Revelation of who Jesus is, was, will be.
Does spiritual strength come by knowledge or by revelation?
Knowing what it says vs. believing what it says. The parable of the treasure in a field. Matthew 13:44 It is not what we know intellectually that matters or will change you or others. It is what you experience. It is what you can testify to.
Are we willing to buy the field where the treasure is? It will cost but if you know for a fact there was treasure in a field you would sell all you had to get that field.
Christianity is not understanding but action. Are we willing to act? It will cost but O the preciousness of the purchase.
Are we willing to pay the price for the treasurer? Or do we just like to teach talk and know about the treasurer?
If you believe you won't be troubled about it but will trust it.
There is no doubt when there is revelation. Revelation is the assurance of the truth of God. It comes from the Spirit. Knowledge is understanding in our mind. Revelation is understanding in our heart. What we know in our mind will not withstand the testing of life. What we know in our heart will withstand tests. God wants to find out what is in our heart that is why He tests us.
Works of wood hay and stubble are head knowledge and will be burned by the tests of fire. Works that are of gold, silver and bronze can withstand the tests of fire.
Purifying fire will cause us to grow in the Spirit allowing us to do things for God. Satan is trying to knock us off course and will be able to as we rely on what we know in our mind. When we move into a deeper understanding of the things of God by revelation we are not knocked off or our purpose because it is in our heart.
Jesus and the Father will come to us as we learn to live from our heart and not our mind. Revelation 3:14-22 is the letter to Laodicea. It is a letter of a call to repentance. It is a repentance of self sufficiency and reliance on life from God by purging our hearts by fire. We can buy spiritual things resulting from this purging. After we go through this Jesus comes to us and asks to fellowship with us. When we have this fellowship we are able to walk according to the will of God and not follow our fleshly desires.
Our fleshly desires have a pull on our mind and it is only as we set our mind on the Spirit will we be able to walk in the Spirit.
The lack of peace with the knowledge means there is no revelation. What do we do?
Don't ignore the doubt. If there is troubling in your heart. If there is doubt then deal with it.
Do we doubt the treasure is worth the cost? Don't ignore that. Pray over it and ponder the promises that God has given to us.
Phil 4:6-9 Pray; gain a place of peace. Then focus on what
god has promised and not fear. Dwell on the things of God.
Practice:
what you have learned.
what you have received.
what you have heard.
what you have seen.
Consider the lets throughout the Bible.
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in the Father and Jesus.
John 14:26,27 Let not your heart be troubled.
Don't allow trouble to enter you heart. Fill it with the word of God.
PS 68:11 Let God arise.
How do we let Him arise?
V4 Build a highway of praise; confession and prayer and expectation.
Concentration, deep thought, introspection, pondering, quiet time, reflection, rumination, self-examination, meditation. This is what is needed to gain revelation from God. It is what gives assurance of the promises of God.
Live in expectation of the moving of God. Zeph 1:12
Monday, February 16, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Eye Salve
Revelation 3:18
Buy from Me eye salve to anoint your eyes that you may see.
Eph 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.
Enlightenment is our understanding but this verse is talking more than that, it's referring to revelation. Because its not just in our mind but in our heart.
We make life decisions with our hearts desire not from our intellect. So our enlightened understanding of our heart will allow us to make spiritual decisions. This is why we need to see with our heart not just with our mind.
We can be knocked off of our purpose if what we are doing something from only our mind. But we can't be knocked off our purpose, if it is coming from the heart.
We love with our heart. And love is able to go through trials to gain the prize. 1 Cor 13 When our hearts enlightened we are moving in love. When our hearts enlightened according to the hope of God's calling we are moving in power in the right direction.
The power comes as we move in love with sight (knowledge in our heart), according to the will of God for us. Why? Because faith works through love.
There is power in faith apart from the love of Christ. And it is according to God's general will. It may not be what God would have us do at that time. When faith and love are together, they are effective for the advancement of the kingdom.
Faith without love:
1 Cor 13
Matt 7:22,23
Matt 25:41-45
Our hearts are sensitive and can only be committed to one basic purpose at a time. "Can't serve God and money"
We either have our mind on the flesh or the Spirit.
Riches from a spiritual awareness are based on a commitment to Christ that transcends our personal peace and affluence. When we seek personal peace and affluence above reaching out to others we negate the spirit. We have set the mind of the flesh above the purposes of God. Or to put it another way, our personal peace and affluence is more important than pleasing God.
