Learning from God

Without the nature of Christ working within, an abundance of revelation that builds our intellect just puffs up pride and ego. Head knowledge about God can amaze others but it is empty words unless God’s truth is written within. We are to live His word, not just talk about it! It’s time for our words of ministry about godly living and our Christian behaviors to match. Then others will see Jesus in us and be able to trust what we are saying about Him.

We Christians have been accused of not practicing what we preach, but, as someone said, “We are practicing our faith–we’re just not very good at it!” I would further add that we cannot be while we are still trying to get this carnal flesh-man to do it. Working to become righteous in our flesh is worthless as no flesh can enter into the Kingdom. We will fail in any fleshly works of self-improvement, rules and laws. This cannot succeed and will always fail to please God.

There’s no fixing up and improving our old man. It must be reckoned as dead as the spirit forms the Christ within us.

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His.

For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, and that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we die with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.

For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God.'" Romans 6:1-10 NIV

Are we united to the Lord in a death like His? He died to all He could have had in this earthly life for the joy that was set before Him to do the Father’s will. What joy was coming in knowing that He would make the way for all to come to the Father, to be in intimate fellowship again, lost since the fall in Eden. We are freed from sin ruling us by what Jesus has done, but we still must learn to walk in it.

We need to walk out all He has accomplished and put within us. We are to consider or reckon the old man of sin as dead even though we still see it. When we do so, others see the Christ, the Love of God, in us rather than our human lack and failings. He works within us, covering our flesh as we continue to learn of His ways. Thus, we turn again and again to the Lord, seeking what only He can provide for the overcoming of the world, the flesh and the devil.

Some object to needing to overcome all, to do anything more because Jesus Christ took care of everything on the cross. And so He did, but are we walking in all He has done? Would the New Testament apostles such as Paul speak so much to what we ought to be if it were already accomplished within us? We must apprehend all for which we have been apprehended.

Paul encourages the Philippians to seek and learn more of the character of Christ Who lives and works within our hearts:

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.” Philippians 2:14-16 NIV

Paul was laboring toward the building up of the Christ within those he taught. Just so, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to focus upon and live in Him, recognizing that the sin functioning in our flesh has lost its power to rule us. We continually turn to Christ for our victory so that He rules over every sin displaying itself still working in our mind, will, and emotions.

We are to reckon or see the old man of sin as dead, not to consider it as who we are now, even though we continue to see its evidence in our lives. All of us have areas where our words do not match our behavior. We seek to learn more of God as we allow Him to refine our character and ways. Our characteristics, what is in our hearts that falls short of God’s fruit of the spirit, are no longer preventing the shining of the pure light of His countenance outward to others.

God wipes out our fleshly ways, our thoughts, emotions and behaviors that are not like Him. We want Him to be seen, without the remaining spots of darkness in us. When our religious words and works lack the pure power of truth and love behind them, these are spots and wrinkles in our garments. We are to help each other learn from God through the building up in love, not following after those who desire the prestige of men:

“[There] are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” Jude 1: 16-22 KJV

How incredible are these apostles, still teaching us after all this time. They are our beloved teachers! How amazed they and the saints of old written about in the word must be with what God has used them to teach and educate us!! How could they know what Father God would do when they paid such a price for following Him for our sakes! When we consider their suffering, the cost of knowing their Lord and continuing in the faith, we are in awe and realize we seemingly have done little!

Yet we join them in desiring that all men come to the knowledge of the truth that they lived! We desire the light of the gospel to be seen in us, no longer fractured and bent by our own character spotted with flesh. We ask that what remains in our hearts that falls short of God’s fruit of the spirit, preventing the shining of the pure light of His countenance outward. be thoroughly purged within us.

We are not satisfied with religious words and works that lack the full power of His truth and love. What is in the heart does come out, if not in words, then in tone of voice and expression. But we are His workmanship, as God develops and nurtures sons and daughters to be just like Jesus, the firstborn of many brethren:

“For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29 BSB

In other passages, our Lord tells us that we are to be perfect, or complete, as He is perfect. He would not have said it if it was not possible. He made no qualification that we must wait until heaven for Him to be perfected in us. This is the day for our hearts to be changed to be like His heart of mercy and justice, compassion and truth. We come up hither to where Jesus is in the spirit, in Zion where God is perfecting the saints in His presence. Here is where we learn of Him.

