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."
Whether we know or recognize it, we've all been shaped and formed by the words we've received, over years of sowing. Words have shaped our society and culture. Even the Church has been formed and contained by words or seeds, that have been sown into and received into the hearts or the soil of our spirits. Many seeds have been sown into the Church about the way our Heavenly Father deals with His children and about what His will and purpose is for us today.
This was true during Jesus' earthly ministry too, because the people had been formed and shaped by the Laws of Moses. When Jesus began sowing the Words (Seeds) of Grace, then people's hearts weren't receptive to that Seed, because of what was already growing in their hearts. Paul became the Apostle to the Gentiles, but he initially persecuted those who followed and tried to further Jesus' ministry. Paul didn't do this because he didn't love God, but because he hadn't received the Seed sown by Grace, into his heart. It took the full Revelation from Jesus Himself, to root up the things growing in Paul's heart.
We've been taught for centuries that, "God no longer does these things" or "God only did these things ford the disciples and not for us today." The many different denominations have sprung up from the words or seeds, that have been sown from the world over the last two-thousand years. If the Holy Spirit is truly the Teacher of the Church (and He is), then He doesn't teach us in different truths, but only what the Father says.
One of the most important things we can learn from "The Parable of the Sower," that Jesus taught in Mark 4:24 (Amplified) is Jesus' saying, "Be careful what you hear." Thus, it says, "And He said to them; Be careful what you are hearing. The measure 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 only measure back to you, according to the Truth you hear. The rest of what you hear, will not be a measure from the Father, but from the world.
The Body of Christ is made up of many parts, each of which serve a different purpose. Your heart does what the heart is supposed to do and doesn't do the job of the kidneys or any other part of the body. We're to come to unity of the faith in salvation, as the Body of Christ. This doesn't mean that we will all agree on the doctrines of man, concerning the faith. What I do with my own faith, is based on what I hear, just like every born-again believer.
Because someone doesn't believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, doesn't stop me from believing and receiving. If can still fellowship with the unbeliever, in the unity of our salvation, without separating our seed crop. We're each placed in a position, where we can determine what we believe for our own selves and lives. If I choose to believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is for me today and set my faith in it, then no one can stop the Holy Spirit from doing what the Father sent Him to do.
Thank God for those who are preaching the message of Salvation, but let's not stop at being saved. Paul said that, "The Promises of God are Yes and Amen," in 2Corinthians 1:20, so I believe that God's Promises will all come to pass, even if others don't believe this. We can either receive Seed from God or seed from the enemy (the god of this present age). Most of the different denominations are built on small portions of the Truth. We find "a truth" and try making it "the Truth." God has constructed you, so that only you can determine how far you walk in His Word. The Apostle Paul is a perfect example of this Truth. Most people believed Paul was crazy, when he taught about our being sons and daughters of God. We still only partially understand his letters to the Church. The Christians didn't trust that Paul wasn't still trying to persecute and kill them. They had a problem trusting in his word, like many today.
Peter walked side by side with Jesus, but believed that salvation was only for the Jew. He believed that the Gentiles were excluded from the covenant that Paul preached. Others believed the Gentiles could become new creation children of God, but that everyone still had to perform under Law. Some believed that Grace was a license to sin, while others didn't understand Grace at all. These different teachings came as seeds, causing us to doubt and question God's Word. Was this any different from the age-old seed that was sown in the Garden? Jesus said, "Be careful what you are hearing and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the very forces or issues of Life."
We've been lax and haven't been selective about what we're listening too. This is the age of communication, like never seen before on this earth. Everyone online, on TV or radio, seems to have his/her own agenda and wishes to have the whole world agree with them. We must learn to think for ourselves and then only by and through the Holy Spirit. We must not isolate ourselves, but just be careful what we hear. Jesus said that the people, "Have ears but don't hear." He was referring to their not hearing the Word from God's Kingdom, but people can have ears and not hear the noise and confusion of this Present Age.
Do you spend more time listening to the world than the Word? If you do, then that will be measured to you---and not by God. Jesus said that, "The measure of thought and study you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that will be given back to you, and more besides." God will only measure back to you, the Truth you hear. The world will be the one who measures all the rest. If some don't believe that God no longer heals today, then are we supposed to be sick, because of their unbelief? Or, should we receive God's Yes and Amen Promise as being The Healer?
You can believe for yourself, whether or not others believe. You believed that Jesus died and rose again, providing your salvation, even when others don't believe it. The Word of salvation worked for you, despite opposition. Why wouldn't God's other Promises work for you, even though others don't believe them?
Some might say, "I know lots of people who aren't healed." I say, "So what?" I know many people who aren't saved yet, but that doesn't make Jesus no longer the Savior. Just because some aren't healed yet, doesn't mean that Jesus is no longer the Healer. Don't allow satan to limit your walk with the Father, based on someone else's opinion. Remember what Jesus said in Mark 4:24, 25 (Amplified), "Be careful what you hear and seek God for yourself. 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."
Jesus continues in Verse 25, "For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away by force." "To him who has what?" To him who has ears to hear and is careful what he hears. We alone decide what we hear or don't hear. No one else can hear for you. No one else can hear for me, either. Paul received Revelation from Jesus Himself, but the people decided whether or not to receive that Revelation, for themselves.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Lesson 140 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
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."
God is opening the eyes of our understanding like never before, to the Truth of His Word in these last days. Through the centuries, we've been talked out of believing what God said about us and what He has done in us. God is now bringing up a people who will accept His Word as "Truth." We're beginning to understand that the Seed Principle is one of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, Jesus spoke about in Mark 4:11.
Our words and actions have been holding back the Blessing and the anointing from bringing forth fruit in our lives. Jesus was and still is THE SOWER, when He taught "The Parable of the Sower." The Seed of God's Word is still the same Seed and it still produces the same harvest. Jesus describes four different types of soil (spirits, hearts of people) in His telling of the Parable. He describes hard ground, stony ground, ground that wasn't tended and grew up with weeds and thorns, and good, well adapted soil. Jesus told us that not all of the good, well adapted soil produced a 100 fold return.
The good, well adapted soil that receives the Seed of God's Word, is in the heart of those who are born-again. The born-again person's heart or new creation spirit is good soil, but cannot decide what seed to grow or not to grow. It grows whatever we allow to be sown in it.
We didn't understand the importance of this Mystery of God's Kingdom and allowed seed to be sown into our spirit, which was contrary to God's Word and came from the the world or the enemy's kingdom of darkness. Mark 4:26-28,15 (Amplified) says, "And [Jesus] said to them, The Kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground and then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases, he knows not how The earth produces, acting by itself-first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth the reapers and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready."
We've limited the seed Jesus speaks about as being only the Seed or Word of God, but if you listen closely, you'll discover that Jesus says, ALL WORDS ARE SEEDS." Jesus tells us in Verse 24 why it's so important to the hearer is careful what he/she allows to be sown into their spirit. Thus, Jesus says to His followers (including His followers today), "Be careful what you are hearing, The measure 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 only multiply His Seed in your heart and will increase virtue and knowledge to the Truth you hear. God will increase, "The measure of thought and study to the Truth you hear." The cares and anxieties of the world, come from a different source than the Kingdom of God. Verse 15 says, "The ones along the path are those who have the world sown in their hearts, but when they hear, satan comes at once and by force takes away the message which is sown in them."
Satan cannot keep the Seed of your salvation from producing in your life. Nor can he prevent your becoming a new creation child of God. Once that Seed is sown into your hearts, you're a new creation. 1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born-again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal, by the Ever Living and Everlasting Word of God."
The Sperm (Seed) that is Ever Living and Everlasting is the Word of God. This Word (Seed) has produced exactly what is said and was designed to produce. Jesus said, "Be careful what you are hearing." We've heard that only the Seed of God's Kingdom would produce in our lives, but that was wrong. Our hearts (spirits) have become good soil and will abundantly grow anything that we allow to be sown in them.
Looking closely at Adam's fall in the Garden of Eden, we find that satan only sowed seeds (words) into Eve's heart. Jesus said in Mark 4:26-27 (Amplified), "The Kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground And then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases-he knows not how." The Word doesn't tell us that, "Eve ate of the Tree immediately," but the seed of deception had been sown in her heart. Genesis 3:6 (Amplified) says, "And when the woman saw that the tree was good and suitable (pleasant), for food and that it was delightful to look at; and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she gave some also to her husband and he ate."
Notice, the above scripture tells us that, "Eve saw that the tree was good (delightful), to look at, and the tree to be desired in order to make one wise." The seed that the enemy sowed into Eve's heart, apparently grew into something in her imagination, where it matured. She wasn't careful about what she heart and allowed the seed of satan to be sown in her heart, where it choked out God's Word and produced a harvest of death. Satan only had to wait to see if the seed would begin to produce, then he would put the sickle in and harvest his crop of disobedience.
Seeds don't grow instantly, but they require time to produce a harvest. Many incorrect teachings that we were taught over the years, didn't produce instantly, but they have grown and increased into harvests of things we didn't want. Jesus said in Mark 4:28 (Amplified), "The earth (soil or heart) produces, acting by itself." Your heart will grow whatever you allow to be sown into it. Even satan understands The Seed Principle, because he was present when the Word produced everything and when God's Word produced his downfall. Satan knows more about the ability our words have, than we have learned. His greatest weapon against the Church, is keeping us in the dark about the seeds (words) we hear. Satan tries to keep God's children speaking words of his kingdom, instead of creating God's Kingdom.
We see the Seed of God's Word produced righteousness in us, but like Eve, we continue to sow such words as, "None are righteous, not one." This produces a harvest of satan's deceitful words, that he spoke to Eve. These keep us from reaping God's favor and His Best, in our lives. Words (seeds) are one great part of the Mystery of God's Kingdom and His secret counsel. When we are careful about what we hear and are selective about what seed is sown into our hearts (spirits), then that seed will "act by itself and produce whatever we allow to be sown in them," just like Jesus taught.
We're to tend the garden of our hearts, just like Adam was called to tend the Garden of Eden. Proverbs 4:23-24 (Amplified) says, "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of Life. Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you."
God is opening the eyes of our understanding like never before, to the Truth of His Word in these last days. Through the centuries, we've been talked out of believing what God said about us and what He has done in us. God is now bringing up a people who will accept His Word as "Truth." We're beginning to understand that the Seed Principle is one of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God, Jesus spoke about in Mark 4:11.
Our words and actions have been holding back the Blessing and the anointing from bringing forth fruit in our lives. Jesus was and still is THE SOWER, when He taught "The Parable of the Sower." The Seed of God's Word is still the same Seed and it still produces the same harvest. Jesus describes four different types of soil (spirits, hearts of people) in His telling of the Parable. He describes hard ground, stony ground, ground that wasn't tended and grew up with weeds and thorns, and good, well adapted soil. Jesus told us that not all of the good, well adapted soil produced a 100 fold return.
The good, well adapted soil that receives the Seed of God's Word, is in the heart of those who are born-again. The born-again person's heart or new creation spirit is good soil, but cannot decide what seed to grow or not to grow. It grows whatever we allow to be sown in it.
We didn't understand the importance of this Mystery of God's Kingdom and allowed seed to be sown into our spirit, which was contrary to God's Word and came from the the world or the enemy's kingdom of darkness. Mark 4:26-28,15 (Amplified) says, "And [Jesus] said to them, The Kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground and then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases, he knows not how The earth produces, acting by itself-first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth the reapers and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready."
We've limited the seed Jesus speaks about as being only the Seed or Word of God, but if you listen closely, you'll discover that Jesus says, ALL WORDS ARE SEEDS." Jesus tells us in Verse 24 why it's so important to the hearer is careful what he/she allows to be sown into their spirit. Thus, Jesus says to His followers (including His followers today), "Be careful what you are hearing, The measure 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 only multiply His Seed in your heart and will increase virtue and knowledge to the Truth you hear. God will increase, "The measure of thought and study to the Truth you hear." The cares and anxieties of the world, come from a different source than the Kingdom of God. Verse 15 says, "The ones along the path are those who have the world sown in their hearts, but when they hear, satan comes at once and by force takes away the message which is sown in them."
Satan cannot keep the Seed of your salvation from producing in your life. Nor can he prevent your becoming a new creation child of God. Once that Seed is sown into your hearts, you're a new creation. 1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born-again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal, by the Ever Living and Everlasting Word of God."
The Sperm (Seed) that is Ever Living and Everlasting is the Word of God. This Word (Seed) has produced exactly what is said and was designed to produce. Jesus said, "Be careful what you are hearing." We've heard that only the Seed of God's Kingdom would produce in our lives, but that was wrong. Our hearts (spirits) have become good soil and will abundantly grow anything that we allow to be sown in them.
Looking closely at Adam's fall in the Garden of Eden, we find that satan only sowed seeds (words) into Eve's heart. Jesus said in Mark 4:26-27 (Amplified), "The Kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground And then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases-he knows not how." The Word doesn't tell us that, "Eve ate of the Tree immediately," but the seed of deception had been sown in her heart. Genesis 3:6 (Amplified) says, "And when the woman saw that the tree was good and suitable (pleasant), for food and that it was delightful to look at; and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she gave some also to her husband and he ate."