When we put our mind on the spirit, we invite by default not on purpose, opposition from man and our spiritual enemy Satan because we are moving to gain and bear fruit for Jesus. We enter a struggle for the minds and hearts of the souls of men. We are able to have power with others as we powerfully use faith and love to teach and encourage
Peace of God comes from the trails the world throws at us when we are saturated in the Word of God and the love for God.
Peace without trials in the world is being naive.
The people in Habakkuk's day had peace because they were naive. Habakkuk had peace because of his love and trust for God.
Devastation was coming and the people were blasted out of their naive understanding of life, when the Chadians marched through the land.
Habakkuk's life was on the rock but the people had built their life on the sand. Matt. 7:24-27
Here are some Scriptures dealing with spiritual eyes.
Acts 26:18 open eyes to turn from darkness to light
darkness – light
dominion of Satan – God
light of God brings salvation
Light of God brings inheritance.
Isaiah 35:5 help others to see by encouragement
Isaiah 42:7 called, hold, appoint to open eyes
Isaiah 42:16 lead the blind
Eph 5:8 walk in the light
Col 1:13 in kingdom of light.
1 Pt 2:9 chosen, priest, holy, not our own, proclaim light.
Our inheritance is involved in moving in what God has called us to Eph 2:10
We buy eye salve for our hearts eyes, by humbling ourselves to yield to God's will. Having a willingness to respond to God and not hold onto our personal peace and affluence. This eye salve gives us a willingness to accept and believe God's word.
With Eye salve we choose to follow Jesus over our personal peace and affluence.
We choose the spirit over the flesh.
Our hard heart is softened as we yield to Jesus and accept His yoke Matt 11:28-30 We put off our desires I.E. take up our cross of purpose and obedience. Choosing to follow Christ instead of the pleasures of the world.
Some would still question this acceptance of hardship. Let me give you an example which may help you understand the purpose of trials in a Christians life.
Example of the bicycle
In riding a bicycle I need to eat to have the fuel to ride. But eating by itself is not enough. Eating gives me the fuel to burn. But I gain strength by riding not by eating. It is the same with our eyes of our heart. Understanding is the fuel and serving from our heart is the riding. We need understanding and obedience of service to gain strength.
Riding is love with power and food is the fuel of knowledge.
Serving brings hardship. Any work will have opposition. God wants us to serve Him with in the midst of trials, with rejoicing this is where the power lies.
Let us not just understand what is God's will let us serve with love
Buy from Me eye salve to anoint your eyes that you may see.
Eph 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.
Enlightenment is our understanding but this verse is talking more than that, it's referring to revelation. Because its not just in our mind but in our heart.
We make life decisions with our hearts desire not from our intellect. So our enlightened understanding of our heart will allow us to make spiritual decisions. This is why we need to see with our heart not just with our mind.
We can be knocked off of our purpose if what we are doing something from only our mind. But we can't be knocked off our purpose, if it is coming from the heart.
We love with our heart. And love is able to go through trials to gain the prize. 1 Cor 13 When our hearts enlightened we are moving in love. When our hearts enlightened according to the hope of God's calling we are moving in power in the right direction.
The power comes as we move in love with sight (knowledge in our heart), according to the will of God for us. Why? Because faith works through love.
There is power in faith apart from the love of Christ. And it is according to God's general will. It may not be what God would have us do at that time. When faith and love are together, they are effective for the advancement of the kingdom.
Faith without love:
1 Cor 13
Matt 7:22,23
Matt 25:41-45
Our hearts are sensitive and can only be committed to one basic purpose at a time. "Can't serve God and money"
We either have our mind on the flesh or the Spirit.
Riches from a spiritual awareness are based on a commitment to Christ that transcends our personal peace and affluence. When we seek personal peace and affluence above reaching out to others we negate the spirit. We have set the mind of the flesh above the purposes of God. Or to put it another way, our personal peace and affluence is more important than pleasing God.
When we put our mind on the spirit, we invite by default not on purpose, opposition from man and our spiritual enemy Satan because we are moving to gain and bear fruit for Jesus. We enter a struggle for the minds and hearts of the souls of men. We are able to have power with others as we powerfully use faith and love to teach and encourage
Peace of God comes from the trails the world throws at us when we are saturated in the Word of God and the love for God.
Peace without trials in the world is being naive.
The people in Habakkuk's day had peace because they were naive. Habakkuk had peace because of his love and trust for God.
Devastation was coming and the people were blasted out of their naive understanding of life, when the Chadians marched through the land.
