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."
"2019 will be the Year of Understanding," is the Word that came to me, while fellow shipping with the Lord. As in everything else the Lord has done, only those who believe will accept and receive His Word. Many believe that the ways of the Lord are beyond understanding, but that's not what His Word says.
There is much debate and misunderstanding about Isaiah 55:8-11 (Amplified). Some think this scripture shows the Lord "looking down" on us, because we're not as Wise as He is, but that's not the Truth. God tells us that He will reveal His Higher way to us. Thus, God says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and snow come down fro the heavens and returns not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall My Word be that goes forth out of My mouth, it shall not return to Me void (without producing any effect, useless), but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
The Lord invited us to enter into this higher way in Isaiah 1:18-19 (Amplified) saying, "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. If your are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the Lord."
God wants us to understand, know and walk in His ways and His thoughts, according to what Paul writes in Colossi ans 1:9-11 (Amplified) saying, "For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it; have not ceased to pray and make special request for you, asking that you may be filled with the full, deep, and clear knowledge of His will in all Spiritual Wisdom (in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God and in understanding and discernment of Spiritual things) That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord (fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things), bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God, with fuller and clearer insight, acquaintance and recognition."
Without deliberate Revelation from and through the Holy Spirit, the only understanding we have of God's ways and purposes, come from the minds of men. Each thought he/she had an understanding of how and why things happen to and through God's people. The Holy Spirit inspires Paul to write this in Colossi ans 1:13 (Amplified), "The Father has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His Love." We know that, "All scripture is God-breathed and given by His Inspiration," according to 2Timothy 3:16, so what the scripture says about our deliverance, MUST BE TRUE.
We haven't understood God's ways and His way of doing and being right, so we continue walking in bondage. When God stated that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, He didn't mean that He wouldn't or couldn't show us His ways. Until we understand the Kingdom principles and how to walk in them, we still find ourselves trusting in man, instead of God. This Year of Understanding is going to require us to listen to and seek God's ways of doing and being right.
Throughout the years, we've devised our own ways of doing and being right. We could only walk in what we "thought" was God, because we lacked Spiritual understanding. We've established many ways of doing and being right and have tried making rules to guide our lives. Of course, we're to abstain from the things of the world, but this isn't all that God has called and anointed us to do or be.
If we don't understand the freedom our salvation has brought us, then it's difficult to live in that freedom and not return to the bondage of the world and satan. God has provided for the maintaining our liberty, but we've lacked the understanding of His provision. The Church has settled for "living the best we can and hope it'll be enough to get us to Heaven after we die." This is admirable and we should be living right and trying to please God, but Hebrews 11:6 says that, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Faith in what? Faith in God and His way of doing and being right.
God has His ways and now He is bringing us to understand them, by the Holy Spirit. It might not have been time for this understanding before, because there is a determined time for things to happen. There was a determined time for Jesus to be born and for the Holy Spirit to be poured out, but now is the time of understanding. It won't be simple, because we have determined our own understanding, like those before us. It's hard to turn loose of what we know, for something we don't know, but it has come to that time in God's plan.
Revelation comes into our spirit and not into our heads, so we will see understanding, before we know understanding, according to Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) which says, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed), of things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith), perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses."
The Father has patiently awaited the time for the maturing of His family. When my sons were born, I could hardly wait for the time when I could take them hunting and fishing and fellowship with them on my level. I now want to fellowship with my Heavenly Father on His level, like Jesus and Paul did. It's an awesome thought to know Him and the power of His Resurrection.
Many of the teachings we've received in the past fifty years, have actually been the beginning of understanding that a few have received. Much has been rejected, mostly because of the time factor. Now is the time that God will bring these teaching back to His people, by Revelation and Truth and understanding.
Proverbs 3:15-23 (Amplified) says, "Skillful and Godly Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you can wish for is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are high ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her, and happy (Blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast. The Lord, by skillful and Godly Wisdom has founded the earth, by understanding He has established the heavens. By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies distill the dew. My son, let them not escape from your sight, but keep sound and Godly Wisdom and discernment And they will be Life to your inner self and a gracious ornament to your neck (your outer self) Then you will walk in your way securely and in confident trust and you shall not dash your foot or stumble."
Verse 19 says that, "By understanding, God has established the heavens" and "He will show us His ways, by our understanding through the Holy Spirit." In Psalm 25:14 (Amplified) we find one of the reasons David was so close to God. Thus, it says, "The secret of the sweet satisfying companionship of the Lord have they who revere and worship Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its deep inner meanings."
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