Lately the Lord encouraged me to write about “what” the Spirit is saying; the instruction of every word that is proceeding out of the mouth of God. Not so much how or why we have “an ear to hear” but the basic foundation “what”. Where is God leading with this? What does He desire us to know, understand and do? This recent urgency for understanding started with Is The “Bible” Written In Code?, though the Father has always desired “whosoever” to grasp or receive and understand the direction of the reality of “Life in the Spirit”. The Truth sets us free; free to worship in Spirit and in Truth. Free to understand God’s basis of judgments. It removes the burden of trying to please God by “knowing” how to do His will; it is growing in Truth. Truth came by Jesus but His “Way” for us in this day and age to receive, is who He sent to instruct us. Getting “All Truth”; the Rest of God, sets us free to go beyond religion; denominations, doctrines of men, traditions of men, the collective commentaries of Dake, Scofield or Matthew Henry and even our own highly prized thoughts. Those who are free indeed, do worship in the Holy Spirit and in all Truth; there is only one Spirit and God is not the author of confusion; one Truth. Either you get it and have it or you don’t. If you don’t you are not walking in the Spirit of Truth; you can’t hear the Truth. If you do have the Spirit of truth but only enter in on Sunday you are slothful. God is looking for a peculiar people, those who love Him with their whole mind, body and spirit.
If you read these words and encouragements: Putting Away Childish Things, Changing Seasons Update: Those Who Have Are Getting More, Visions & Word 11/29/09 Those With No Guile Will See Greater Things!, Opinions, Thanksgiving, Word & Vision 11/2/09 Open Your Eyes, Is The “Bible” Written In Code?, ask yourself what is the Spirit saying beyond the obvious words written? What do you glean or come away with? Rules? Happy thoughts? More burdens or disappointments of your personal short comings? Or are you freed to be open to the goodness and greatness of God? Can you see an open loving exchange of words, wisdom, love and Truth beyond a worldly education? Does God build you up? Does He show you things to come? Is God showing a door to a life beyond human understanding? Is that which is perfect or we being perfect possible? Does the words of the Holy Spirit give you insight to who you are, the temple of the Holy Ghost? Do you lean to your own understanding, warring with the Spirit of Truth or are you transformed? Do you remember the things that you have been taught or do you walk in the flesh?
In the post, Changing Seasons Update: Those Who Have Are Getting More Gods’ view of the slothful servant is made clear. The slothful servants’ view of his Master, our Lord, is one that shows a total lack of understanding and truth. The goodness of God is what all are called to. The severity of God is for the children of disobedience; those who don’t walk in the calling. The slothful servant is one who answered the call but choose to do his will; being carnally minded, rather than his Master will; being Spiritually minded. The sloth’s own wrong way of thinking is his down fall; he is blind to truth, he looks at judgment and not the opportunity with all the benefits. Though the slothful is a servant; born again, but he doesn’t do his Masters will; believe all Truth, he has no life in the Spirit. The slothful servant buries who he really is and never profits from Truth.
Consider the word “worship”. What do you think of? Singing a song? An empty recital of things you think God wants to hear? Three songs then a sermon? Some collection of songs approved by some liturgical group? When the scripture says that God is seeking people to worship him or that we must worship “in Spirit and in Truth”, what does that actually mean? To please God by faith you have to get way past what the KJV says (and every lesser translation), what denominations practice and what church traditions dictate and what we see in local churches. We must get past human expectations and carnal thinking; we have to be taught by a teacher that knows Truth and that we can respect and trust; God himself. To do that we must believe He is who He said He is!
