I just read Austin's post, Word 3/05, today at about 8:30 AM. It was posted yesterday at 2:35. I noticed it at about 3:30, but right at that moment, an opportunity opened up to go home a little early. It snowed Tuesday night about 8 inches. All day Wednesday, everyone at work was busy with snow or thinking about it. Did you do my driveway? Where's the tractor/snow plow? We are going to get more Thursday. Much of Wednesday I was considering why people who believe in Jesus, or so they say, do not have ears to hear. It breaks my heart. The concern over their lack of hearing was actually making me weary. They resist the truth and the Holy Spirit at every turn. They are just so hard hearted. They hold on to everything, every written word, every tradition, every doctrine to the best of their ability, to their understanding. They say that they are lead by the spirit. Speak a doctrine taught to you by the Holy Spirit, that is written on your heart, and they don't know, whoa, hold on there, look out, your a false prophet. You just want to say, "Fine, have it your way!" What does it matter to me? I don't have to prove I'm right. You think when will I learn not to cast a pearl?
After getting home, blowing the snow off the driveway and having dinner, Rhonda (who had spent a good part of the day painting a picture for Addi) and I sat down and watched a little news. Not much is ever good on TV. We didn't feel like history, food or home channels. A little sadness or heaviness in my heart still. The Obama/Clinton-McCain presidential race is just another indication of the State of the Union/Sign of the Times, not good news. The tribulation is about to start and so many, oh so many cannot tell right from wrong, or are willing to compromise on what is right, for what they want. I asked Rhonda to read a couple things that I commented on at Michael Boldea's blog, asking if it was easy enough to understand, which she affirmed. Then she said, lets read the bible, I thought that really sounded good. After getting comfortable, we started at Psalm 100. Reading slowly, considering what was prophetic and what was historical, looking for what the Holy Spirit was saying, running comment and praising God along the way. We read through Psalm 119. Getting tired, Rhonda turned off the lights, and we prayed. I continued to sit in the recliner, praying till I fell asleep.
Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm and chapter in the bible. The 176 verses of the Psalm are divided into 22 stanzas of eight lines each: one stanza for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In the first stanza, each of the 8 lines begin with aleph, the first letter of the alphabet; in the next stanza, each of the lines begin with bet, the second letter, and so on through the entire alphabet. Poems that use patterns involving the initial letter of a line are called acrostic. Psalm 119 is referred to in Hebrew by its opening words, "Ashrei temimei derech" or "happy are those whose way is perfect". Psalm 119 is all about David repenting and being right with God. It's about rehearsing those right things in every aspect possible. God said about David; "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will". When reading 119 it is apparent just how much David wanted to be correct in heart and understanding in the sight of God. The Psalm over and over and over again tells of repenting, loving truth doing all he knew to do.
Serving God in Spirit and in truth requires knowing both, the Holy Spirit and what is true. God's desire and will is exactly what Jesus said; "The hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth". If we rehearse every part of what is true, of what is God's will, what is written, no one can deny what is the truth, it culminates with the Holy Spirit. The question becomes, am I a true worshipper? Is what I have built on, what the Holy Spirit has taught me as truth? After all it is He, the Holy Spirit that leads into all truth. Are your ways perfect? How can you be happy if your ways are not perfect? We are not under the law, we don't get to say we follow the law. We follow the Holy Spirit because there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law. But, day after day, year in year out the hard of heart, hard of hearing foolishly say they have it all.
Talk about hidden in plain sight. If there is a separate experience called the Holy Spirit (which there surely is) and we have not, by the written signs, proofs of the Holy Spirit, know the Holy Spirit, how can you say you are perfect and a true worshipper? Those who are of the same Spirit will always agree, God is not divided. There is only room for one truth, one Spirit. You can only be perfect in one "Way", the way, the truth, the life, the Holy Spirit. A true and faithful saying is, "by the Holy Spirit you will know them". If any man or woman does not bear the witness of the Holy Spirit, they are not of Truth.
The plain simple truth is; many will not enter the rest of the Holy Spirit. Many will run to and fro but, they will not get it. Just as the Pharisees of Jesus day, they think and believe, that they are right, to their own shame and hurt. They refuse the Teacher that the Father provided. They reject the way to know confirmation of the Father of what is right and what is wrong. They flock to birds of a feather for their own comfort (Pharisee & Sadducees). Even though they themselves, the Pharisees, do not believe the same as the Sadducees, because of tradition, would rather ally with them for comfort sake. The deaf by their own inability to hear and follow instructions, stack this line on that verse over that precept, and build a house of cards on a foundation of flesh, that will not stand. They use the same words every one uses, but their words have no life in them, no Spirit of Truth bearing them witness. They say, we will give our lives for God, but they will not give their faith, their trust, their most precious possession, their heart to Him. They cannot cast all their cares on God, because they reserve their natural understanding for their own approval.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6Who also hath 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.
John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. 17If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Psalm 119, a very good lesson. Needless to say, God answered before I called. He confirmed His answer through Austin. Thursday morning God showed Himself faithful to me Wednesday afternoon. The Holy Spirit bore witness in truth, thanks Austin. Being weary in well doing? Not so much now. Just heavy in heart for those who will end up being proven foolish by God's measure. Wisdom is always proven of her children. Foolishness has its proof as well.
L,J,P&HG
Dave
Thursday, March 6, 2008
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2 comments:
Btw, We just had Romans * (no condemnation to those who walk after the Spirit) and the Hebrews scripture about the rest of God, and the unbelief that separates man from it. Just for confirmation...
Alex
Dave, the words and thoughts that you have shared here are true.
It never ceases to amaze me how, regardless of the message (judgment or blessings), when you hear it you know who is and isn't speaking by the Spirit of God. Even if the words that are spoken are heavy, they are so easily entreated, they bare witness of truth so strongly that truly only those who refuse to submit themselves to the Spirit of God would try to speak against it. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, is the only one that can lead us into all truth. We must be satisfied that He speaks to us and teaches us, as He said He would, that we do not allow ourselves to become weary in well-doing.
The time is short, this we know beyond a shadow of a doubt. The world grows darker and now those who are in your very house, spiritual house, are turning against us. Thank God that He has revealed it to us before in preparation, and that these things are not revealed to us by flesh and blood, but by the Spirit of Truth alone.
I was listening to a song the other day while driving to work, and one lyric stood out to me very strongly, "I see a generation, rising up to take their place with selfless faith." We are that generation. For such a time as this were we brought into this world so that God would have a faithful people. We are that peculiar people that God said He would raise up. We have the opportunity to live for God, that He may show Himself strong through us. All we must do is simply love God and believe.
Let us get to the point where all we do is love God with everything we are, and believe Him.
God bless you, brother, and may we be stayed in His perfect peace. Surely, we will reap if we faint not.
With love in Him,
Ryan
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