Notice, the above scripture tells us that, "Eve saw that the tree was good (delightful), to look at, and the tree to be desired in order to make one wise." The seed that the enemy sowed into Eve's heart, apparently grew into something in her imagination, where it matured. She wasn't careful about what she heart and allowed the seed of satan to be sown in her heart, where it choked out God's Word and produced a harvest of death. Satan only had to wait to see if the seed would begin to produce, then he would put the sickle in and harvest his crop of disobedience.
Seeds don't grow instantly, but they require time to produce a harvest. Many incorrect teachings that we were taught over the years, didn't produce instantly, but they have grown and increased into harvests of things we didn't want. Jesus said in Mark 4:28 (Amplified), "The earth (soil or heart) produces, acting by itself." Your heart will grow whatever you allow to be sown into it. Even satan understands The Seed Principle, because he was present when the Word produced everything and when God's Word produced his downfall. Satan knows more about the ability our words have, than we have learned. His greatest weapon against the Church, is keeping us in the dark about the seeds (words) we hear. Satan tries to keep God's children speaking words of his kingdom, instead of creating God's Kingdom.
We see the Seed of God's Word produced righteousness in us, but like Eve, we continue to sow such words as, "None are righteous, not one." This produces a harvest of satan's deceitful words, that he spoke to Eve. These keep us from reaping God's favor and His Best, in our lives. Words (seeds) are one great part of the Mystery of God's Kingdom and His secret counsel. When we are careful about what we hear and are selective about what seed is sown into our hearts (spirits), then that seed will "act by itself and produce whatever we allow to be sown in them," just like Jesus taught.
We're to tend the garden of our hearts, just like Adam was called to tend the Garden of Eden. Proverbs 4:23-24 (Amplified) says, "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of Life. Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you."
Monday, January 14, 2019
Lesson 139 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
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."
Until now, we've all had a partial Truth concerning Jesus, but God has opened our understanding to the full Truth, in these last days. We can only walk in the Light of the Truth that we have and until the Light is shone into God's Word, it's only been education, instead of Revelation. If you've been born-again for a long period of time, then you know that Revelation is progressive. If we don't progress or grow in what we have or "have eyes, but don't see," then Revelation is lost.
Mark 4:11-12 (Amplified) tells us, "And [Jesus] said to them, To you has been entrusted the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, that is the secret counsels of God; which are hidden from the ungodly; but for those outside of our circle everything becomes a Parable. In order that they may indeed look and look but not see and perceive, and may hear and hear but not grasp and comprehend, lest haply they should turn again, and it their willful rejection of the Truth should be forgiven them."
As believers, we are in the circle and have been given access into the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, unless we willfully reject Truth. Even born-again children of God, then, can willfully reject the Light of Truth, in our lives. We can only walk in what we have light to see and we can choose "not to see." Jesus said that, "They have eyes but don't see," speaking bout their not seeing the Light of the World. Jesus was the Light of the world and they didn't receive Him or see Him as such.
When God sows an acorn seed, He doesn't only see the acorn, but He sees the Oak tree that will grow from that acorn. God sees the harvest, not just the seed. Our seeing has been hindered by the world and its teachings, so we only see what is right before us. God sees past the natural seeing and sees the fullness of the seed. We only see God's Word as it is written, without understanding that IT IS SEED. Jesus referred to Himself as, "Seed," in John 12:24 (Amplified) where He told His followers, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just one grain (it never becomes more but lives by itself alone), But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
Through the One Seed, Jesus, God has yielded a harvest of millions of sons and daughters. God saw beyond the One Seed and sowed and continues to reap a great harvest unto Himself. God doesn't just see the acorn, but sees the mighty Oak. We've become nearsighted, when it comes to God's Word. We only see the scripture or the seed and fail to sow it into hearts. We only see the seed, and we don't see the results. We see "By His stripes we are healed," but we fail to see the yield of healing and a healthy body, in our lives. We have eyes, but don't see.
The Mystery of the Kingdom of God, is seeing the harvest and not just the seed. Hebrews 12:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses who have borne testimony to the Truth, let us strip off and throw away every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly) and cleverly clings t and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us. Looking away from all that will distract, To Jesus Who is the Source of our faith, giving the first incentive for our belief, and is also it's Finisher, bringing it to maturity and perfection. He, for the joy of obtaining the prize that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame and is now seated at the right hand of the Throne of God."
Jesus understood the Mystery of the Kingdom of God and the secret counsels of God, didn't simply see Himself as the Seed, but looked beyond the cross. He gave of Himself, like the grain and kernels die, in order to produce a harvest that is greater. Jesus saw the harvest of what He Himself was the Seed for and reaped a harvest for God's family. We're to do the same, with the seed of God's Word. We're to remain patient in it's Truth, trusting the seed to produce the harvest of it's kind. We must not only see the acorn, but the Oak tree.
We can all probably quote John 3:16, which tells us that, "God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son, that whosoever should believe will be saved." God sowed Himself, as the Seed Jesus, into the earth, because He saw the fruit of that Seed, which was the harvest of His family. All words are seeds, including the words of the enemy and his worldly kingdom of darkness. This is why Jesus admonished in Mark 4:24 (Amplified), "Be careful what you are hearing."
Even though the Seed of God's Word has been before us for centuries, we've failed to see what that Seed will produce, because we've never allowed it to be sown into the soil of our spirits. It's remained only in seed form and not in the harvest. We keep seeing the acorn and not the Oak. When you plant a garden, you stop seeing only the seed and begin making provision for the fruit of that seed. We must do the same with God's Word, in our lives.
After planting tomato seeds in your home garden, you place wire cages near the placed that seed. These cages will support the plant, when the fruit (tomatoes) appears. You do this, because you looked beyond the seed itself and saw the tomatoes that it will produce. We must do this with God's Word and look beyond the see, to see the joy set before. This is so simply and many will say, "There's got to be more to it," but you did apply faith to the truth that the tomato seed you planted, will produce more tomatoes. Your faith didn't make the seed produce. God made that seed to produce. Your faith made you patience to endure, until the harvest was wipe. The seed grew by itself. You just kept the weeds from choking out the plant.
The Seed of God's Word is "incorruptible Seed." Our job is to be careful what we hear and not allow such seeds of the enemy as doubt, unbelief, worry, anxiety and other seeds to be sown in our spirits. Paul instructs us in Hebrews 12:1 (Amplified) to weed out the seeds of the world that "readily (deftly, cleverly clings to and entangles us and weighs us down, to be weeded out." We must be careful what we hear and be careful what seeds we allow to be sown into our hearts.
Seeds, of course, need light, in order to grow. God is the Light and we must spend time in His Presence, in order for His Word to produce what it Promises, in our lives. In Isaiah 55:11 (Amplified) God says, "So shall My Word be that goes forth out of My mouth, it shall not return to Me void."
Until now, we've all had a partial Truth concerning Jesus, but God has opened our understanding to the full Truth, in these last days. We can only walk in the Light of the Truth that we have and until the Light is shone into God's Word, it's only been education, instead of Revelation. If you've been born-again for a long period of time, then you know that Revelation is progressive. If we don't progress or grow in what we have or "have eyes, but don't see," then Revelation is lost.
Mark 4:11-12 (Amplified) tells us, "And [Jesus] said to them, To you has been entrusted the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, that is the secret counsels of God; which are hidden from the ungodly; but for those outside of our circle everything becomes a Parable. In order that they may indeed look and look but not see and perceive, and may hear and hear but not grasp and comprehend, lest haply they should turn again, and it their willful rejection of the Truth should be forgiven them."
As believers, we are in the circle and have been given access into the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, unless we willfully reject Truth. Even born-again children of God, then, can willfully reject the Light of Truth, in our lives. We can only walk in what we have light to see and we can choose "not to see." Jesus said that, "They have eyes but don't see," speaking bout their not seeing the Light of the World. Jesus was the Light of the world and they didn't receive Him or see Him as such.
When God sows an acorn seed, He doesn't only see the acorn, but He sees the Oak tree that will grow from that acorn. God sees the harvest, not just the seed. Our seeing has been hindered by the world and its teachings, so we only see what is right before us. God sees past the natural seeing and sees the fullness of the seed. We only see God's Word as it is written, without understanding that IT IS SEED. Jesus referred to Himself as, "Seed," in John 12:24 (Amplified) where He told His followers, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just one grain (it never becomes more but lives by itself alone), But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
Through the One Seed, Jesus, God has yielded a harvest of millions of sons and daughters. God saw beyond the One Seed and sowed and continues to reap a great harvest unto Himself. God doesn't just see the acorn, but sees the mighty Oak. We've become nearsighted, when it comes to God's Word. We only see the scripture or the seed and fail to sow it into hearts. We only see the seed, and we don't see the results. We see "By His stripes we are healed," but we fail to see the yield of healing and a healthy body, in our lives. We have eyes, but don't see.
The Mystery of the Kingdom of God, is seeing the harvest and not just the seed. Hebrews 12:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses who have borne testimony to the Truth, let us strip off and throw away every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly) and cleverly clings t and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us. Looking away from all that will distract, To Jesus Who is the Source of our faith, giving the first incentive for our belief, and is also it's Finisher, bringing it to maturity and perfection. He, for the joy of obtaining the prize that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame and is now seated at the right hand of the Throne of God."
Jesus understood the Mystery of the Kingdom of God and the secret counsels of God, didn't simply see Himself as the Seed, but looked beyond the cross. He gave of Himself, like the grain and kernels die, in order to produce a harvest that is greater. Jesus saw the harvest of what He Himself was the Seed for and reaped a harvest for God's family. We're to do the same, with the seed of God's Word. We're to remain patient in it's Truth, trusting the seed to produce the harvest of it's kind. We must not only see the acorn, but the Oak tree.
We can all probably quote John 3:16, which tells us that, "God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son, that whosoever should believe will be saved." God sowed Himself, as the Seed Jesus, into the earth, because He saw the fruit of that Seed, which was the harvest of His family. All words are seeds, including the words of the enemy and his worldly kingdom of darkness. This is why Jesus admonished in Mark 4:24 (Amplified), "Be careful what you are hearing."
Even though the Seed of God's Word has been before us for centuries, we've failed to see what that Seed will produce, because we've never allowed it to be sown into the soil of our spirits. It's remained only in seed form and not in the harvest. We keep seeing the acorn and not the Oak. When you plant a garden, you stop seeing only the seed and begin making provision for the fruit of that seed. We must do the same with God's Word, in our lives.
After planting tomato seeds in your home garden, you place wire cages near the placed that seed. These cages will support the plant, when the fruit (tomatoes) appears. You do this, because you looked beyond the seed itself and saw the tomatoes that it will produce. We must do this with God's Word and look beyond the see, to see the joy set before. This is so simply and many will say, "There's got to be more to it," but you did apply faith to the truth that the tomato seed you planted, will produce more tomatoes. Your faith didn't make the seed produce. God made that seed to produce. Your faith made you patience to endure, until the harvest was wipe. The seed grew by itself. You just kept the weeds from choking out the plant.
The Seed of God's Word is "incorruptible Seed." Our job is to be careful what we hear and not allow such seeds of the enemy as doubt, unbelief, worry, anxiety and other seeds to be sown in our spirits. Paul instructs us in Hebrews 12:1 (Amplified) to weed out the seeds of the world that "readily (deftly, cleverly clings to and entangles us and weighs us down, to be weeded out." We must be careful what we hear and be careful what seeds we allow to be sown into our hearts.
Seeds, of course, need light, in order to grow. God is the Light and we must spend time in His Presence, in order for His Word to produce what it Promises, in our lives. In Isaiah 55:11 (Amplified) God says, "So shall My Word be that goes forth out of My mouth, it shall not return to Me void."
Friday, January 11, 2019
Lesson 138 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
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."
John 1:1-3 (Amplified) says, "In the beginning (before all time), was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God and the Word was God Himself (He was present originally with God). All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being." THIS IS THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD.
Matthew 28:18 (Amplified) tells us, "Jesus approached, and breaking the silence, said to them, All authority, all power of rule, in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me."
Hebrews 1:2-3 (Amplified) says, "But in the last of these days [God] has spoken to us in the Person of a Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and reaches of space and the ages of time. He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order. He is the Sole Expression of the Glory of God, Light-Being, the out-raying or radiance of the Divine, and He is the Perfect Imprint and very Image of God's nature (upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling) the universe by His Mighty Word of Power."
The Power of His Word created all things in John 1:1-3, before the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden. Hebrews 1:23 shows us the Word of His Power, where God has given the Risen Christ all Power in Heaven and earth. This is the Risen King, the Appointed Heir and Lawful Owner of all things. Jesus is the King of Kings, He is the Word of God's Power, and is the Lawful Owner of all things again.