Habakkuk's life was on the rock but the people had built their life on the sand. Matt. 7:24-27
Here are some Scriptures dealing with spiritual eyes.
Acts 26:18 open eyes to turn from darkness to light
darkness – light
dominion of Satan – God
light of God brings salvation
Light of God brings inheritance.
Isaiah 35:5 help others to see by encouragement
Isaiah 42:7 called, hold, appoint to open eyes
Isaiah 42:16 lead the blind
Eph 5:8 walk in the light
Col 1:13 in kingdom of light.
1 Pt 2:9 chosen, priest, holy, not our own, proclaim light.
Our inheritance is involved in moving in what God has called us to Eph 2:10
We buy eye salve for our hearts eyes, by humbling ourselves to yield to God's will. Having a willingness to respond to God and not hold onto our personal peace and affluence. This eye salve gives us a willingness to accept and believe God's word.
With Eye salve we choose to follow Jesus over our personal peace and affluence.
We choose the spirit over the flesh.
Our hard heart is softened as we yield to Jesus and accept His yoke Matt 11:28-30 We put off our desires I.E. take up our cross of purpose and obedience. Choosing to follow Christ instead of the pleasures of the world.
Some would still question this acceptance of hardship. Let me give you an example which may help you understand the purpose of trials in a Christians life.
Example of the bicycle
In riding a bicycle I need to eat to have the fuel to ride. But eating by itself is not enough. Eating gives me the fuel to burn. But I gain strength by riding not by eating. It is the same with our eyes of our heart. Understanding is the fuel and serving from our heart is the riding. We need understanding and obedience of service to gain strength.
Riding is love with power and food is the fuel of knowledge.
Serving brings hardship. Any work will have opposition. God wants us to serve Him with in the midst of trials, with rejoicing this is where the power lies.
Let us not just understand what is God's will let us serve with love
Monday, February 2, 2009
Rejoice in all Attempts to Preach the Gospel
Philippians 1:18 “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, “
In my discipline of guarding my mouth, this verse shows complaining about how church is done, or how the gospel is preached is not right.
Paul made a decision which he emphasized that he will rejoice in the preaching of the gospel.
I will do the same thing. I will rejoice that the gospel is preached in each church. I will rejoice that the gospel is preached on TV,. I will rejoice that the what I have to do is to add to the work Christ is doing.
Now maybe I have an insight to an approach. That does not make others wrong unless they are directly contrary to Scriptural teaching. It is that God reaches to people in different approaches.
The test is: Is Jesus magnified?
Complaining does not magnify Jesus. Point to Jesus and be a light.
2 Corinthians 13:5 “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test? “
We are to test to see if we are in the faith. If we aren't magnifying Christ but speaking against Christian teaching we are not expressing faith. Heb 3:1 says Jesus is the high priest of our confession. If we are not confessing what Jesus wants then our words are not productive. If we work with Jesus I.E. led by the holy Spirit in what God is doing we can create life as we speak.
That is not to say we should stick our heads in the sand and ignore problems. But idle complaints are useless. Our concerns should be brought to prayer. Phil 4:6f
That way we can take the devils attempt to destroy and make life out of it.
In my discipline of guarding my mouth, this verse shows complaining about how church is done, or how the gospel is preached is not right.
Paul made a decision which he emphasized that he will rejoice in the preaching of the gospel.
I will do the same thing. I will rejoice that the gospel is preached in each church. I will rejoice that the gospel is preached on TV,. I will rejoice that the what I have to do is to add to the work Christ is doing.
Now maybe I have an insight to an approach. That does not make others wrong unless they are directly contrary to Scriptural teaching. It is that God reaches to people in different approaches.
The test is: Is Jesus magnified?
Complaining does not magnify Jesus. Point to Jesus and be a light.
2 Corinthians 13:5 “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test? “
We are to test to see if we are in the faith. If we aren't magnifying Christ but speaking against Christian teaching we are not expressing faith. Heb 3:1 says Jesus is the high priest of our confession. If we are not confessing what Jesus wants then our words are not productive. If we work with Jesus I.E. led by the holy Spirit in what God is doing we can create life as we speak.
That is not to say we should stick our heads in the sand and ignore problems. But idle complaints are useless. Our concerns should be brought to prayer. Phil 4:6f
That way we can take the devils attempt to destroy and make life out of it.
Monday, January 12, 2009
What do I use to Buy from God?
Rev 3:18 Buy gold from God.