The bible does not say we must wait until after we die to be perfected or complete in His fullness. Search for it and you will not find it. God sets the limits on our life span and decides how far can we go before He takes us to the other side. There are many such promises yet to be fulfilled, waiting for this Third Day we are in to completely unfold.

God’s spiritual language, His symbols and metaphors, promise many more things in this call to perfection that our earthly understanding of words does not comprehend. The keys are all there in the Word, revealed by the spirit in the original meaning of Hebrew and Greek, comparing scripture to scripture, gifted to humans by spiritual revelation, confirmed in the hearts of faithful ones who are dedicated to learning from Him.

The Book of Revelation is just such a spiritual book, filled with symbolic language. It is so veiled in God’s spiritual language that some believers just leave it alone, confessing that they don’t understand it at all. Full of symbols and metaphors, the book of revelation has brought much confusion and disagreement in Christian leadership. It is much misunderstood when literally interpreted or projected unto unbelievers rather than to us, His slaves.

Yet it is a most important word for His people to learn of God’s plan and purpose. John’s revelation of the Lord continues to be a source of theological arguments and differing denominational teaching. But this book is the revelation,the revealing of Jesus Christ in all His majesty. It is written to His people, His slaves! Revelation can only be understood by the spirit as God reveals His truth in the spiritual language He used through John.

Now is the time to understand the truth of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, as written by this precious apostle. The revealing of Jesus Christ to His own could not be more vital or timely to understand in this present era. The first three chapters explicitly speak to seven of the early churches, symbolically representative of stages of growth that modern Christianity experiences.

It is a blessing to read and learn by the holy spirit what this precious book is telling us about our future! Revelation applies to us, His slaves or bondservants:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw.

Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” Revelation 1:1-3 NASB

We are blessed as we read, hear, and understand the words in this vital book. We, the people of God, are to be judged first, to ready us for what is to unfold. The time was near then and it is near to us now.

“For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17 NIV

Each of these candlestick churches is confronted with factors that limit or stop their growth, hindering His further blessing and presence. “To those that can hear, let them hear.” Each has more to learn from God, areas in which they must repent or be changed. He warns more than once that if they do notchange, He will take their candlestick, their light of the presence of the Lord, out of their their midst.

As we move out of the church age into the kingdom age, we leave what God has caused us to outgrow and keep what is a valuable part of our salvation as our foundation. We go beyond the camp, the place where others have settled, to where He is now.

“Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore.” Hebrews 13:13 BSB

Jesus was outside the camp of the established Jewish faith. We are following our Lord and Master as He also was outside the camp of the presently accepted religious ways and teachings..He was raised in but no longer immersed in the Jewish beliefs and traditions of His natural Jewish heritage. In fact, He came to fulfill the law by establishing a new covenant, a new way to learn about and follow the Lord.

Jesus did not do away with the law, but fulfilled it, the only One who has. He made the way for us to do so as well. He chooses our path as we follow on to know the Lord. We do not want to set our stakes deep down into the current camp of doctrines and teachings, but to be like the Israelites in the wilderness. When God said to stop, they stopped. When He said to go, they pulled up their tent stakes to follow on further.

Let us all follow on to know Him in the deepest measure of which He makes us capable. We come to discern the Lord’s body, realizing that the true Body of Jesus Christ differs from what we have called church. When two or three gathered together, we are joined in His name, His nature. What, then, is gathering in His name mean for us today? It is whenever and whomever the holy spirit leads us to gather to worship and fellowship Him.

It matters not what denomination, location, size of the group, or its particular label. The key is to be joined by the spirit or there is no true fellowship, no assembling at all. God looks at the heart of His people and we are to be joined in His nature of love. We have liberty to be joined with all of God’s people wherever they are in this season and time. We are to be assembled with others heart to heart, not doctrine to doctrine.