His Word of Power is beyond dispute or doubt. Jesus is exalted above all the Heavens and the earth. The Word of His Power is revealed in Psalm 138:2 (Amplified), which says, "I will worship toward Your Temple and praise Your Name for You Loving-Kindness, and for Your Truth and faithfulness, for You have exalted above all else Your Name and Your Word, and You have magnified Your Word above all Your Name." W read about the magnification of Jesus, the Word, Who is now the Lawful Heir and Lawful Owner and is the Word of His Power.
Hebrews 1:1 (Amplified) says, "In many separate Revelations, each of which set forth a portion of the Truth, and in different ways God spoke of old to our forefathers in and by the prophets." God could only move by His Word and in order to fulfill His will, God needed to get His Word into the earth. God needed to get mankind back into the place God was and He had to do it legally, as not to violate His Own Word. God had prophets and men of old who would speak forth His Word, into the earth. After His Word went forth, God could move in and by His Word, without violating His Ow will from Heaven or His Kingdom.
As God moved on men of old and they spoke forth His Word into the earth, God could move according to that world towards redemption and Grace. God Word is His Power and by it He spoke all things into existence. God gave total authority and dominion to Adam in Genesis 1:26 (Amplified), which says, "And God said, Let Us (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), make mankind in Our Image, after Our Likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame beasts, and over all the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth."
Many don't realize the Power of the Word God gave to mankind in the above scripture. God had actually relinquished authority to mankind, over all the earth. This meant that God had no right to intervene and move on this earth, without man and the authority of mankind. This is why He needed men of old to speak forth His Word. Using the men of old, God gained authority to perform His Word again. This is the Power of His Word.
God went on through all the prophets of old and spoke Jesus beginning immediately in Genesis 3:13 (Amplified), saying, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her OFFSPRING; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel." The very first Words of the Messiah, were spoken into this earth by God. From that time, He spoke Jesus, one prophecy after another, until He had completed by Words, the Messiah. God spoke the place where Jesus would be born, the place Jesus would die, and the time of His Ascension. Once His Word had come to the complete Man, God spoke that complete Word into Mary's womb. This is the Power of His Word.
God's Word took upon itself and became flesh, according to John 1:14. A sinless Man had come Who wasn't under the authority or dominion of sin and death. God's Word could be spoken from the lips of a Man and become the Word of His Power. This is why it's vital that we see why the words of a born-again child of God, are so important. Satan couldn't stop the Power of God's Word, but he's attempting to stop the Word of God's Power from coming out of the mouths of God's family. The enemy twists the Word of God's Power, but as ambassadors of Christ Jesus, we are to proclaim the Word of His Power into this earth and bring people out of death and sin. When we speak things that are contrary to God, we're not speaking the Word of His Power, but are speaking our own ideas about what that power is.
Many believers don''t speak His Word of Power about healing, but say instead, "God sometimes puts sickness on us." This isn't the Word of His Power, but the perverted words of the enemy. How can His Power work in our lives, if we speak contrary to them? We diminish His Word of Power, when we speak things that are contrary to it. God can only move by His Word, according to Matthew 28:18 (Amplified) which says, "All Power and authority has been given Him in Heaven and earth." God's Power works by His Word. That's why Jesus told us to "God into all the world and preach the Gospel." It is needed to release His Mighty Power into the earth, like it did it Jesus' ministry.
Jesus asked His disciples in Mark 4:13 (Amplified), "Do you not discern and understand this Parable? How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all the Parables?" The secret counsels of God and the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, is the principle of seeds being words, that are planted into the soil of our hearts or spirits, and then produce the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness into our lives. This simple Truth is the Mystery of God's Kingdom. Words or seeds are sown and produce in our lives and the lives of others into which we have sown.
We've been fearful of sowing seeds of hope or faith into others, thinking this seed might produce something other than what we intended. This is because we haven't heeded Jesus' instructions in Mark 4:24 (Amplified) where He admonishes, "Be careful what you are hearing." Many haven't been careful about what seed (words) they've allowed to grow in the good soil of their heart and produced something other than the Kingdom harvest. Some dismiss the seed principal as being, "Name it and claim it" or "Blab it and grab it," like they've heard taught. Jesus said it is the Mystery of the Kingdom of God and the secret counsels of God.
Everything we see around us or don't see around us (like gravity or the wind), derived from Words. Why would we think that the things being produced around us now, didn't come from words also? When you plant a garden, do you see only the seeds you plant or are you seeing the fruit? We have faith that the seeds we plant won't just remain seeds, but they will produce tomatoes or corn or something else. We don't put the seeds in the soil, because we only see the seeds, but because we know those seeds will produce after kind. Why would the Seed of God's Word be any different? Do you only see the seed when you speak it or do you see the results of that seed?
All words are seeds and they will either produce the Kingdom Harvest or produce what things from the enemy's kingdom of darkness. They will produce and like Adam, we've been called the tend the garden. You can either allow the serpent to enter and cause you to sow seeds of destruction or you can carefully choose the seeds of God's Word to be sown into your heart (spirit) and produce a harvest of God's Kingdom. What is produced from within your heart, is what you allow to be sown into it, according to Matthew 12:35 (Amplified), where Jesus said, "The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and and evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things."
There were 12 spies sent out from the Wilderness into the Promised Land, who came back to report what they saw in Numbers 13:31-32 (Amplified) which says, "But Joshua's fellow scouts said, We are not able to go up against the people of Canaan, for they are stronger than we are. So they brought the Israelites an evil report of the Land which they scouted out." Numbers 14:1 (Amplified) goes on, "And all the congregation cried out with a loud voice and they wept that night."
What we think about evil, and what God calls evil, aren't always the same. What God called, "Evil," were the words (seeds) that weren't aligned with His heart and were sown into the hearts of the Israelites. The evil seeds sown into their hearts, produced a crop of fear and distrust, that prevented God's seed or courage from producing victory. Those evil seeds produced a crop, because the people weren't careful what they heard. Jesus said in Mark 4:24 (Amplified), "Be careful what you are hearing, the measure 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."
What we hear and what we produce, is up to us; not God. We can choose to hear and allow evil reports that are contrary to God, to be sown in our hearts. Or, we can be careful what we hear and allow to be sown in our hearts. The hearer chooses. This is the Mystery of the Kingdom of God and the secret counsel of God. You can choose to hear what I'm saying here or you can receive an evil report that tells you, "It doesn't matter or make a difference what you say or hear."
This is the same choice the Israelites in the Wilderness has to make in Numbers 14. You can enter into the Word of His Power or remain where you are, by receiving the word of the enemy. You have the choice. This is the Year of Understanding, if we have ears to hear.
John 1:1-3 (Amplified) says, "In the beginning (before all time), was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God and the Word was God Himself (He was present originally with God). All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being." THIS IS THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD.
Matthew 28:18 (Amplified) tells us, "Jesus approached, and breaking the silence, said to them, All authority, all power of rule, in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me."
Hebrews 1:2-3 (Amplified) says, "But in the last of these days [God] has spoken to us in the Person of a Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and reaches of space and the ages of time. He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order. He is the Sole Expression of the Glory of God, Light-Being, the out-raying or radiance of the Divine, and He is the Perfect Imprint and very Image of God's nature (upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling) the universe by His Mighty Word of Power."
The Power of His Word created all things in John 1:1-3, before the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden. Hebrews 1:23 shows us the Word of His Power, where God has given the Risen Christ all Power in Heaven and earth. This is the Risen King, the Appointed Heir and Lawful Owner of all things. Jesus is the King of Kings, He is the Word of God's Power, and is the Lawful Owner of all things again.
His Word of Power is beyond dispute or doubt. Jesus is exalted above all the Heavens and the earth. The Word of His Power is revealed in Psalm 138:2 (Amplified), which says, "I will worship toward Your Temple and praise Your Name for You Loving-Kindness, and for Your Truth and faithfulness, for You have exalted above all else Your Name and Your Word, and You have magnified Your Word above all Your Name." W read about the magnification of Jesus, the Word, Who is now the Lawful Heir and Lawful Owner and is the Word of His Power.
Hebrews 1:1 (Amplified) says, "In many separate Revelations, each of which set forth a portion of the Truth, and in different ways God spoke of old to our forefathers in and by the prophets." God could only move by His Word and in order to fulfill His will, God needed to get His Word into the earth. God needed to get mankind back into the place God was and He had to do it legally, as not to violate His Own Word. God had prophets and men of old who would speak forth His Word, into the earth. After His Word went forth, God could move in and by His Word, without violating His Ow will from Heaven or His Kingdom.
As God moved on men of old and they spoke forth His Word into the earth, God could move according to that world towards redemption and Grace. God Word is His Power and by it He spoke all things into existence. God gave total authority and dominion to Adam in Genesis 1:26 (Amplified), which says, "And God said, Let Us (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), make mankind in Our Image, after Our Likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame beasts, and over all the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth."
Many don't realize the Power of the Word God gave to mankind in the above scripture. God had actually relinquished authority to mankind, over all the earth. This meant that God had no right to intervene and move on this earth, without man and the authority of mankind. This is why He needed men of old to speak forth His Word. Using the men of old, God gained authority to perform His Word again. This is the Power of His Word.
God went on through all the prophets of old and spoke Jesus beginning immediately in Genesis 3:13 (Amplified), saying, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her OFFSPRING; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel." The very first Words of the Messiah, were spoken into this earth by God. From that time, He spoke Jesus, one prophecy after another, until He had completed by Words, the Messiah. God spoke the place where Jesus would be born, the place Jesus would die, and the time of His Ascension. Once His Word had come to the complete Man, God spoke that complete Word into Mary's womb. This is the Power of His Word.
God's Word took upon itself and became flesh, according to John 1:14. A sinless Man had come Who wasn't under the authority or dominion of sin and death. God's Word could be spoken from the lips of a Man and become the Word of His Power. This is why it's vital that we see why the words of a born-again child of God, are so important. Satan couldn't stop the Power of God's Word, but he's attempting to stop the Word of God's Power from coming out of the mouths of God's family. The enemy twists the Word of God's Power, but as ambassadors of Christ Jesus, we are to proclaim the Word of His Power into this earth and bring people out of death and sin. When we speak things that are contrary to God, we're not speaking the Word of His Power, but are speaking our own ideas about what that power is.
Many believers don''t speak His Word of Power about healing, but say instead, "God sometimes puts sickness on us." This isn't the Word of His Power, but the perverted words of the enemy. How can His Power work in our lives, if we speak contrary to them? We diminish His Word of Power, when we speak things that are contrary to it. God can only move by His Word, according to Matthew 28:18 (Amplified) which says, "All Power and authority has been given Him in Heaven and earth." God's Power works by His Word. That's why Jesus told us to "God into all the world and preach the Gospel." It is needed to release His Mighty Power into the earth, like it did it Jesus' ministry.
Jesus asked His disciples in Mark 4:13 (Amplified), "Do you not discern and understand this Parable? How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all the Parables?" The secret counsels of God and the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, is the principle of seeds being words, that are planted into the soil of our hearts or spirits, and then produce the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of darkness into our lives. This simple Truth is the Mystery of God's Kingdom. Words or seeds are sown and produce in our lives and the lives of others into which we have sown.
We've been fearful of sowing seeds of hope or faith into others, thinking this seed might produce something other than what we intended. This is because we haven't heeded Jesus' instructions in Mark 4:24 (Amplified) where He admonishes, "Be careful what you are hearing." Many haven't been careful about what seed (words) they've allowed to grow in the good soil of their heart and produced something other than the Kingdom harvest. Some dismiss the seed principal as being, "Name it and claim it" or "Blab it and grab it," like they've heard taught. Jesus said it is the Mystery of the Kingdom of God and the secret counsels of God.
Everything we see around us or don't see around us (like gravity or the wind), derived from Words. Why would we think that the things being produced around us now, didn't come from words also? When you plant a garden, do you see only the seeds you plant or are you seeing the fruit? We have faith that the seeds we plant won't just remain seeds, but they will produce tomatoes or corn or something else. We don't put the seeds in the soil, because we only see the seeds, but because we know those seeds will produce after kind. Why would the Seed of God's Word be any different? Do you only see the seed when you speak it or do you see the results of that seed?
All words are seeds and they will either produce the Kingdom Harvest or produce what things from the enemy's kingdom of darkness. They will produce and like Adam, we've been called the tend the garden. You can either allow the serpent to enter and cause you to sow seeds of destruction or you can carefully choose the seeds of God's Word to be sown into your heart (spirit) and produce a harvest of God's Kingdom. What is produced from within your heart, is what you allow to be sown into it, according to Matthew 12:35 (Amplified), where Jesus said, "The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and and evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things."
There were 12 spies sent out from the Wilderness into the Promised Land, who came back to report what they saw in Numbers 13:31-32 (Amplified) which says, "But Joshua's fellow scouts said, We are not able to go up against the people of Canaan, for they are stronger than we are. So they brought the Israelites an evil report of the Land which they scouted out." Numbers 14:1 (Amplified) goes on, "And all the congregation cried out with a loud voice and they wept that night."