2 Corinthians3:3-6 (Our beliefs that are Truth are) written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.
The letter kills, but the Holy Spirit gives life; the meaning, understanding and encouragement of what we are built line upon line of if we are built in God’s Truth, God’s Way. We must not only get out of the carnal mind but also the box of religion; superstitions, doubts and fears that hold many in a surfacey carnal relationship with God. We must be open to what the Spirit teaches; the Truth that gives life. We “must” embrace the multiplication of “talents”; spiritual Truth that is Life. Unlike the unprofitable slothful servant we must trust and believe God, making our calling and election sure; having ears to hear what God’s Truth and will is, growing is wisdom and Truth. We must have faith so that we can get more faith; it grows like a tree. Faith produces Spiritual fruit (in God) like a tree. Faith will produce more of God in our lives, unlike the slothful servant, we get more of what God wants us to have. John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him… 6:63 It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life: in Your presence is fullness of joy…
What then is true worship? Psalm 103 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+103&version=KJV) captures the essence; Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits… Jesus confirms this in Matthew 22:37 Jesus said… You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. John 4:23…true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 14:17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you. 15:26…when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me… 16:13…when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
Worship is a mindful understanding of who and what God is by His own revelation; being born again and our appreciation to Him for it. Jesus said the first and great commandment was to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind. The words or fruit of our lips is merely the expression of our love or our sacrifice of praise. The meditations of our heart is what we truly think. If this happens according to what is True it will happen in the Spirit; we will have entered the Rest of God. If not we are slothful in seeking Truth. The Holy Spirit discerns the intent of our heart and God judges the worthiness of our worship. This worship, just like Cain and Abel, Saul and David, Samaria and Jerusalem’s’ offerings is acceptable or not. Worshiping in Spirit and in Truth must be done in the “Way” acceptable to God. It can only be done by the pure of heart; who will see God. It must be done within the Spirit of God.
The letter killing, but the Holy Spirit giving life goes way beyond anything written; it reveals the true interpretation; the intent of God, the judgment of God, the goodness, mercy and severity of God, the mind of Christ; “ALL TRUTH”. The impartation of the Spirit of Truth within us (we who are the temple; the dwelling place of God) allows us the access to all Truth, looking in the Spirit beyond the words to that Truth. Even the King James translation has errors and limitations of interpretation. This is not to discredit the KJV, it is perhaps the finest English translation ever written but only to point out that it is a work of men;15th century scholars and demanded by an earthly king that required his point of view be expressed. The KJV has been revised numerous times at the demand of readers and publishers many of who desired their understanding to be reflected in letter. Many words and even whole passages are still written in the more understood language of that day. Many concepts were translated to express the spiritual understanding of that day; the “church”; the virgins who were asleep, they did not have the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Many modern day heresies are spun out of a web of misunderstanding and spiritual wickedness and the love of money. The Law, the Prophets, the New Testament, the Apostle’s doctrines are all school masters that lead us to Salvation and being filled with the Holy Spirit; God with us. That Truth will never leave or forsake us unless we are slothful servants or foolish virgins.
Our question is, do we have faith to believe what the Holy Spirit is showing us today? Will Jesus find faith? Do we believe the still small voice? God is not speaking in the winds of destruction, the earth groaning for redemption or in the fire of wrath or vengeance, he speaks in the Spirit; the still small voice. We can only hear by faith, by believing He is who He said He is and He will do what He said He would do. When Jesus returns will He find faith? Will we do greater things because we do not conform to those who have gone before us but we believe what God shows us? We all must walk in the righteousness of believing God not the letter that kills. If we do not believe something we see or hear in the Spirit because it does not conform to conventional wisdom does that mean it was not from God? Because Eli did not hear God doesn’t mean that God was not talking to Samuel. Because I did not hear something does not mean God is not talking to you.
Those who know their God; the sound of His voice, the image of His visions, the understanding of His dreams, the signs of His covenant, will do exploits. All others are unbelievers or slothful. If we cannot get past the entrapment of flesh, the expectations of man and religion we can not come out and be Holy, we will not work out our own salvation in Spirit and in Truth, we cannot please God. Those who can, do! Knowing the difference is the difference.
L,J,P&HG
Dave