In this day, we are not joined to systems or programs, but to those who have the heart of God within wherever they may spiritually reside. God surely is looking at our hearts. Our joining is to be heart to heart through love of the brethren in Christ. It is not when, where, how, or with whom that is important. It is not that we need to go here or go there to find Him. He is within us and all such joining must be by the Spirit.

We can only be joined together when there is unity in our hearts, with God and with each other. Love unites. It is not divided. No true fellowship or assembling, no putting together or joining—is possible lest the Holy Spirit do it. Such is the true assembling that is not to be forsaken. We are to leave dutiful assembling that is restricted to forms and traditions rather than led by the Holy Ghost.

“And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.” Colossians 3:14 BSB

We need to move on into our Promised Land, not settling in the various camps along the way, as we long to continue learning from our God. We desire to gather with those who are in Him. Many gatherings have the spirit of God present in between rituals and pre-planned programs. God loves His own and is present within as people who love Him gather. But far too often, Jesus is left at the door, knocking to be let in like the Laodicean assembly in Revelation.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelation 3:20 NIV

Meditate on the Lord standing outside the door and what this means. Is He outside the door of our hearts, outside of our structured and pre-planned gatherings, outside of our busy days laboring in the church realm, knocking to get in? If so, we have stopped learning from God and are learning from man, with old manna that is no longer nourishing. The early church had a few years of glorious growth and freedom in Him, then began to fall into division and strife from the rule of man.

We see that He is standing outside, knocking to get in when He sees this Laodician condition in the hearts of His people. Isn’t it time for all our gatherings to be led by Him as best we can allow in our current level of maturity? May we let go of the rules and regulations that are so familiar, even traditional, but are not God’s leading by the Holy Spirit. Let us learn together in Him!

Is this not part of what He means by making all things new? He is about the business of freeing His people from the bondage of fleshly ideas and ways, traditions and habits that do not cause the growth of His character. Of what use is our presence, our participation, if God has not led us to gather, to speak, to allow Him to take over as the leader of our meetings? We know we cannot do it, but He can! He can teach us how and wants to do so.

What difference does it make when, where, how or who we fellowship with when God is leading us by the spirit? Many of us prefer not to gather with others where there is a mixture of flesh and spirit unless the spirit so directs. Even more, we sincerely desire that our own fleshly mixture be covered by God, subject to his ways. We require ongoing purging as God’s time and ways are revealed to us in this New Day.

We do experience precious gatherings in the Lord and have wonderful fellowship with the saints. We all have many beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, with whom we had holy times of communion with God and His people. But there are also many with whom we can no longer walk because God has separated us unto Himself. God is calling those who can hear to free themselves of religious bondage in all Babylonish systems established by the traditions of men.

This is not just one church or denomination or non-denomination or organization. It is the imprint within believers of all systems and organizations that carry the name Christian, practicing and promoting their brand of Christianity. Many are fostering division and strife for personal gain in stature, power, influence and wealth, but neither poverty nor wealth is a sign of godliness, let alone correct doctrine.

None of this can unite us in the love of God. Some of us have had to leave external systems, being outside the camp but still needing, seeking God’s purging from Babylonish ways within us. Babylonish ways were imprinted in our hearts and that’s where we learned to minister and worship, in these former realms of glory. We were shown how to worship in ways that remain familiar from our religious past.

We also picked up catch phrases and common mannerisms modeled after our teachers and elders, learning to use commonly understood and acceptable ways. But there is no one way to speak God’s word, one right way to preach, teach, or prophesy. Let us allow God to teach us the present way He chooses when we are to be His mouthpiece. We desire freedom from our past, not modeling or mimicking former religious styles or mannerisms of our elders.

Though gaining much gold from their treasure houses, Jesus is the pattern Son, not humans. There should not be the mark of human leadership on us such that others can tell who we have followed in the past. Our God is focused upon each heart in those desiring to show forth Who He is now. We continue to pursue that prize Paul diligently sought:

“But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.

