Jesus said in John10:10(Amp), "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."
How did the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, come to the place where we don't know the difference between the Lord and the thief? We have the individual responsibility to know the Father and nothing can take the place of having a relationship with Him. To know the Father secondhand by someone else's opinion, can't reveal Him firsthand. I'm not saying that we should ignore what is taught or said, but we must meditate on His Word and seek Him for ourselves, so we can know the Truth.
1John2:19-20(Amp) says, "They went out from our number, but they did not really belong to us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But they withdrew that it might be plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by (you hold a sacred appointment from, you have given and unction from the Holy Spirit), and you know the Truth, or you know all things."
The Holy Spirit speaks through John again in 1John4:1(Amp), saying, "Try the spirits, whether they be of God." Thus, he writes, "Beloved, Do not put faith in every spirit, but prove, test the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world. By this you may know, perceive and recognize the Spirit of God; every spirit which acknowledges and confesses the fact that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) actually has become Man (has come in the flesh) is of God (has God as it's source)."
Many Christians sadly, don't spend as much time in His Presence like we should. but simply take everything that is preached or taught as being the Gospel (the Good News). We've been taught that God will sometimes put sickness on us, will take a loved one or hold back His Blessing, in order to correct or teach us something. If this was true, then we wouldn't have needed a new covenant and a new creation. God had to deal with those under the Law by their flesh, because they were still carnal men/women and dead to Him.
Under the New Covenant, by which Jesus is our covenant, God deals with us through His Word and by the Holy Spirit in our spirits. In order to receive and operate in this Spiritual family, we must know and hear God for ourselves, so we don't yield to every wind of doctrine. James1:6(Amp) says, "Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting), For the one who waves (hesitates, doubts), is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind." James goes on to explain why a double-minded person cannot receive anything from God, in the next Verse. John doesn't say that the answer wouldn't be give, by it would be lost in the person of two-minds or one who is carnal minded, because the carnal mind overrides the mind of the spirit.
It's true that trials and tests will come to the believer, but they're not by our Father, the Holy Spirit or Jesus. We must determine who is the thief and Who is our Lord, because they're definitely not one in the same. We still live in a fallen world, where "the god of this world" tries to "blind the minds of unbelievers," according to 2Cor.4:4. Someone can be born-again, while not believing what the Word says. Different denominations teach that certain things have "passed away" or these things were "only for the Early Church." These are born-again children of God, but they haven't taken the time to study and know the Truth for themselves.
We must listen to teachings or preaching by our natural ears only, but must seek God's Word whether or not whether we're hearing the True Gospel of Christ. If we don't know the Father firsthand and for ourselves, then we won't know whether we're hearing someone's else's opinion or God's Truth. I asked the congregation if anyone "knew the President." The entire congregation answered, "No." I asked if anyone they knew, "knew the President" and of course, the answer was "No." Everything we knew about the President, was based on the news media or personal opinion. Sadly, this is how many of God's people know the Father.
Every child of God is granted the privilege of knowing our Heavenly Father firsthand. This privilege was granted to us by the Power of the Blood of the Perfect Lamb of God. No child of God has any advantage over another, but we must press into His Throne Room of Grace, not just to seek His Hands, but His Heart. Prayer might be the greatest privilege ever given to mankind in this New Covenant. Mankind could never been able to come face to Face with the Creator Himself and address Him as "Father," before Jesus came, died, rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven, where He is seated at God's Right Hand.
Knowing Him in the Power of His Resurrection, is knowing Him in all of His Risen Glory and Love. Knowing what He has done by His act of Love, is above all we can ever hope and knowing Him intimately in Spirit and Truth.
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