Did you realize that one of the first things Jesus did when He rose again was to teach the disciples about HIMSELF from the old testament?
25He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
26Did not the Christ[b] have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"
27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:25 NIV
I was reminded yesterday evening of something Pastor Prince mentioned in a sermon I heard some time ago. He said that Faith comes by hearing the word of CHRIST. The more we see Jesus in the Bible, the more our faith rises.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 NAS
Interestingly enough, the word 'word' in the verse is actually 'Rhema'. That means a spoken word. It's when the Holy Spirit speaks into your heart. It's the 'now' word for your life. And did you realize that when Paul wrote these words under inspiration from the Holy Spirit, the Bible as in its present form didn't yet exist?
That means God wants us to live by faith, by the reality of the 'now' word the Holy Spirit is speaking in our hearts -- revealing to us Jesus.
When the Holy Spirit opens the Bible to us, He always points us to Jesus. But when we try to understand God's word with our own understanding, more often than not, we get confused, condemened and become legalistic.
4Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God.
5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,
8will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
9If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
10For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.
11And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.
14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[a] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:4-18 NIV
So an accurate understanding of His Word does not come by reasoning with our minds. An accurate understanding of His Word comes when the Holy Spirit opens our hearts to see Jesus in the word! Jesus is the Tree of Life! He is not the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil!
The book of John tells us, that the Law came through Moses, but Grace and Truth comes through Jesus! The law condemns but Jesus is truth and life! Lets see Jesus!
Is it any wonder then that Paul's constant prayer for believers was:
17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, Eph 1:17-18 KJV
Notice that it is the Spirit of Revelation and Wisdom flooding the eyes of our spirits (or your heart -- the core of your being) that causes us to really 'know'. Verse 18 says '. . .THAT you may know'.
Pray that prayer for youself continually. It will change your life.
Some days I'm torn between being real and being an "active witness". I wish to be real, be natural, just BE. Speak with people using my mood, think with no ulterior motives. Have nothing to hide. Shouldn't I learn to accept the way I am and love myself just the way I am? On the other side of the curve, there is the me - that is stoked up on the Word of Christ, the spiritual songs, meditations, seeing everything through the lens of faith, hope and love. Brimming with joy. But they are both distinct and separate for me. I can't be both at the same time. Something tells me the answer ain't so simple. Most Christians would say the latter of course. Be filled with the spirit, meditate on the word day and night, sing spiritual songs. But there isn't that a veneer that eventually cracks to reveal a real, more vulnerable person on the inside? Why then do we present this "perfect, super spiritual" super Christian side to people, when the rest of the world is hurting and needing real connection. Not some suped-up (or souped-up) person high on the Word. Can't I believe that the Holy Spirit is real, practical, does not require me to be someone else I'm not. He dwells in me. Period. No matter how I feel, He is there. He understands, he's more than my best friend. Would my best friend judge me? No. My best friend would love me unconditionally. My best friend would save my life. So my flow with God is so real. Being myself, minus the need to be (what we traditionally consider) spiritual, I still hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. I'm thinking right now about many Christian brothers and sisters who tell me with sadness and confusion that they are no longer in close fellowship with God. I heard it so much, that it began to irritate me one day. I was upset with the thought itself, not with them. They seem deceived to me. How can you fall out of fellowship with someone who is right there with you? All the time? no matter what? Why is it dependent on outward circumstances? I realised a few days later that the experience many of these Christians had was in youth ministry or church service where they experience a high. and they equate this high with fellowship with God. Such that in the absence of such excitement, they think there is no more fellowship. When the Holy Spirit speaks to their hearts, they probably don't recognise it as coming from Him. Many of these theatrics employed at church, are also found and felt at secular concerts, magic shows, motivational speaker seminars etc. There is nothing wrong with using theatrics to engage an audience in church. God gave us these things for that every reason. We should learn to exploit the theatrical element as much as possible. But when it is all over? Does our fellowship with God end? There are days my time with partner is full of excitement, as when we're on a holiday or even certain "high" days. Most days is just, quiet. Doesn't mean we're not close. Didn't God teach....
ReplyDelete(PART II) ...Elisha that He isn't in the loud and spectacular, but rather found in the quiet? I wish I could tell my fellow brothers and sisters and Christ that they are fellowshipping with Him RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND. Even when we reject Him, He is there with us. But they are so stuck in their need for pseudo spiritual emotions that they reject every single thing I say. Needless to say, I am viewed by them as the least spiritual of all. The Christian who backslided so far he doesn't know what he is talking about. It's funny. then. that I continue to hear the Lord and feel so close to Him. Continue to prosper. They argue my "prosperity" is subjective. Ha. It is so sad it is funny. I love them. but I think they are deluding themselves. Why defending your position of "non fellowship", since you believe you are far away from God? Here I am offering a believe of instant reconciliation, but it is rejected because it is too easy. Doesn't cost them anything. The fear of being myself, is that ugliness finds its way out so often (typical for any human being). But at least, I don't hide behind the veneer of pseudo spirituality and not have to deal with truly learning to improve myself. If I am protected by a fake smile and suped up emotions, I don't have to address the skeletons in my closet. I simply am too distracted to notice them. but they are still there. And when the music dies down, the memory verses are forgotten, what remains is.... ME. and the issues not dealt with. Can't we come out of our armor? Drop the weight of that heavy armor that doesn't fit us. We may be only clothed in a youth's clothing, how can we face the rigors of the world? David did. He did what he knew how to do. He didn't use the traditional weapons of warfare, he approached Goliath as HIMSELF. He still trusted God more than every seasoned soldier in the army. He was the most vulnerable, and yet the most connected with God's love for him. He won the battle. Let's be ourselves. Warts and all.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you. The whole charter I felt the Lord give me at the beginning of this season of my life was 'Be honest and yourself with me and you'll experience the most of me'. And you know what? I am experiencing God now like I never have. When you're just you -- a human being instead of a human doing (warts and all) -- and God unveils himself to you, you are forever changed. And God is a living Spirit, not a dead set of formulas that we must maintain. People who try to maintain their Christian experience by maintaining a set of formulas do not really believe that God is real enough to engage them on a daily basis --just as they are. But the truth is is that He is real and alive in our hearts. When we realize that, our walk with Him and indeed our lives become a great adventure in Him! And what an adventure it is. When God speaks to you or reveals Himself to you, you actually partake of Him. He never gives you anything apart from Himself. Take the gifts of the Spirit -- the gifts of healings for example -- when the gifts flow through you, you actually get to feel and see through the eyes of the Spirit of God how He feels about the one being healed and His rage toward the disease. In that sense it's not actually a gift in the sense that he gives you only an ability, He actually imparts himself and flows through you!
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