What we think about evil, and what God calls evil, aren't always the same. What God called, "Evil," were the words (seeds) that weren't aligned with His heart and were sown into the hearts of the Israelites. The evil seeds sown into their hearts, produced a crop of fear and distrust, that prevented God's seed or courage from producing victory. Those evil seeds produced a crop, because the people weren't careful what they heard. Jesus said in Mark 4:24 (Amplified), "Be careful what you are hearing, the measure 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."
What we hear and what we produce, is up to us; not God. We can choose to hear and allow evil reports that are contrary to God, to be sown in our hearts. Or, we can be careful what we hear and allow to be sown in our hearts. The hearer chooses. This is the Mystery of the Kingdom of God and the secret counsel of God. You can choose to hear what I'm saying here or you can receive an evil report that tells you, "It doesn't matter or make a difference what you say or hear."
This is the same choice the Israelites in the Wilderness has to make in Numbers 14. You can enter into the Word of His Power or remain where you are, by receiving the word of the enemy. You have the choice. This is the Year of Understanding, if we have ears to hear.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Lesson 137 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
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 a year of understanding the Mystery of God's Kingdom, for those who have ears to hears and eyes to see, like Jesus said in Mark 4:11 (Amplified), "And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the Mystery of the Kingdom of God (the secret counsels of God) which are hidden from the ungodly; but for those outside of our circle everything becomes a Parable."
Jesus gave "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4 about the power of words, but still today, some don't understand that the Seed Principle is the Mystery of the Kingdom of God. God's entire Kingdom was formed by and held in place today. Words have only become a means of communication to most of us and we've forgotten their creative power.
Most people only see Jesus as a man or even a man of God, even though we call Him, "Emmanuel, God with us." Most of us have never allowed the full intent of Jesus' birth and how He was the Word made flesh, to be revealed. Many lack understanding and see God and Jesus as being two separate Beings.
I'm not sure that Jesus is the physical or natural way that the Father actually looks, but it might be. The Word was to reveal God in a manner we could see Him with our physical eyes. The things Jesus did, the things Jesus said and the things He revealed to us, were actually God, Who went from "Seed, to the corn in the ear or the harvest," like Jesus' Parable of the Sower says. We saw the Seed sown in Mary's womb, we saw it sprout to become a Child, we watched it grow into maturity and we should have seen hat the full-grown Seed was actually God Himself.
We continue struggling to understand God's will and see God as He actually is. We struggle to separate the God of the old covenant, from the Father in the new covenant. Jesus said, "When you see Me, you see the Father."
Words produce what the image of that word is. In Proverbs 4:20-22 (Amplified), God says, "My Son, attend to My Words; consent and submit to My sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are Life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh." When the Word (seed) is sown into your heart about healing, then it will produce health and healing to all your flesh, according to the above scripture. This Word (Seed) is just as sure as the "Word was made flesh," from John 1:14 (Amplified), which says, "And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled among us." It's never been a question about, "Does God's Word work" or "Does the seed produce after kind," but it's a matter of do we allow that Word to do it's job or do we choke it out?
Jesus compared the Parable about the seed to the Mystery of God's Kingdom and the secret counsel of God and we should take notice of this. God and His Word are One, so we must look more closely at Jesus, in order to determine our Heavenly Father.
John 1:1 (Amplified) says, "In the beginning (before all time), was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself." God and the Word and the Seed of His Word are the Same. Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) says, "He (Jesus, the Word), is the Sole Expression of the Glory of God (the Light-Being, the out-raying or radiance of the Divine), and He is the Perfect Imprint and very Image of God's nature." If you really want to know the nature and Sole Expression of our Heavenly Father, then you can actually see Him in Jesus. This Word or Seed cannot produce anything else, but the Visible Presence of God.
The people following Jesus asked Him, "When will the Kingdom of God come," in Luke 17:20-21 (Amplified) and Jesus answered them saying, "Nor will people say, Look! Here it is! or See, it is there! For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you, in your hearts and among you, surrounding you." The Word (or Seed) had come and the soil of their hearts or spirit which was within, was the soil that would produce the Kingdom in their lives. Jesus was sowing the fruit or reality of the Kingdom in the spirits of "those who had ears to hear," just like His Parable. The Seed or Word would produce in their hearts, all that the Seed was intended to produce.
The power of Words is the secret counsel and Mystery of God's Kingdom. It's so simple that people have stumbled over it, reasoning among ourselves that, "It must be more than that." We really don't understand that Words are Spirit and seed, so we sow them without thinking about what they will produce in our lives. Jesus didn't say that only "His Words are seeds," but He said that all words are seeds. The Words of God produce the Kingdom of God and the words of the world produce the fruit of the kingdom of darkness. Both of these seeds produce readily, in the soil of your heart or spirit.
When you sow a seed in your garden, you place markers at the end of each row, because the seed is buried in the soil and you cannot see it. The marker allows you to know what you planted. When the plants sprout up, you won't mistake it for a weed and pull it up. Most of us don't sow only one thing in our garden. We don't plant corn, hoping to get some onions or carrots too. We know that every seed produces after kind. Why would we think the Seed or Word of God would be different? We can't sow seeds of worry, doubt, or strife and then expect healing to grow from them. We must not sow, things we don't want.
The entire universe and everything in it, was produced and still maintained by the Seed or Word of God. This Seed was never allowed to be crowded out by the thorns and weeds of the world and the enemy, and it's still producing the same as it always did. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that, "Jesus is the Perfect Imprint and Very Image of God's nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty Word of Power." Notice, it doesn't say "by the power of His Word," but it says, "by His Word of Power." The first means that when He speaks a particular things, it comes to pass because of the power of His Word, while the other means it brings everything to what He calls it, by the Word of His Power.
As the Word, Jesus is the Word of His Power and the Words of God that we speak, come to pass, because of the Power of His Word. In the beginning was the Word, is the Word of His Power and this is what we walk in by Jesus-THE POWER OF THAT WORD. Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) says it is, "Upholding, and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His Mighty Word of Power." What we say (sow) has the power to produce, because of His Mighty Word of Power This is part of understanding the Mystery of the Kingdom of God.
We sow the seed or Word in our own spirit and God watches over it and it comes to pass, because it is His Word of Power. God's Word cannot fail to produce, because it is His Word of Power. The Seed is guaranteed to produce in our lives, just like it still holds the universe in place.
The god of this world and his kingdom of darkness, fought hard against the Truth of God's Word from producing. The enemy has gone to great lengths to make God's Word about Words being seed, seem like foolishness to the believer, so that we never learn to choose our words in Wisdom and understanding. It's been difficult for believers to place much faith in what we say or sow, because of this. It isn't foolishness, but Kingdom fruit that comes from Kingdom Seed.
We don't need to know how a carrot seed works. We only need to know that when we plant a carrot seed, it will produce carrots. Don't try to figure out how a bunch of carrots, can be inside a seed. Just sow the seed, care for it while it grows and enjoy it's fruit. We should at the very least, respect the Seed of God's Word, enough to sow it into our hearts, watch over it and live in the fruit of it's maturity.
2019 will be a year of understanding the Mystery of God's Kingdom, for those who have ears to hears and eyes to see, like Jesus said in Mark 4:11 (Amplified), "And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the Mystery of the Kingdom of God (the secret counsels of God) which are hidden from the ungodly; but for those outside of our circle everything becomes a Parable."
Jesus gave "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4 about the power of words, but still today, some don't understand that the Seed Principle is the Mystery of the Kingdom of God. God's entire Kingdom was formed by and held in place today. Words have only become a means of communication to most of us and we've forgotten their creative power.
Most people only see Jesus as a man or even a man of God, even though we call Him, "Emmanuel, God with us." Most of us have never allowed the full intent of Jesus' birth and how He was the Word made flesh, to be revealed. Many lack understanding and see God and Jesus as being two separate Beings.
I'm not sure that Jesus is the physical or natural way that the Father actually looks, but it might be. The Word was to reveal God in a manner we could see Him with our physical eyes. The things Jesus did, the things Jesus said and the things He revealed to us, were actually God, Who went from "Seed, to the corn in the ear or the harvest," like Jesus' Parable of the Sower says. We saw the Seed sown in Mary's womb, we saw it sprout to become a Child, we watched it grow into maturity and we should have seen hat the full-grown Seed was actually God Himself.
We continue struggling to understand God's will and see God as He actually is. We struggle to separate the God of the old covenant, from the Father in the new covenant. Jesus said, "When you see Me, you see the Father."
Words produce what the image of that word is. In Proverbs 4:20-22 (Amplified), God says, "My Son, attend to My Words; consent and submit to My sayings. Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. For they are Life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh." When the Word (seed) is sown into your heart about healing, then it will produce health and healing to all your flesh, according to the above scripture. This Word (Seed) is just as sure as the "Word was made flesh," from John 1:14 (Amplified), which says, "And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled among us." It's never been a question about, "Does God's Word work" or "Does the seed produce after kind," but it's a matter of do we allow that Word to do it's job or do we choke it out?
Jesus compared the Parable about the seed to the Mystery of God's Kingdom and the secret counsel of God and we should take notice of this. God and His Word are One, so we must look more closely at Jesus, in order to determine our Heavenly Father.
John 1:1 (Amplified) says, "In the beginning (before all time), was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself." God and the Word and the Seed of His Word are the Same. Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) says, "He (Jesus, the Word), is the Sole Expression of the Glory of God (the Light-Being, the out-raying or radiance of the Divine), and He is the Perfect Imprint and very Image of God's nature." If you really want to know the nature and Sole Expression of our Heavenly Father, then you can actually see Him in Jesus. This Word or Seed cannot produce anything else, but the Visible Presence of God.
The people following Jesus asked Him, "When will the Kingdom of God come," in Luke 17:20-21 (Amplified) and Jesus answered them saying, "Nor will people say, Look! Here it is! or See, it is there! For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you, in your hearts and among you, surrounding you." The Word (or Seed) had come and the soil of their hearts or spirit which was within, was the soil that would produce the Kingdom in their lives. Jesus was sowing the fruit or reality of the Kingdom in the spirits of "those who had ears to hear," just like His Parable. The Seed or Word would produce in their hearts, all that the Seed was intended to produce.
The power of Words is the secret counsel and Mystery of God's Kingdom. It's so simple that people have stumbled over it, reasoning among ourselves that, "It must be more than that." We really don't understand that Words are Spirit and seed, so we sow them without thinking about what they will produce in our lives. Jesus didn't say that only "His Words are seeds," but He said that all words are seeds. The Words of God produce the Kingdom of God and the words of the world produce the fruit of the kingdom of darkness. Both of these seeds produce readily, in the soil of your heart or spirit.
When you sow a seed in your garden, you place markers at the end of each row, because the seed is buried in the soil and you cannot see it. The marker allows you to know what you planted. When the plants sprout up, you won't mistake it for a weed and pull it up. Most of us don't sow only one thing in our garden. We don't plant corn, hoping to get some onions or carrots too. We know that every seed produces after kind. Why would we think the Seed or Word of God would be different? We can't sow seeds of worry, doubt, or strife and then expect healing to grow from them. We must not sow, things we don't want.
The entire universe and everything in it, was produced and still maintained by the Seed or Word of God. This Seed was never allowed to be crowded out by the thorns and weeds of the world and the enemy, and it's still producing the same as it always did. Hebrews 1:3 tells us that, "Jesus is the Perfect Imprint and Very Image of God's nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty Word of Power." Notice, it doesn't say "by the power of His Word," but it says, "by His Word of Power." The first means that when He speaks a particular things, it comes to pass because of the power of His Word, while the other means it brings everything to what He calls it, by the Word of His Power.
As the Word, Jesus is the Word of His Power and the Words of God that we speak, come to pass, because of the Power of His Word. In the beginning was the Word, is the Word of His Power and this is what we walk in by Jesus-THE POWER OF THAT WORD. Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) says it is, "Upholding, and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His Mighty Word of Power." What we say (sow) has the power to produce, because of His Mighty Word of Power This is part of understanding the Mystery of the Kingdom of God.
We sow the seed or Word in our own spirit and God watches over it and it comes to pass, because it is His Word of Power. God's Word cannot fail to produce, because it is His Word of Power. The Seed is guaranteed to produce in our lives, just like it still holds the universe in place.
The god of this world and his kingdom of darkness, fought hard against the Truth of God's Word from producing. The enemy has gone to great lengths to make God's Word about Words being seed, seem like foolishness to the believer, so that we never learn to choose our words in Wisdom and understanding. It's been difficult for believers to place much faith in what we say or sow, because of this. It isn't foolishness, but Kingdom fruit that comes from Kingdom Seed.
We don't need to know how a carrot seed works. We only need to know that when we plant a carrot seed, it will produce carrots. Don't try to figure out how a bunch of carrots, can be inside a seed. Just sow the seed, care for it while it grows and enjoy it's fruit. We should at the very least, respect the Seed of God's Word, enough to sow it into our hearts, watch over it and live in the fruit of it's maturity.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Lesson 136 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), all have 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."
Many in the Church have dismissed the Revelation that the Holy Spirit has brought, because of a lack of understanding or the misuse of the Truth by others. Anyone who is truly born-again, would never knowingly dismiss the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit. In order to have the Church deny these Revelations, satan needed to first, cloud their understanding.
