John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth came through Jesus Christ."
When we learn to trust God, in what He's done through Jesus, then God's Promises will work the way He intended to them to work in our lives. Some will intentionally or unintentionally, continue trying to earn God's Promises by works. Some feel unworthy and unrighteous, then try hard to get to where we feel like we "deserve" God's Love and Grace. Others feel like they're overstating God's Grace and taking advantage of His Goodness, when they say they're righteous, through Jesus' righteousness.
We've been taught for years, that we're to suffer with sickness and poverty, in order to come to the place where we deserve God's very Blessing. Much of the Gospel has been distorted, which has resulted in our being double-minded in what we're trying to walk in. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to filter what goes into our hearts. In Mark 4:24 (Amplified), Jesus told His followers, "Be careful what you are hearing. The amount of thought and study you give to the Truth you hear, will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you-and more besides will be given to you who hear."
God will measure back to you, only "the measure of Truth you hear." He won't increase what is not Truth. We sometimes depend on the preacher to do our believing and studying for us, without spending time in God's Presence and Word for ourselves. The preacher might be sowing the Seed (good or bad), but you're the one who must receive or reject the seed that is sown.
You're the one who can conceive the Seed and tend the Garden of your heart. Every person is responsible for the harvest in our lives. How much time do you spend in God's Word, in order to determine whether or not you're hearing the Seed of Truth? We've heard many things throughout the years, that are man's own ideas of what he thinks and not the Truth. We've heard that, "The Super-natural things of God have passed away." Have you sought God's Word on these Gifts for yourself or have you only relied on the teachings of man?
These Spiritual Blessings are for our walk with the Father, while we're still in this natural body. We can't walk in these Spiritual Blessings, by only the natural man and carnal mind though. These Blessings come into our spirit and are manifested through the flesh, not the other way around. Everything Jesus did through His flesh, came first into His Spirit, according to John 14:26 (Amplified), where Jesus said, "But the Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Stand-by, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, in My Place, to represent Me and act on My Behalf. HE WILL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance), everything I have told you."
Learning to listen to the Holy Spirit is the most important thing a believer can do. HE WILL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS. Only the Holy Spirit can filter out the Seed of the Kingdom, as we walk this earth. Some believe that "God doesn't heal any longer." Is this Truth or is it man? We must know what is Truth, for ourselves. Many things that are dismissed as not being God's will, are not Truth. We've heard and allowed things that are man's ideas and not really Truth, to be sown in our hearts. Walking in only things that are acceptable to the mainstream, won't profit you, in your personal walk with the Lord.
We must accept responsibility for our own walk and not put down what others believe, but find the Truth for ourselves. We're not supposed to simply accept the status-quo for our walk with God and not have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Having our prayers answered, has nearly become like playing the lottery. Jesus said in John 15:7 (Amplified), though, "If you live in Me (abide, vitally united to Me), and My Words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you."
The statement Jesus made here, is just as True as everything else He ever said. If Jesus said it, then it is True. But, we find our prayer lives aren't like they should be. We can either make excuses for why our prayers aren't being answered or we can allow God's Word to continue to live in our hearts, like He said. How many things have we learned over the years, that we no longer operate in? Do we still watch over our words? Do we still speak in other tongues, like we used to? Do we still operate in the Truth we once knew?
Jesus instructed us to, "Stay united with Him and let His Word remain and continue to live, in our hearts." When we first received the Lord, we walked in things that were so exciting and alive, but do we still walk in these things? Or, have we somehow lost the desire to walk in these things and settled down into something else? This is something we must each evaluate for ourselves. Don't trad what you know, for Who you know. Don't just learn formulas for studying and memorizing the Word, instead of allow God's Word to be our Daily Bread.
Don't stop operating in what the Word says, because others don't believe it. Spiritual Blessings come into your spirit, not your flesh. In order to renew your mind, you must listen to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to reveal the Truth of God's Word to your spirit. Christians who don't renew their minds, will continue walking in the same things, he/she walked in while in the world. Your unrenewed mind can't accept the things of the Spirit, because they are spiritually discerned. It's not just remembering scriptures, but the Holy Spirit's revelations that will change things in your life. Let the Holy Spirit reveal God's Word to you and then walk out the revelation.
Don't allow the Manna from God (His Word which is the Bread of Life) to spoil, by taking enough for tomorrow. Keep it fresh in your heart on a daily basis. The memory of a hamburger, won't nourish your body, any more than the memory of God's Word can nourish your spirit. We must make it our Daily Bread. Let's return to when we first came to Love the Lord and spend quality time with Him.
There's so much more to learn of Him, that we can never know. Some say, "That's too extreme," but God says, "Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you." James 4:8 (Amplified) says, "Come close to God and He will come close to you." Do you remember when He was your First Love and you couldn't spend enough time with Him? This is what the Lord seeks, from those whom He has called!
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