What do I have to offer God? What may I use to purchase gold, clothes and eye slave from Him?
My life consists of time, money people, and talents.
Keep in mind that even when I have an abundance my life does not consist of possessions. Luke 12:15
What do I have that God wants? God wants my heart. If He has that, He will have my attention, service, obedience, prayers. possessions, repentant heart and a life of following Jesus.
So the short answer of what currency I use to buy from God, is to give Him my heart. The currency of God's kingdom is love.
How do I give Jesus my heart in love? Salvation is the short answer. But salvation is not just a confession but a life. Eternal life starts at salvation. Life is more than birth. To live in this salvation is to live in the eternal life, which God has for me.
In buying from God I must learn not only ask God to meet my needs but also come to Him willingly to serve as He directs. As I come to Him, I will receive direction which brings faith to my spirit. Faith is the means by which I am able to please God. Faith comes from a relationship with Him. Faith alone is not enough. Faith united with love for God will be effective in God's kingdom.
I have struggled in obeying God's direction. It sometimes means I need to cut things out of my life to give room for what God wants me to do. If I have been purchased by God. (Jesus purchased me with His own blood. Acts 20:28) I am not my own. So to live in reality and not rebellion is to submit to God and do what He has prepared for me. I am coming to understand life in the spirit, is not as a duty, but a life lived in love to Jesus.
Part of my work is to believe. Part of my work is to love. Part of my work is to pray. Part of my work is to act in faith.
Live for the purpose of Jesus and not mine. Follow Jesus. Is it what He did or what He said and says? I think its all three. I am to follow the example of those who go before me, that produce a Godly outcome. I should follow Jesus both in what He has written and what He guides by the Holy Spirit. And His life style. I should consider it by the direction of the Holy Sprint.
What do I have to offer God? What may I use to purchase gold, clothes and eye slave from Him?
My life consists of time, money people, and talents.
Keep in mind that even when I have an abundance my life does not consist of possessions. Luke 12:15
What do I have that God wants? God wants my heart. If He has that, He will have my attention, service, obedience, prayers. possessions, repentant heart and a life of following Jesus.
So the short answer of what currency I use to buy from God, is to give Him my heart. The currency of God's kingdom is love.
How do I give Jesus my heart in love? Salvation is the short answer. But salvation is not just a confession but a life. Eternal life starts at salvation. Life is more than birth. To live in this salvation is to live in the eternal life, which God has for me.
In buying from God I must learn not only ask God to meet my needs but also come to Him willingly to serve as He directs. As I come to Him, I will receive direction which brings faith to my spirit. Faith is the means by which I am able to please God. Faith comes from a relationship with Him. Faith alone is not enough. Faith united with love for God will be effective in God's kingdom.
I have struggled in obeying God's direction. It sometimes means I need to cut things out of my life to give room for what God wants me to do. If I have been purchased by God. (Jesus purchased me with His own blood. Acts 20:28) I am not my own. So to live in reality and not rebellion is to submit to God and do what He has prepared for me. I am coming to understand life in the spirit, is not as a duty, but a life lived in love to Jesus.
Part of my work is to believe. Part of my work is to love. Part of my work is to pray. Part of my work is to act in faith.
Live for the purpose of Jesus and not mine. Follow Jesus. Is it what He did or what He said and says? I think its all three. I am to follow the example of those who go before me, that produce a Godly outcome. I should follow Jesus both in what He has written and what He guides by the Holy Spirit. And His life style. I should consider it by the direction of the Holy Sprint.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Revelation 3:18
I have been meditating on Revelation 3:17,18
"Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see."
My meditation is accomplished by writing Bible studies.
I was working on this last year and was led to finish it.
There are 10 points to v. 18
#God advises us
#buy from God
#buy gold
#refined by fire
#become rich
#buy white garments
#clothe yourself
#cover shame of nakedness
#buy eye salve to anoint eyes
#eyes to see
#God advises us
If Jesus advises us to do something, it would make sense to follow that advice.
The Bible is God's advice to man. Study to show yourself approved. 1 Tim Listen to God and He will give you what is good to eat. Isa 55
I am looking into this verse because of the tendency of my life to mirror the aspect of being lukewarm. I don't want to be lukewarm, I desire to follow God fully. If that entails a complete life change than so be it. I desire to be a follower of Jesus and not just a also ran Christian that doesn't do anything but the expected.
I will put more of these on as I finish them.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Feed Yourself Spiritually
I searched the Internet on feeding yourself spiritually. These are some of the articles that came up. A mature Christian should be able to feed himself. Why do people say they need to be fed spiritually at church? It is because they are not being responsible for themselves.
Let us not be foolish but learn what the will of God is. Eph 5:17
How to Feed Yourself Spiritually
AUTHOR: Rev J.A.McBean Sr
Badly written, but good ideas.
People must be more responsible for their own life.
# SPIRITUAL INFANCY = Getting Fed
# SPIRITUAL ADOLESCENCE = Feeding Yourself
# SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD = Feeding Others
Spiritual Maturity
Make a choice to learn God's word.
Make a choice to live by God's viewpoint.
Learn to walk in the Holy Spirit's control.
Make a choice to live in the promises of God.
The Cost of Discipleship
Count the Cost
Luke 14:28-33
Matt 16:25,26
Know the Cost
Phil 3:7-9
From Carnal to Christian
Colossians 3:9,10
2 Cor 5:17
1 Cor 2:14
Rom 8:7
Eph 2:3
Col 1:21,22
1 John 2:15,16
Disciple of Christ
Stewardship and repentance
We manage God's property (us) according to His will.
Test Your Heart
Constantly check your heart.
2 Cor 13:5
Take inventory of what gives you the highs and lows of your life.
This will give an indication of what your driving purpose of your life.
Rom 7:18 - 8:14 explain we can't change our heart without Christ.
Alan Hirsch’s book The Forgotten Ways
Here is one of my studies on a Plan for Devotional Bible Study.
Here is an article on Waiting on the Lord.
Let us not be foolish but learn what the will of God is. Eph 5:17
How to Feed Yourself Spiritually
AUTHOR: Rev J.A.McBean Sr
Badly written, but good ideas.
People must be more responsible for their own life.
# SPIRITUAL INFANCY = Getting Fed
# SPIRITUAL ADOLESCENCE = Feeding Yourself
# SPIRITUAL ADULTHOOD = Feeding Others
Spiritual Maturity
Make a choice to learn God's word.
Make a choice to live by God's viewpoint.
Learn to walk in the Holy Spirit's control.
Make a choice to live in the promises of God.
The Cost of Discipleship
Count the Cost
Luke 14:28-33
Matt 16:25,26
Know the Cost
Phil 3:7-9
From Carnal to Christian
Colossians 3:9,10
2 Cor 5:17
1 Cor 2:14
Rom 8:7
Eph 2:3
Col 1:21,22
1 John 2:15,16
Disciple of Christ
Stewardship and repentance
We manage God's property (us) according to His will.
Test Your Heart
Constantly check your heart.
2 Cor 13:5
Take inventory of what gives you the highs and lows of your life.
This will give an indication of what your driving purpose of your life.
Rom 7:18 - 8:14 explain we can't change our heart without Christ.
Alan Hirsch’s book The Forgotten Ways
Here is one of my studies on a Plan for Devotional Bible Study.
Here is an article on Waiting on the Lord.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sowing and Reaping
God is my source web page devoted to this subject.
Article on how Todd Baily came to the revelation that God is his source.
David Bostick wrote on this subject.
God is our source: article from Oral Roberts U.
Here is an outline on God is our source.
These God is our source articles could lead people astray if they only consider being rich as from God. God calls some to sickness for a time (the man at the pool of Bethesda and Job) and some to a life of poverty for a while (Job). Jesus asked Peter to die for Him. And Paul wrote Phil 4:19 from a jail cell. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but God delivers them out of them all. Let us not look at our circumstances to decided if we are in God's will. Let us look to Jesus and follow Him wherever He leads us.
Because of the miss use of the teaching of sowing and reaping, many will not teach sowing and reaping. This is a shame because this is part of the life of faith. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water! God wants us to walk by faith not by sight (circumstances). A life of faith is not easy, but it IS rewarding. It IS exciting. And it IS life in the Spirit. It is a life abandoned to service of God without thought to the lusts of the flesh.
Are we willing to deny ourselves, suffer and die for the sake of the gospel? Are we ready to endure persecution? Let us keep our eyes on Jesus and the problems of this world will pale compared to the rewards of following Jesus.
Let us endure the trials that come our way to receive the crown of righteousness that allows us to have victory over the trials. James 1:12. Our faith is built on going through the trails. Faith, it is true, comes from hearing the Bible, but when we truly hear, we will speak and obey. Trials prove our faith. And strengthen our faith.
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