We've somehow believed that just reading the Word or hearing preaching is enough, because if God wants something done, then He will just do it. My friend Tommy Williams wrote this in his Partner Letter, saying, "It was never impossible for God to bring forth His Son, born of a virgin, but He had to have a virgin willing to accept and obey Him." This is a great Truth, from the man of God. What God is doing and what He intends to do, will get done, but it's up to you to be the one of those who will be willing and obedient to His will.
Much of the Church has walked more in the carnal realm, than in the Spirit. We haven't done this because we don't love God and don't want to please Him, but because we haven't understood the Spiritual aspect of God's Word. Romans 8:7 (Amplified) says, "That is, because the mind of the flesh, with its carnal thoughts and purposes, is hostile to God; for it does not submit itself to God's Law, indeed it cannot."
Notice that Paul says, "it cannot." The mind of the flesh, in its own trained way of thinking, cannot submit to God. The importance of renewing our mind is one of the great understandings the Holy Spirit will reveal to God's people, in this coming year. Many of us have thought that renewing our minds, means we try to stop thinking sinful thoughts. Even though this is true, it's not just refusing evil thoughts, but it's replacing them with God's thoughts and Words.
Training your minds by the Holy Spirit, is more than refusing bad thoughts, but is hearing His Voice. Even your carnal mind had to be trained in what it thought, when you came into this world. You had to be trained to speak, walk, think, understand words, do math, eat and even dress. None of these simple things that guide our lives, were there when we were born. The ability to conceive them was there, but we had to train our minds to obey our will.
Because we didn't understand the importance of doing this with the mind of the Spirit, we simply lapsed into a religious attitude in our walk with the Father. We were born of the Spirit, but still walked in the understanding we'd been trained in. Without discipline, your mind will never change it's dictates on its own. It must be trained to do so, according to Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) which says, "Therefore, there is no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong), for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictate of the Spirit. For the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus (the Law of our new being), has freed me from the Law of Sin and of Death."
Notice, the above scripture doesn't say that we're not under the Law of the Spirit of Life, but that the mind that isn't trained by the Law of the Spirit of Life will still dictate to you, the condemnation in which it was trained. We must renew our minds and get understanding. Many fellow believers, still walk by the dictates of the flesh or their old unrenewed minds. It's difficult for them to even believe that they're righteous before God and justified in Christ Jesus. They are righteous in Him, but their old, unrenewed minds won't let them walk and enjoy the Law of the Spirit of Life, because it's hostile and doesn't submit itself to God. Paul said it "cannot submit itself to God."
Without being renewed by the understanding of righteousness, your minds can only dictate what it's been trained to think, which will keep you under thoughts of condemnation, even though God has made you free. The Year of Understanding is nothing new, nor is it some weird Revelation that goes against God. It is rather, that the Spirit will open the eyes of our understanding to what has been there all along.
Paul writes to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in 1Corinthians 12:2 (Amplified) saying, "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), fashioned after and adapted to its external (superficial) customs, but be transformed (changed), by the entire renewal of your mind, by its new ideals and its new attitude, so that you can prove for yourselves what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing that is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight for you."
God has never had anything in His mind, except that which is good and acceptable and perfect for you, but until you've renewed and trained your mind by His Word and Spirit, you will be unable to prove for yourself what He really has in His heart for you. We struggle in our own minds about what God's will is, because we have no understanding (even about the above scripture). This is one of the greatest hindrances to the Church today. We have no understanding of what God's will really is.
It is God's will to heal today? Is it His will for us to speak in tongues, walk in prosperity and believe we're righteous in Christ Jesus? Or, is it God's will for us to have no understanding about this? Paul said that we can "prove for ourselves what is His will, by renewing our minds and training them to think and dictate the things of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus, the dictates of the Spirit." We've never yet understood what Paul calls, "The Law of our new being (the new creation)."
Proverbs 4:7 (Amplified) says, "The beginning of Wisdom is get Wisdom, skillful and Godly Wisdom. For skillful and Godly Wisdom is the principal things. And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation)." Have you ever tried teaching someone a new thing, but they couldn't get it right? You might say, "They hear what I'm saying, but they don't seem to comprehend what I'm telling them," right? Jesus said nearly the same thing in Mark 4, when giving "The Parable of the Sower," He said, "Having ears they don't hear, and having eyes, they don't see." They heard what Jesus was saying, but they didn't comprehend what He was telling them.
Love you,
Jim
Many in the Church have dismissed the Revelation that the Holy Spirit has brought, because of a lack of understanding or the misuse of the Truth by others. Anyone who is truly born-again, would never knowingly dismiss the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit. In order to have the Church deny these Revelations, satan needed to first, cloud their understanding.
We've somehow believed that just reading the Word or hearing preaching is enough, because if God wants something done, then He will just do it. My friend Tommy Williams wrote this in his Partner Letter, saying, "It was never impossible for God to bring forth His Son, born of a virgin, but He had to have a virgin willing to accept and obey Him." This is a great Truth, from the man of God. What God is doing and what He intends to do, will get done, but it's up to you to be the one of those who will be willing and obedient to His will.
Much of the Church has walked more in the carnal realm, than in the Spirit. We haven't done this because we don't love God and don't want to please Him, but because we haven't understood the Spiritual aspect of God's Word. Romans 8:7 (Amplified) says, "That is, because the mind of the flesh, with its carnal thoughts and purposes, is hostile to God; for it does not submit itself to God's Law, indeed it cannot."
Notice that Paul says, "it cannot." The mind of the flesh, in its own trained way of thinking, cannot submit to God. The importance of renewing our mind is one of the great understandings the Holy Spirit will reveal to God's people, in this coming year. Many of us have thought that renewing our minds, means we try to stop thinking sinful thoughts. Even though this is true, it's not just refusing evil thoughts, but it's replacing them with God's thoughts and Words.
Training your minds by the Holy Spirit, is more than refusing bad thoughts, but is hearing His Voice. Even your carnal mind had to be trained in what it thought, when you came into this world. You had to be trained to speak, walk, think, understand words, do math, eat and even dress. None of these simple things that guide our lives, were there when we were born. The ability to conceive them was there, but we had to train our minds to obey our will.
Because we didn't understand the importance of doing this with the mind of the Spirit, we simply lapsed into a religious attitude in our walk with the Father. We were born of the Spirit, but still walked in the understanding we'd been trained in. Without discipline, your mind will never change it's dictates on its own. It must be trained to do so, according to Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) which says, "Therefore, there is no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong), for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictate of the Spirit. For the Law of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus (the Law of our new being), has freed me from the Law of Sin and of Death."
Notice, the above scripture doesn't say that we're not under the Law of the Spirit of Life, but that the mind that isn't trained by the Law of the Spirit of Life will still dictate to you, the condemnation in which it was trained. We must renew our minds and get understanding. Many fellow believers, still walk by the dictates of the flesh or their old unrenewed minds. It's difficult for them to even believe that they're righteous before God and justified in Christ Jesus. They are righteous in Him, but their old, unrenewed minds won't let them walk and enjoy the Law of the Spirit of Life, because it's hostile and doesn't submit itself to God. Paul said it "cannot submit itself to God."
Without being renewed by the understanding of righteousness, your minds can only dictate what it's been trained to think, which will keep you under thoughts of condemnation, even though God has made you free. The Year of Understanding is nothing new, nor is it some weird Revelation that goes against God. It is rather, that the Spirit will open the eyes of our understanding to what has been there all along.
Paul writes to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in 1Corinthians 12:2 (Amplified) saying, "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), fashioned after and adapted to its external (superficial) customs, but be transformed (changed), by the entire renewal of your mind, by its new ideals and its new attitude, so that you can prove for yourselves what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing that is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight for you."
God has never had anything in His mind, except that which is good and acceptable and perfect for you, but until you've renewed and trained your mind by His Word and Spirit, you will be unable to prove for yourself what He really has in His heart for you. We struggle in our own minds about what God's will is, because we have no understanding (even about the above scripture). This is one of the greatest hindrances to the Church today. We have no understanding of what God's will really is.
It is God's will to heal today? Is it His will for us to speak in tongues, walk in prosperity and believe we're righteous in Christ Jesus? Or, is it God's will for us to have no understanding about this? Paul said that we can "prove for ourselves what is His will, by renewing our minds and training them to think and dictate the things of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus, the dictates of the Spirit." We've never yet understood what Paul calls, "The Law of our new being (the new creation)."
Proverbs 4:7 (Amplified) says, "The beginning of Wisdom is get Wisdom, skillful and Godly Wisdom. For skillful and Godly Wisdom is the principal things. And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation)." Have you ever tried teaching someone a new thing, but they couldn't get it right? You might say, "They hear what I'm saying, but they don't seem to comprehend what I'm telling them," right? Jesus said nearly the same thing in Mark 4, when giving "The Parable of the Sower," He said, "Having ears they don't hear, and having eyes, they don't see." They heard what Jesus was saying, but they didn't comprehend what He was telling them.
Love you,
Jim
Monday, January 7, 2019
Lesson 135 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
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."
Let's look at Romans 1:17 (Amplified) again, where Paul writes, "For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith (disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith). As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith."
This scripture tells us that everything we've gained through Jesus, comes by our faith in God's Word, including receiving Jesus as Lord. Much of the Revelation knowledge the Holy Spirit has brought to the Church, has been lost to us, by misunderstanding. Many have simply dismissed the faith teachings that God has given us, because these teachings have been misused and misunderstood. Just because some have misused them, doesn't mean these teachings aren't valid or Revelation.
Romans 4:16 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, inheriting the Promise is the outcome of faith and depends entirely on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of Grace (unmerited favor), to make it valid and guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the devotees of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is thus the father of us all."
We received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, BY FAITH. Grace is God's unearned and undeserved favor, but in order to open the doors of Grace, we need faith. We cannot earn Grace and we certainly don't deserve it. It requires us to have faith, in order to accept God's Grace, favor and mercy. Every Promise God has made to us, is only released by our faith in that Promise, according to 2Corinthians 1:19-20 (Amplified) where Paul writes, "For the Son of God, Christ Jesus (the Messiah); Who has been preached among you by us, by myself, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not Yes or No, but in Him is always the Divine Yes. For as many as are the Promises of God, they all find their YES answer in Him (Christ). For this reason we also utter the Amen (So be it), to God through Him, in His Person and by His Agency, to the Glory of God."
Our receiving these Promises, is based upon our faith in God's Promises. They're not fulfilled in our lives by any other means, other than believing that God will do what He said He would do. This is faith or trust that brings about the Grace to fulfill the Promises. This is why the Lord told me that this will be the Year of Understanding. Faith isn't working like God intended, because we don't seem to understand faith, due to errant teachings and the misuse of faith messages. Just because some have misused it, doesn't take away the validity of it's true use and meaning.
Jesus told "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4:11, 23-24 (Amplified) saying, "To you has been entrusted the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, that is the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly, but for those outside of our circle, everything becomes a Parable." Jesus continued in Verses 23-24, "If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. And He said to them [and to us], Be careful what you are hearing. The measure 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."
Don't let someone else determine what is Truth for you, but give thought and study to it for yourself. Many have talked about "Faith people" and "Word people," and believe only what these people say is valid, is valid. We must listen to and have ears to hear, what the Holy Spirit tells us. Hebrews 11:6 (Amplified) tells us that, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." If the faith teachings coming from those who are pleasing to God are "wrong," then how can we please Him? I'm not talking about the foolishness coming from the carnal-minded men. Paul writes about the love of the Church in Colossus, saying in Colossi ans 1:9-10 (Amplified), "For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it (your love) have not ceased to pray and make special request for you, asking that you may be filled with the full, deep, clear, knowledge of His will in all Spiritual Wisdom, in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God, in all 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 deeper and clearer insight, acquaintance and recognition."
If it's impossible to please God without faith, then it must take faith in His Word to be fully pleasing to Him. Faith is just another word for trust. Do you trust Him to do what He said or are you still wavering by every wind of doctrine, like Paul described? If God said, "It is so," then it is so. Even the universe doesn't dare change from God's Word, but it remains stable in it.
Study for yourself and with all your getting, "Get understanding." Just because some have misused the teachings of faith, doesn't take away from faith or the Truth of it. You're missing out on so many Blessings from your inheritance, when you don't trust God to do what He has said. No one can stop the Promises of God from coming to pass in your life, according to Hebrews 3:19 (Amplified) which says, "So we see that they were not able to enter into His Rest because of their unwillingness to adhere to, trust in and rely on God, unbelief had shut them out."
How many things has our unbelief prevented from coming into our lives, because we were unwilling to trust Him for them? If God says that, "All His Promises are Yes and Amen in Jesus," then we should find out what His Promises are and then trust in, rely on and have faith in, His Truth.
Let's look at Romans 1:17 (Amplified) again, where Paul writes, "For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith (disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith). As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith."
