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."
Proverbs 22:6 (Amplified) says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and in keeping with his individual gift or bent, and when he is old he will not depart from it."
Even though God is telling us train up our children in the right way, I believe He is also telling us to train up Christian children in the way they should go. 1Peter 2:2 (Amplified) says, "Like newborn babies, you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire), the pure unadulterated Spiritual mile (the Word of God), that by it you may be nurtured and grow into completed salvation."
I was one of those kids who was frustrated at learning to read, write, work math and complete the required school tasks. I would never had done any of these things, if left on my own volition. My parents made me complete my homework, otherwise it would never have gotten done. I found it to be overwhelming at first, to learn many things and in my childish thinking, believed it was a waste of my time. I would rather be outside playing, than inside doing homework.
Now that I'm grown, I don't need to think about "how to form a letter in the alphabet" or think about what letter the word "apple" begins with. These were difficult in preschool, but now I do them without thought. I would find it disastrous, if I was unable to read or write now, even though I once thought there was no need for these things in life.
Many Christians today believe, "I don't need to know all these things to go to Heaven" and they are correct. All one must know or do, in order to become a child of God, is have faith in God's Son Jesus Christ. I didn't need to know how to read or write, in order to become a human being, because I was a human at birth. However, my adult life has certainly been made easier, by knowing these things.
Our Heavenly Father has a Kingdom that is governed by Spiritual Laws and Spiritual understanding. One doesn't have to learn these things, in order to be His child, but it makes it easier to walk with Him and be pleasing to God, when we know them. There are ways to pray, that make it easier to receive answers from Heaven. There are also Laws of loosing and binding, that work here on earth and these are very helpful, when we know how to apply them. Understanding God's will and His Grace are simply things we must be taught, when we become citizens of God's Kingdom. These don't randomly work, like many think.
There's a difference between teaching and preaching. If my teachers had told, "You should know how to write," instead of teaching me how to write, then I would be illiterate now. It requires more than someone simply telling me that I "should know how to do it." There are Laws telling us that our words matter, but many don't believe this, because they were never taught these things. It might seem difficult to learn these things initially, but they will begin to get easier as you study God's Word.
Everything we learn as baby Christians seem difficult at first, but then they will come naturally Super-natural. I can walk with God, without needing to stop and think about it, because it's now part of who I am. I don't think about my prayer time with God, because it's become a way of living in His Presence and knowing that He doesn't only hear my prayer, but that I have the petitions that I desire of Him. 1John 5:14-15 (Amplified) tells us, "And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him; we are sure that if we ask anything (make any request), according to His will (in agreement with His Own Plan), He listens to and hears us. And if since we positively know that He listens to us whatever we ask, we also know with settled and absolute knowledge, that we have granted us as our own present possessions the requests made of Him."
The Apostle John isn't making the bold statement just for himself, but so that we should know and have this same kind of boldness in our prayers. This comes by teaching in the Word, by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit teaches us that prayer is absolute and not just indifferent speaking and saying, "It it be Your will." We can learn, understand and receive knowledge of God's will and purpose, which will make our prayers roadways into our lives and the lives of others (even other nations).
John goes on writing to the Church in 1John 1:3 (Amplified) saying, "What we have seen and ourselves heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And this fellowship that we have which is a distinguishing mark of Christ is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."
Imagine your having the understanding and fellowship with the Lord, that the Apostles had, even before they were born-again. Jesus didn't just preach to and at the twelve Apostles, but He actually spent 31/2 years teaching them the principles of the Kingdom, so they could carry on His ministry after His Ascension. Some things He was teaching them, were difficult and might have seemed unnecessary at the time, but after these things became part of who they were, once they learned them.
It takes patience and a teachable spirit, for us to be humble and learn the things that are so valuable to our Christian lives. Jesus said that, "If you are to spoil the strong man's house, you first must bind the strong man." How do you bind the strong man? Jesus answers this in Matthew 18:18 (Amplified) saying, "Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in Heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in Heaven." Binding and strong man and spoiling his house, must be done according to the things that are already declared unlawful in Heaven and are now unlawful in the earth. Do you know what is lawful or unlawful in Heaven? If not, then how can you in faith, bind or loose anything and make it work?
Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 13:51-52 (Amplified), "Have you understood all these things (Parables), taken together? They said to Him; Yes Lord. He said to them, Therefore every teacher and interpreter of the Sacred Writings who has been instructed about and trained for the Kingdom of Heaven and has become a disciples is like a householder who brings forth out of his storehouse treasure that is new and treasure that is old, the fresh as well as the familiar."
There are many things that are familiar in the Church, but it's sometimes difficult to bring forth the new, to them. They're like the school children who don't believe they need to know how to read, write and work math. If the baby Christians don't learn these things, then they must rely on others to do the reading and interpreting to them. If someone reads the Last Will and Testament of Jesus Christ to you, then can you count on what they say as being your own inheritance? Or, would you rather be able to read it for yourself?
I prefer to know what God's will is for myself and pray accordingly, instead of relying on others to tell me what His will is concerning my prayer. John informed me that, "I can have assurance that God hears me and I can have the petitions I ask of Him." One of these comes by preaching and one comes by teaching. Proverbs 4:7 (Amplified) says, "The beginning of Wisdom is get Wisdom (skillful and Godly Wisdom), for skillful and Godly Wisdom is the principal thing, and with all your getting, get understanding, discernment, comprehension, and interpretation."
Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew 6:10 (Amplified) where He prayed to our Heavenly Father, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Jesus was speaking about that which is lawful and unlawful in Heaven, being done on earth. If you don't know what God's will is in Heaven, then how can you know what to bind (loose) on earth, with any degree of faith or assurance? When we pray, "If it be Your will," then we're acknowledging we have no idea what God's will is in Heaven. How can we bind the strong man and spoil his house, if we don't know what's lawful in Heaven?
My school teachers were responsible to teach his/her students, but we are the ones who determine if we're willing to learn. Having a teachable spirit is one of the greatest things a Christian can have. Without it, we're led astray by every wind of doctrine, like those who Jesus taught. We make God's Word of no effect in our lives, with our traditions. Then we're like those who "have ears, but don't hear." We must humble ourselves and learn the Mysteries and Secret Counsels of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment