Spirit, made that tremendous statement, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

L-82 Notice the statement. "Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonas, flesh and blood has not revealed this to you. My Heavenly Father has revealed this to you. Thou art Simon. Upon this rock..."
What rock? Now, the Catholic says, "Upon Peter, the rock, little stone." And the Protestant says, "Upon Christ, the Rock."
Not to be different; but it was upon the revelation that Peter had, Who He was. "No man can come to Me," said Jesus, "except My Father draws him. And all the Father has given Me will come to Me."
"Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God."

L-83 "Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonas; flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father which is in Heaven. Upon this rock I'll build My Church, and the gates of hell can't prevail against it." Spiritual revealed Word of God!


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