This scripture tells us that everything we've gained through Jesus, comes by our faith in God's Word, including receiving Jesus as Lord. Much of the Revelation knowledge the Holy Spirit has brought to the Church, has been lost to us, by misunderstanding. Many have simply dismissed the faith teachings that God has given us, because these teachings have been misused and misunderstood. Just because some have misused them, doesn't mean these teachings aren't valid or Revelation.
Romans 4:16 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, inheriting the Promise is the outcome of faith and depends entirely on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of Grace (unmerited favor), to make it valid and guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the devotees of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is thus the father of us all."
We received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, BY FAITH. Grace is God's unearned and undeserved favor, but in order to open the doors of Grace, we need faith. We cannot earn Grace and we certainly don't deserve it. It requires us to have faith, in order to accept God's Grace, favor and mercy. Every Promise God has made to us, is only released by our faith in that Promise, according to 2Corinthians 1:19-20 (Amplified) where Paul writes, "For the Son of God, Christ Jesus (the Messiah); Who has been preached among you by us, by myself, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not Yes or No, but in Him is always the Divine Yes. For as many as are the Promises of God, they all find their YES answer in Him (Christ). For this reason we also utter the Amen (So be it), to God through Him, in His Person and by His Agency, to the Glory of God."
Our receiving these Promises, is based upon our faith in God's Promises. They're not fulfilled in our lives by any other means, other than believing that God will do what He said He would do. This is faith or trust that brings about the Grace to fulfill the Promises. This is why the Lord told me that this will be the Year of Understanding. Faith isn't working like God intended, because we don't seem to understand faith, due to errant teachings and the misuse of faith messages. Just because some have misused it, doesn't take away the validity of it's true use and meaning.
Jesus told "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4:11, 23-24 (Amplified) saying, "To you has been entrusted the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, that is the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly, but for those outside of our circle, everything becomes a Parable." Jesus continued in Verses 23-24, "If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend. And He said to them [and to us], Be careful what you are hearing. The measure 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."
Don't let someone else determine what is Truth for you, but give thought and study to it for yourself. Many have talked about "Faith people" and "Word people," and believe only what these people say is valid, is valid. We must listen to and have ears to hear, what the Holy Spirit tells us. Hebrews 11:6 (Amplified) tells us that, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." If the faith teachings coming from those who are pleasing to God are "wrong," then how can we please Him? I'm not talking about the foolishness coming from the carnal-minded men. Paul writes about the love of the Church in Colossus, saying in Colossi ans 1:9-10 (Amplified), "For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it (your love) have not ceased to pray and make special request for you, asking that you may be filled with the full, deep, clear, knowledge of His will in all Spiritual Wisdom, in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God, in all 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 deeper and clearer insight, acquaintance and recognition."
If it's impossible to please God without faith, then it must take faith in His Word to be fully pleasing to Him. Faith is just another word for trust. Do you trust Him to do what He said or are you still wavering by every wind of doctrine, like Paul described? If God said, "It is so," then it is so. Even the universe doesn't dare change from God's Word, but it remains stable in it.
Study for yourself and with all your getting, "Get understanding." Just because some have misused the teachings of faith, doesn't take away from faith or the Truth of it. You're missing out on so many Blessings from your inheritance, when you don't trust God to do what He has said. No one can stop the Promises of God from coming to pass in your life, according to Hebrews 3:19 (Amplified) which says, "So we see that they were not able to enter into His Rest because of their unwillingness to adhere to, trust in and rely on God, unbelief had shut them out."
How many things has our unbelief prevented from coming into our lives, because we were unwilling to trust Him for them? If God says that, "All His Promises are Yes and Amen in Jesus," then we should find out what His Promises are and then trust in, rely on and have faith in, His Truth.
Friday, January 4, 2019
Lesson 134 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
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 7:4 (Amplified) tells us, "Say to skillful and Godly Wisdom; You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend."
In Mark4:11 (Amplified), Jesus told His followers and those of us who are born-again now, the we have the Word and the Holy Spirit to teach us and give us insight. We can now understand the things Jesus was saying, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the new birth, unlike those before the new birth. Thus, Jesus said, "To you has been entrusted the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, that is the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly, but for those outside of our circle everything becomes a Parable."
Only those who are born-again and have the Holy Spirit within us, have the ability to understand the secret counsels and mysteries of God's Kingdom. Jesus taught that the Word is seed and we understand that the whole Kingdom of God hinges upon words (seeds) we hear and sow in our lives. This is one of the greatest reasons God is bringing the Law of Confession to light presently. Some don't understand this though and believe it's "foolishness." To those who are mature and are seeking understanding, it's the pathway to understanding.
Many disregard the teachings about "Watching what we say," while others have used this teaching, without understanding the value it holds in the lives of believers. Jesus spoke about these people in "The Parable of the Sower," found in Mark 4:16-17 (Amplified), where He says, "And in the same way, the ones (seeds) sown upon stony ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive and accept it and welcome it with joy. And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become indignant, resentful, displeased) and they stumble and fall away."
Many in the Church have heard the Word concerning the Mystery and secret counsel of the Kingdom. Many believers have heard teachings about, "Watching what you say," but then when trouble arises, or they have a disagreement with a fellow believer, or when persecution and trouble arose because of the teaching, they become offended and fall away from this understanding of the Spiritual aspect of this teaching.
John 3:34 (Amplified) says, "For since He Whom God has sent speaks the Words of God (proclaims God's Own Message), God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the Gift God makes of His Spirit."
Did everyone always welcome and accept Jesus' Words? No. Did Jesus change what He was sent to say, in order not to suffer the persecution of being rejected by the unbelieving people? No. Jesus didn't fall away and say what they wished to hear. God brought to pass whatsoever Jesus said, during His earthly ministry and life. Why? Because, it was His Word and His Kingdom works by Words. This is one of the great Mysteries of the Kingdom.
Again, we read "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4:26-29 (Amplified) where Jesus says, "The Kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground And men continue sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases-he knows not how." Verse 28 says, "The earth produces acting by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, and permits, immediately he sends forth the reapers and puts in the sickle because the harvest stands ready."
It doesn't matter that you don't know how a seed does what it does. The seed still "works in the earth (your spirit) which is acting by itself" and produces the harvest from the seed that was sown. We must not keep digging up the seed, in order to discover how it's working.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to give us understanding and reveal it to us, it becomes Revelation and not just education. Then, it's ours forever. Paul expounds on "The Parable of the Sower" in 2Timothy 2:3-7 (Amplified) saying, "Take with me your share of suffering and hardships [remember Jesus said that, "Persecutions and afflictions arise for the Word's sake] which you are called to endure as a good first-class soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of civilian life (he does not get caught up in the world) His aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him. And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully, fairly according to the rules laid down. [If you want the Word to work for you, then you must do it by the Laws that govern God's Kingdom]." Verses 6-7 go on, "It is the hardworking farmer who labors to produce who must be the first partaker of the fruits. [It's only when you are working and producing the secret counsel in your life, that you're able to share it with others]. Think over these things I am saying, understand them and grasp their application. For the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything."
Understanding the Law of words, is one of the first and greatest staring places in the Kingdom. When you watch what you say and are certain about the words you speak into the lives of others and yourself, then you have "The Beginning of Wisdom, according to Proverbs. Remember what Jesus said in Mark 4:28 (Amplified), "The earth (your spirit that receives the Word or seed) produces, acting by itself-first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear."
When understanding comes to us, about what we say and hear, it might start in simply a seed, just words. Jesus said that when you either allow or don't allow it into your heart or spirit, then your spirit will produce, acting by itself. Don't be discouraged by not producing a harvest before it starts like a blade, just be careful what you hear. Remember, the earth or soil (heart or spirit) of a man produces, acting by itself.
The ground or earth doesn't determine the seed, but only produces what we sow into it. If you plant corn, then it will grow corn. If you plant Poison Ivy, then it will grow Poison Ivy, because it produces acting by itself. We must be careful what we hear and not allow just any seed to be sown in our hearts. We must not plant any seed (word) that we don't want a harvest from.
Words are seeds. Words of the Spirit and words that are carnal, of the flesh, will both produce a harvest in our lives. Galatians 6:7-8 (Amplified) says, "Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at, scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside [remember that we reap what we sow and that our spirit (soil) will produce acting by itself. It will grow what you allow to be sown it, because this is one of the precepts of God]. He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God. [Just because you don't believe His precepts, doesn't change His precepts]. For whatever a man sows that and only that is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction. [If we continue to be fleshly, carnal in our understanding and sow only this, then only what the flesh can produce is what we will reap]. But he who sows to the Spirit, will from the Spirit reap Eternal Life. [This doesn't mean life in Heaven only, but the Eternal things of Life here on earth. The seeds of Life that we sow or allow to be sown here, will produce here].
Getting understanding isn't a simple suggestion, but is a necessity in our lives. We simply sow to the flesh, when we don't understand the Seed Principal from Genesis 1:12 (Amplified) which says, "The earth brought forth vegetation; plants yielding seed according to its own kind and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind and God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable), and HE APPROVED IT."
God made us in His Image and His Likeness, after His Seed (His Word), according to Genesis 1:27 (Amplified) which tells us, "So God created man in His Own Image, in the Image and Likeness of God." Read through and find out what God's Word says about speaking His Word or speaking against His Word. See what speaking or sowing God's Word produces and what speaking or sowing things against His Word produces. God began speaking Jesus into this earth after Adam's fall in the Gard of Eden, in Genesis 3:15 (Amplified) where He says, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you shall life in wait and bruise His heel." God's Seed (Word) had been sown and John 1:14 (Amplified) tells us, "And the Word (Christ), became flesh (human, incarnate)." God spoke Jesus into this world, "first a Seed, then a blade, then a grain, and eventually a harvest." After Kind, Words of understanding.
Proverbs 7:4 (Amplified) tells us, "Say to skillful and Godly Wisdom; You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend."
In Mark4:11 (Amplified), Jesus told His followers and those of us who are born-again now, the we have the Word and the Holy Spirit to teach us and give us insight. We can now understand the things Jesus was saying, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the new birth, unlike those before the new birth. Thus, Jesus said, "To you has been entrusted the Mystery of the Kingdom of God, that is the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly, but for those outside of our circle everything becomes a Parable."
Only those who are born-again and have the Holy Spirit within us, have the ability to understand the secret counsels and mysteries of God's Kingdom. Jesus taught that the Word is seed and we understand that the whole Kingdom of God hinges upon words (seeds) we hear and sow in our lives. This is one of the greatest reasons God is bringing the Law of Confession to light presently. Some don't understand this though and believe it's "foolishness." To those who are mature and are seeking understanding, it's the pathway to understanding.
Many disregard the teachings about "Watching what we say," while others have used this teaching, without understanding the value it holds in the lives of believers. Jesus spoke about these people in "The Parable of the Sower," found in Mark 4:16-17 (Amplified), where He says, "And in the same way, the ones (seeds) sown upon stony ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive and accept it and welcome it with joy. And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become indignant, resentful, displeased) and they stumble and fall away."
Many in the Church have heard the Word concerning the Mystery and secret counsel of the Kingdom. Many believers have heard teachings about, "Watching what you say," but then when trouble arises, or they have a disagreement with a fellow believer, or when persecution and trouble arose because of the teaching, they become offended and fall away from this understanding of the Spiritual aspect of this teaching.
John 3:34 (Amplified) says, "For since He Whom God has sent speaks the Words of God (proclaims God's Own Message), God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the Gift God makes of His Spirit."
Did everyone always welcome and accept Jesus' Words? No. Did Jesus change what He was sent to say, in order not to suffer the persecution of being rejected by the unbelieving people? No. Jesus didn't fall away and say what they wished to hear. God brought to pass whatsoever Jesus said, during His earthly ministry and life. Why? Because, it was His Word and His Kingdom works by Words. This is one of the great Mysteries of the Kingdom.
Again, we read "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4:26-29 (Amplified) where Jesus says, "The Kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground And men continue sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases-he knows not how." Verse 28 says, "The earth produces acting by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, and permits, immediately he sends forth the reapers and puts in the sickle because the harvest stands ready."
It doesn't matter that you don't know how a seed does what it does. The seed still "works in the earth (your spirit) which is acting by itself" and produces the harvest from the seed that was sown. We must not keep digging up the seed, in order to discover how it's working.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to give us understanding and reveal it to us, it becomes Revelation and not just education. Then, it's ours forever. Paul expounds on "The Parable of the Sower" in 2Timothy 2:3-7 (Amplified) saying, "Take with me your share of suffering and hardships [remember Jesus said that, "Persecutions and afflictions arise for the Word's sake] which you are called to endure as a good first-class soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of civilian life (he does not get caught up in the world) His aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him. And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully, fairly according to the rules laid down. [If you want the Word to work for you, then you must do it by the Laws that govern God's Kingdom]." Verses 6-7 go on, "It is the hardworking farmer who labors to produce who must be the first partaker of the fruits. [It's only when you are working and producing the secret counsel in your life, that you're able to share it with others]. Think over these things I am saying, understand them and grasp their application. For the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything."
Understanding the Law of words, is one of the first and greatest staring places in the Kingdom. When you watch what you say and are certain about the words you speak into the lives of others and yourself, then you have "The Beginning of Wisdom, according to Proverbs. Remember what Jesus said in Mark 4:28 (Amplified), "The earth (your spirit that receives the Word or seed) produces, acting by itself-first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear."
When understanding comes to us, about what we say and hear, it might start in simply a seed, just words. Jesus said that when you either allow or don't allow it into your heart or spirit, then your spirit will produce, acting by itself. Don't be discouraged by not producing a harvest before it starts like a blade, just be careful what you hear. Remember, the earth or soil (heart or spirit) of a man produces, acting by itself.
The ground or earth doesn't determine the seed, but only produces what we sow into it. If you plant corn, then it will grow corn. If you plant Poison Ivy, then it will grow Poison Ivy, because it produces acting by itself. We must be careful what we hear and not allow just any seed to be sown in our hearts. We must not plant any seed (word) that we don't want a harvest from.
Words are seeds. Words of the Spirit and words that are carnal, of the flesh, will both produce a harvest in our lives. Galatians 6:7-8 (Amplified) says, "Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at, scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside [remember that we reap what we sow and that our spirit (soil) will produce acting by itself. It will grow what you allow to be sown it, because this is one of the precepts of God]. He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God. [Just because you don't believe His precepts, doesn't change His precepts]. For whatever a man sows that and only that is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction. [If we continue to be fleshly, carnal in our understanding and sow only this, then only what the flesh can produce is what we will reap]. But he who sows to the Spirit, will from the Spirit reap Eternal Life. [This doesn't mean life in Heaven only, but the Eternal things of Life here on earth. The seeds of Life that we sow or allow to be sown here, will produce here].
Getting understanding isn't a simple suggestion, but is a necessity in our lives. We simply sow to the flesh, when we don't understand the Seed Principal from Genesis 1:12 (Amplified) which says, "The earth brought forth vegetation; plants yielding seed according to its own kind and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind and God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable), and HE APPROVED IT."
God made us in His Image and His Likeness, after His Seed (His Word), according to Genesis 1:27 (Amplified) which tells us, "So God created man in His Own Image, in the Image and Likeness of God." Read through and find out what God's Word says about speaking His Word or speaking against His Word. See what speaking or sowing God's Word produces and what speaking or sowing things against His Word produces. God began speaking Jesus into this earth after Adam's fall in the Gard of Eden, in Genesis 3:15 (Amplified) where He says, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you shall life in wait and bruise His heel." God's Seed (Word) had been sown and John 1:14 (Amplified) tells us, "And the Word (Christ), became flesh (human, incarnate)." God spoke Jesus into this world, "first a Seed, then a blade, then a grain, and eventually a harvest." After Kind, Words of understanding.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Lesson 133 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
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."
Truth is the greatest of all things, in the life of a believer. Jesus said in John 8:31-32, 36 (Amplified), "If you abide in My Word (hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them), you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
Notice, Jesus tells us, "If we abide in His Word, which is Truth, you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." Jesus continues in Verse 36 saying, "So if the Son liberates you (makes you free men), then you are really and unquestionably free."
When we received Jesus as our Savior and Lord, our freedom was a "done deal." There is no bondage that can overcome the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. So, why are so many in today's Church, still in bondage to so many things? The first part of the above scripture, is the key to freedom, where Jesus said, "If you abide (live) in My Word (hold fast to My teachings and live according to them)..."
The teachings of Jesus didn't stop at the end of the four Gospels. The four Gospels were actually Old Testament books and didn't become reality to us, until Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit. Since that time, Paul and others wrote other books of the Bible and these were the Words of Jesus.
Paul write in Galatians 1:11-12 (Amplified), "For I want you to know brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known to me is not a man's gospel (a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard). For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through a direct Revelation given by Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."
When we read Paul's Gospel, we're doing what Jesus said, and are "holding fast to His teachings and living in accordance with them." Jesus said that, when we do this, "Then we will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."
Many things that Paul wrote in his Epistles, have been determined by carnal minds, to be "man's gospel and human invention." Anything man couldn't understand by his own understanding, was simply dismissed as being "not relevant for us today." We, then, haven't known the Truth, but a truth. The Truth will bring us into liberty in Christ Jesus, according to Romans 10:9 (Amplified) which says, "Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe, trust in, adhere to, and rely on the Truth that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Many have expressed faith in the Truth that God has raised Jesus from the dead and they've been saved. But, Truth goes beyond the Truth that Jesus was raised from the dead. This Truth has led you to become born-again, but now we're to abide in Him, in His teachings and this Truth will set us free. Weren't we set free, when we were born-again? Yes! But, do you know how to walk in this freedom, without knowing how to live in accordance to His teachings?
Understanding the Truth that has made you free, is the key to living in freedom and liberty. When we don't understand what a things is for, we nearly always abuse it. When we don't understand our liberty in Christ, we either abuse this liberty or allow someone else to dictate our liberty for us and this inherently translates into man's wisdom and bondage. Natural, carnal minded man can only understand truth according to this natural world and knowledge. If one can't explain it by natural means, then he dismisses it as "not being relevant for us today."
The first thing about understanding, is realizing that we're dealing in a Spiritual Truth and not a natural things. In order to understand Spiritual Truth, we must have a renewed mind. The natural man can't understand what education hasn't taught him. This is why Paul writes in Galatians 1:11-12 (Amplified), "For I want you to know brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me, is not a man's gospel (a human invention, according or patterned after any human standards). For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it; but it came to me through a direct Revelation given by Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."
Jesus knows more about this new birth and this new creation people, than anyone and we must understand what Paul is saying about the Spiritual application of the Gospel. We're interpreted Grace by our own intellect and devised some pretty far-out things. We continue trying to bring the Spiritual aspects of the Gospel, into our natural understanding and by doing this, we've nearly removed God's ability to move in our natural world.
Not everyone will accept the Year of Understanding, just like those who didn't receive the things Jesus taught in His ministry. Some will cling to old traditions and religious teachings. Everything we've learned throughout the years, hasn't been wrong. Many things that we've been taught came from Revelation, but then men changed them according to natural understandings and lost sight of the Truth.
When God speaks about understanding, He's not referring simply to our knowing how to read. He's speaking about our perceiving in our spirit, the full Truth of His Word. Jesus told us in John 6:63 (Amplified), "It is the Spirit Who gives Life (He is the Life-Giver); the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it). The Words (Truths) that I have been speaking to you are SPIRIT AND LIFE."
How many of us have ever considered words to be Spirit and not just a means of communicating? It's true that words are part of communication, but we must also understand what Jesus was saying in the above scripture. Jesus told us in John 4:24 (Amplified), "God is a Spirit (a Spirit Being), and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth (reality)." Since God is Spirit and His Word is Spirit and we are Spirit (made in His Image and Likeness), we must put value on understanding His Word.
When Paul writes about the Revelation he received from Jesus, he is speaking to three different kinds of people. He's speaking to the natural man, those who are unsaved. He is speaking to those who are saved and haven't renewed their minds (are carnal minded people). And, Paul's speaking those those who have renewed their minds by understanding Spiritual things.
Paul writes in Romans 8:7,9 (Amplified), "That is because the mind of the flesh, with its carnal thought and purposes, is hostile to God for it does not submit itself to God's Law, indeed it cannot." He writes to those who are born-again in Verse 9 saying, "But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the Life of the Spirit, if the Holy Spirit of God really dwells within you, directs and controls you. But if anyone does not possess the Holy Spirit of Christ, he is none of His, he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God."
In 1Corinthians 3:1-3 (Amplified), Paul writes to the Church in Corinth, saying, "However Brethren, I could not talk to you as to spiritual men, but as to non-spiritual men of the flesh; in whom the carnal nature predominates, as to mere infants in the New Life in Christ (unable to talk yet). I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough to be ready for it; but even yet you are not strong enough to be ready for it. For you are still unspiritual (having the nature of the flesh, under the control of the ordinary impulses). For as long as there are envying, and jealousy and wranglings and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh (behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere unsaved men)?"
Paul called those who were wrangling and envying among themselves, "mere unsaved men." Paul said that this type of behavior comes from the lack of understanding spiritual things. The carnal mind is an enemy of God and it refuses to accept anything it can't understand in the natural, carnal, worldly explanations. Remember, we have been born-again, not be a natural seed, but One that is Spirit. 1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born-again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from One that is Immortal, by the Ever Living and Lasting Word of God."
Truth is the greatest of all things, in the life of a believer. Jesus said in John 8:31-32, 36 (Amplified), "If you abide in My Word (hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them), you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
Notice, Jesus tells us, "If we abide in His Word, which is Truth, you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." Jesus continues in Verse 36 saying, "So if the Son liberates you (makes you free men), then you are really and unquestionably free."
When we received Jesus as our Savior and Lord, our freedom was a "done deal." There is no bondage that can overcome the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. So, why are so many in today's Church, still in bondage to so many things? The first part of the above scripture, is the key to freedom, where Jesus said, "If you abide (live) in My Word (hold fast to My teachings and live according to them)..."
The teachings of Jesus didn't stop at the end of the four Gospels. The four Gospels were actually Old Testament books and didn't become reality to us, until Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit. Since that time, Paul and others wrote other books of the Bible and these were the Words of Jesus.
Paul write in Galatians 1:11-12 (Amplified), "For I want you to know brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known to me is not a man's gospel (a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard). For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through a direct Revelation given by Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."
When we read Paul's Gospel, we're doing what Jesus said, and are "holding fast to His teachings and living in accordance with them." Jesus said that, when we do this, "Then we will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."
Many things that Paul wrote in his Epistles, have been determined by carnal minds, to be "man's gospel and human invention." Anything man couldn't understand by his own understanding, was simply dismissed as being "not relevant for us today." We, then, haven't known the Truth, but a truth. The Truth will bring us into liberty in Christ Jesus, according to Romans 10:9 (Amplified) which says, "Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe, trust in, adhere to, and rely on the Truth that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Many have expressed faith in the Truth that God has raised Jesus from the dead and they've been saved. But, Truth goes beyond the Truth that Jesus was raised from the dead. This Truth has led you to become born-again, but now we're to abide in Him, in His teachings and this Truth will set us free. Weren't we set free, when we were born-again? Yes! But, do you know how to walk in this freedom, without knowing how to live in accordance to His teachings?
Understanding the Truth that has made you free, is the key to living in freedom and liberty. When we don't understand what a things is for, we nearly always abuse it. When we don't understand our liberty in Christ, we either abuse this liberty or allow someone else to dictate our liberty for us and this inherently translates into man's wisdom and bondage. Natural, carnal minded man can only understand truth according to this natural world and knowledge. If one can't explain it by natural means, then he dismisses it as "not being relevant for us today."
The first thing about understanding, is realizing that we're dealing in a Spiritual Truth and not a natural things. In order to understand Spiritual Truth, we must have a renewed mind. The natural man can't understand what education hasn't taught him. This is why Paul writes in Galatians 1:11-12 (Amplified), "For I want you to know brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me, is not a man's gospel (a human invention, according or patterned after any human standards). For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it; but it came to me through a direct Revelation given by Jesus Christ (the Messiah)."
Jesus knows more about this new birth and this new creation people, than anyone and we must understand what Paul is saying about the Spiritual application of the Gospel. We're interpreted Grace by our own intellect and devised some pretty far-out things. We continue trying to bring the Spiritual aspects of the Gospel, into our natural understanding and by doing this, we've nearly removed God's ability to move in our natural world.
Not everyone will accept the Year of Understanding, just like those who didn't receive the things Jesus taught in His ministry. Some will cling to old traditions and religious teachings. Everything we've learned throughout the years, hasn't been wrong. Many things that we've been taught came from Revelation, but then men changed them according to natural understandings and lost sight of the Truth.
When God speaks about understanding, He's not referring simply to our knowing how to read. He's speaking about our perceiving in our spirit, the full Truth of His Word. Jesus told us in John 6:63 (Amplified), "It is the Spirit Who gives Life (He is the Life-Giver); the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it). The Words (Truths) that I have been speaking to you are SPIRIT AND LIFE."
How many of us have ever considered words to be Spirit and not just a means of communicating? It's true that words are part of communication, but we must also understand what Jesus was saying in the above scripture. Jesus told us in John 4:24 (Amplified), "God is a Spirit (a Spirit Being), and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth (reality)." Since God is Spirit and His Word is Spirit and we are Spirit (made in His Image and Likeness), we must put value on understanding His Word.
When Paul writes about the Revelation he received from Jesus, he is speaking to three different kinds of people. He's speaking to the natural man, those who are unsaved. He is speaking to those who are saved and haven't renewed their minds (are carnal minded people). And, Paul's speaking those those who have renewed their minds by understanding Spiritual things.
Paul writes in Romans 8:7,9 (Amplified), "That is because the mind of the flesh, with its carnal thought and purposes, is hostile to God for it does not submit itself to God's Law, indeed it cannot." He writes to those who are born-again in Verse 9 saying, "But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the Life of the Spirit, if the Holy Spirit of God really dwells within you, directs and controls you. But if anyone does not possess the Holy Spirit of Christ, he is none of His, he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God."