I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:7-14 BSB

All of Paul’s considerable external achievements, the religious stature and knowledge he had gained, the credentials he had among the Jews, the multitude of religious ways he learned as the best Hebrew he could be, were rubbish! Paul taught that all gatherings are to be unto Christ. If the great apostle Paul desired and pursued more, despite the magnitude and abundance of revelation given to him, it seems obvious that there is more for the rest of us.

Settling for salvation to get us out of hell is not sufficient as an entry into His glorious kingdom. Waiting for the rapture to take us away does not change our character, the spots of flesh in our garments. Fortunately, it’s not up to us only to be led by the spirit to understand the deep things of God. He will lead us to brethren and sisters God has gifted to teach the depth of God’s spiritual language, so that we may comprehend His word and His ways.

Welearn much from anointed teachers and preachers as they write and share the meaning of God’s spiritual language, for God is spirit and He is truth. This is how we are to ideally worship Him. It is not just songs of praise and worship, but a sincere heart of faith as we express our love of our Lord. We are meant to receive the blessings that come from understanding and living the words of John’s prophecy (Revelation 1:3) along with all truth. For this the holy spirit was given.

“…If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me. All this I have spoken to you while I am still with you.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.” John 14:23-27 BSB

The holy spirit is within us to teach us all things. We are led by His spirit to know His word and His plan for the ages. We already see signs of the mighty changes God is bringing into the present church world. Look around you and you will see many empty buildings from this era, either abandoned or with a few faithful trying to keep it going.

When those who represent God’s leadership do not heed the call to change, but hang on to what they’ve built, God will eventually bring it to an end. Many have and will find themselves sitting on a great pile of ashes, trying to breathe life into their old, dead works. As it happened with the great Pentecostal ministries of the past and the charismatic outpourings of the spirit, God has moved on.

Those heavens, glorious though they were, are gone. Heed the call to come out:

“Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues…” Revelation 18:4 NIV

We may have been taught that Babylon is one specific domination, one group of God’s own that are stuck in this whorish system that has been in bed with all kinds of earthly rulers and kingdoms, stealing the prosperity of God’s people, but that is simply not the truth. Symbols such as what Babylon is used to symbolize, are to be spiritually discerned, taught by God. Babylonish ways have been worked in our hearts and have not led to a change in character. This is not unique to one denomination or religious group.

We are all required to grow up into Him if we are to be His called, chosen, and faithful to the end. As we are taught by God and His present chosen vessels, we are learning to lay down what we thought we knew so He can give us His present truth. He is more than willing to give us a deeper understanding, sharing with us about what He has planned for us now. This is a glorious future!

Take another prayerful look at the book of Revelation. The whole Bible is wonderful, of course, but this book is particularly for our present age. Search out enlightened writers on Revelation and know that the truth of God is, indeed, good news! We can be equipped with spiritual truths in order to share them, waiting upon the Lord as He reveals how we are to live in His kingdom, to truly worship Him in spirit and in truth. He promised!

“Therefore My people will know My name [nature]: therefore they will know on that day that I am He who speaks. ‘Here I am!’ How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’

Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, and together they shout for joy. For every eye will see when the Lord returns to Zion.” Isaiah 52:6-8 BSB

Don’t we long to bring this good news, to proclaim peace and good tidings, to know God saves to the uttermost and is reigning in Zion, His spiritual throne of thrones. There is a deep longing in our hearts to be among those used in this hour to roar out of Zion with good news for the people of God. It is time for the good news of the plan of salvation for all that God has for the world He loves.

Enough of frightening people into conversion rather than drawing them in love into the kingdom of God. Enough bad news! All God’s news is yes and amen as we seek to learn more from God, awaiting more of His kingdom to unfold within us to flow out from the Zion saints in a mighty river to others. We are destined to see His truth in love in increasing clarity as we learn dailyof God’s spirit and truth. He desires it to be so:

“But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not ‘Yes’ and ‘No,’ but in him it has always been ‘Yes.’

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through Him, the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 1;18-20 NIV