In 1Corinthians 3:1-3 (Amplified), Paul writes to the Church in Corinth, saying, "However Brethren, I could not talk to you as to spiritual men, but as to non-spiritual men of the flesh; in whom the carnal nature predominates, as to mere infants in the New Life in Christ (unable to talk yet). I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not yet strong enough to be ready for it; but even yet you are not strong enough to be ready for it. For you are still unspiritual (having the nature of the flesh, under the control of the ordinary impulses). For as long as there are envying, and jealousy and wranglings and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh (behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere unsaved men)?"
Paul called those who were wrangling and envying among themselves, "mere unsaved men." Paul said that this type of behavior comes from the lack of understanding spiritual things. The carnal mind is an enemy of God and it refuses to accept anything it can't understand in the natural, carnal, worldly explanations. Remember, we have been born-again, not be a natural seed, but One that is Spirit. 1Peter 1:23 (Amplified) says, "You have been regenerated (born-again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from One that is Immortal, by the Ever Living and Lasting Word of God."
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Lesson 132 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
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."
"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."
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Lesson 131 GRACE AND TRUTH-GOD'S WILL
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 favor upon favor and even 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."
The Lord has revealed to me that this will be the "Year of Understanding." I was initially confused about this, asking Him, "Lord, there are people being born-again all over the earth, don't they understand the Word when they hear it?" I'm trusting what the Lord told me and wish to share it with you.
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 you have gotten, get understanding, discernment, comprehension, and interpretation."
When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you received Wisdom. 1Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified) tells us, "But it is from Him that you have your Life in Christ Jesus. Whom God made our Wisdom from God; revealed to us a knowledge of the Divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as our Righteousness thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God, and our Consecration, making us pure and holy, and our Redemption, providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin."
This is a Wisdom that was once hidden from the world and mankind. It's now revealed to us, concerning Wisdom, Righteousness, Consecration Redemption and Life, through Jesus and salvation in Him. When we received Jesus, we received Wisdom, because He is the Word of God. What we failed to receive is understanding. Paul writes in 1Corinthians 2:5 (Amplified), "So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God." God's power is released only through the Wisdom of God. Without understanding, we really don't know how to walk in Wisdom and power, on this earth. God's Word is Wisdom, but when we lack understanding of it, it remains dormant inside us.
God's Word tells us some of the things Wisdom does when we understand it with God's understanding. Thus, Proverbs 4:11-13,20-27,5 (Amplified) says, "I have taught you in the way of skillful and Godly Wisdom, which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God. I have led you in paths of uprightness. When you walk, your steps shall not be hampered, your path will be clear and open, and when you run, you shall not stumble Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go, guard her (Wisdom) for she is your Life."
Verses 20-27 tell us that, "Wisdom will heal and bring health to all our flesh" and that "Out of a heart (spirit) of understanding, Wisdom will guard us, heal us, protect us, and out of Wisdom, with understanding in our heart, we can keep our hearts." In Verse 5 God says, "Get skillful and Godly Wisdom, get understanding, discernment, comprehension, and interpretation, do not forget and do not turn back from the Words of My mouth."
Many have "heard" Wisdom concerning healing and health, but haven't understood it, so when trials come, they forgot and turned back to man's wisdom. We have Wisdom, but we lack understanding. We have more proficiency when it comes to man's wisdom, than we do in understanding God's Wisdom. We haven't sought the Holy Spirit for understanding God's Wisdom and for the things that Wisdom provides for what God has called us to do. God says in Proverbs 5:1-2 (Amplified), "My son, be attentive to My Wisdom (Godly Wisdom learned by actual and costly experience), and incline your ear to My understanding, of what is becoming and prudent for you That you may experience proper discrimination and discretion and your lips may guard and keep knowledge and the wise answer to temptation."
We haven't had understanding revealed to us throughout the years, because we've been taught man's wisdom instead of God's Wisdom. We've heard teachings about the "words of our mouth," but we've dismissed much of it as being "foolishness and error," because we lacked understanding. This is Wisdom without understanding. Jesus taught "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4. Only some received understanding of the Wisdom of the Kingdom, that Jesus was speaking about. We missed the point Jesus made about "Words being seeds," because we lacked understanding.
Today's Church has been undergoing much turmoil because we've lacked maturity and because we haven't had the understanding of Wisdom. It's not because God's Word doesn't work, like many would say. Jesus had understanding and used Wisdom to do all God sent Him here to do. Jesus used Words, that were released with understanding, so that His Words did exactly what He sent them to do.
Hebrews 11:3 (Amplified) says, "By faith, we understand that the worlds during the successive ages, were formed (fashioned, put in order and equipped for their intended purpose) by the Word of God, So that what we see was not made out of things which are visible."
The understanding of God's Wisdom that created the world, is understood by our faith. What created the heavens and the earth? It was the Word. God's Wisdom was released by His Word and when Wisdom is understood by God's children, we begin to release working Wisdom by faith, in our understanding. We already have God's Word and His Wisdom. We already have the Holy Spirit, but we've lack the understanding of how they work.
We've heard many teachings on faith, but many have dismissed these teachings as being foolishness. Faith works all the time. God spoke all things into existence by faith. We have faith and were "saved by Grace, through faith," according to Ephesians 2:8. We've been given Wisdom, according to 1Corinthians 1:30 and we've been made a new creation people, according to 2Corinthians 5:17. What then is lacking in our lives here on earth? Lack of understanding.
In John 16:13-14 (Amplified), just prior to His Ascension, Jesus said, "But when He (the Spirit of Truth, the Truth Giving Spirit) comes, He will Guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His Own Message, on His Own authority, but He will tell whatever He hears from the Father (He will give the Message that He has been given to Him); and He will announce and declare to you all things that are to come (that will happen in the future). He will honor and Glorify Me, because He will take of, receive, draw upon what is Mine and will reveal, disclose, declare, transmit it to you."
Jesus states it like this, in Matthew 6:33 (Amplified), "But seek (aim at, strive after), first of all His Kingdom and His Righteousness (His way of doing and being right)." This is the Mystery of understanding God's way of doing and being right. Remember, Jesus told us in John 16:13-14 that, "When the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth, the Truth Giving Spirit) comes, He will Guide you into ALL the Truth (the full, whole Truth)."
In this Year of Understanding, the Holy Spirit will Guide us and reveal to us the things that have been a Mystery until now to us, so that we will know God's way of doing and being right. The Holy Spirit will disclose and transmit this understanding to "Those who have ears to hear." Not everyone will hear, because we must strive after and seek "FIRST OF ALL, His way of doing and being right." We must allow the Seed of God's Word to speak to us.
Jesus said in Mark 4:22-23 (Amplified), "With all of your getting, get understanding." Thus, He says, "Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to Revelation For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything temporarily kept secret except in order that it may be made known. If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend."
In Ephesians 1:17-19 (Amplified) Paul says, "For I always pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, that He may grant you a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation (of insight into the mysteries and secrets in the deep and intimate knowledge of Him) By having the eyes of your heart flooded with Light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His Glorious inheritance in the saints (His set apart ones). And so that you can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength."
Happy New Year, Jim.
The Lord has revealed to me that this will be the "Year of Understanding." I was initially confused about this, asking Him, "Lord, there are people being born-again all over the earth, don't they understand the Word when they hear it?" I'm trusting what the Lord told me and wish to share it with you.
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 you have gotten, get understanding, discernment, comprehension, and interpretation."
When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you received Wisdom. 1Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified) tells us, "But it is from Him that you have your Life in Christ Jesus. Whom God made our Wisdom from God; revealed to us a knowledge of the Divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as our Righteousness thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God, and our Consecration, making us pure and holy, and our Redemption, providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin."
This is a Wisdom that was once hidden from the world and mankind. It's now revealed to us, concerning Wisdom, Righteousness, Consecration Redemption and Life, through Jesus and salvation in Him. When we received Jesus, we received Wisdom, because He is the Word of God. What we failed to receive is understanding. Paul writes in 1Corinthians 2:5 (Amplified), "So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God." God's power is released only through the Wisdom of God. Without understanding, we really don't know how to walk in Wisdom and power, on this earth. God's Word is Wisdom, but when we lack understanding of it, it remains dormant inside us.
God's Word tells us some of the things Wisdom does when we understand it with God's understanding. Thus, Proverbs 4:11-13,20-27,5 (Amplified) says, "I have taught you in the way of skillful and Godly Wisdom, which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God. I have led you in paths of uprightness. When you walk, your steps shall not be hampered, your path will be clear and open, and when you run, you shall not stumble Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go, guard her (Wisdom) for she is your Life."
Verses 20-27 tell us that, "Wisdom will heal and bring health to all our flesh" and that "Out of a heart (spirit) of understanding, Wisdom will guard us, heal us, protect us, and out of Wisdom, with understanding in our heart, we can keep our hearts." In Verse 5 God says, "Get skillful and Godly Wisdom, get understanding, discernment, comprehension, and interpretation, do not forget and do not turn back from the Words of My mouth."
Many have "heard" Wisdom concerning healing and health, but haven't understood it, so when trials come, they forgot and turned back to man's wisdom. We have Wisdom, but we lack understanding. We have more proficiency when it comes to man's wisdom, than we do in understanding God's Wisdom. We haven't sought the Holy Spirit for understanding God's Wisdom and for the things that Wisdom provides for what God has called us to do. God says in Proverbs 5:1-2 (Amplified), "My son, be attentive to My Wisdom (Godly Wisdom learned by actual and costly experience), and incline your ear to My understanding, of what is becoming and prudent for you That you may experience proper discrimination and discretion and your lips may guard and keep knowledge and the wise answer to temptation."
We haven't had understanding revealed to us throughout the years, because we've been taught man's wisdom instead of God's Wisdom. We've heard teachings about the "words of our mouth," but we've dismissed much of it as being "foolishness and error," because we lacked understanding. This is Wisdom without understanding. Jesus taught "The Parable of the Sower," in Mark 4. Only some received understanding of the Wisdom of the Kingdom, that Jesus was speaking about. We missed the point Jesus made about "Words being seeds," because we lacked understanding.
Today's Church has been undergoing much turmoil because we've lacked maturity and because we haven't had the understanding of Wisdom. It's not because God's Word doesn't work, like many would say. Jesus had understanding and used Wisdom to do all God sent Him here to do. Jesus used Words, that were released with understanding, so that His Words did exactly what He sent them to do.
Hebrews 11:3 (Amplified) says, "By faith, we understand that the worlds during the successive ages, were formed (fashioned, put in order and equipped for their intended purpose) by the Word of God, So that what we see was not made out of things which are visible."
The understanding of God's Wisdom that created the world, is understood by our faith. What created the heavens and the earth? It was the Word. God's Wisdom was released by His Word and when Wisdom is understood by God's children, we begin to release working Wisdom by faith, in our understanding. We already have God's Word and His Wisdom. We already have the Holy Spirit, but we've lack the understanding of how they work.
We've heard many teachings on faith, but many have dismissed these teachings as being foolishness. Faith works all the time. God spoke all things into existence by faith. We have faith and were "saved by Grace, through faith," according to Ephesians 2:8. We've been given Wisdom, according to 1Corinthians 1:30 and we've been made a new creation people, according to 2Corinthians 5:17. What then is lacking in our lives here on earth? Lack of understanding.
In John 16:13-14 (Amplified), just prior to His Ascension, Jesus said, "But when He (the Spirit of Truth, the Truth Giving Spirit) comes, He will Guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His Own Message, on His Own authority, but He will tell whatever He hears from the Father (He will give the Message that He has been given to Him); and He will announce and declare to you all things that are to come (that will happen in the future). He will honor and Glorify Me, because He will take of, receive, draw upon what is Mine and will reveal, disclose, declare, transmit it to you."
Jesus states it like this, in Matthew 6:33 (Amplified), "But seek (aim at, strive after), first of all His Kingdom and His Righteousness (His way of doing and being right)." This is the Mystery of understanding God's way of doing and being right. Remember, Jesus told us in John 16:13-14 that, "When the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth, the Truth Giving Spirit) comes, He will Guide you into ALL the Truth (the full, whole Truth)."
In this Year of Understanding, the Holy Spirit will Guide us and reveal to us the things that have been a Mystery until now to us, so that we will know God's way of doing and being right. The Holy Spirit will disclose and transmit this understanding to "Those who have ears to hear." Not everyone will hear, because we must strive after and seek "FIRST OF ALL, His way of doing and being right." We must allow the Seed of God's Word to speak to us.
Jesus said in Mark 4:22-23 (Amplified), "With all of your getting, get understanding." Thus, He says, "Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to Revelation For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything temporarily kept secret except in order that it may be made known. If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend."
In Ephesians 1:17-19 (Amplified) Paul says, "For I always pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, that He may grant you a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation (of insight into the mysteries and secrets in the deep and intimate knowledge of Him) By having the eyes of your heart flooded with Light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His Glorious inheritance in the saints (His set apart ones). And so that you can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength."
Happy New Year, Jim.
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