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, in order 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 free 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. If that old man was truly dead in us all already, others would see the Christ, the Love of God, in us rather than our human lack and failings. 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 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 more of the character of Christ working within the heart:

“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 working 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 still working in our mind, will, and emotions. We are to see or reckon 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. These are important areas of focus in God’s refining of His own. Our characteristics, what is in our hearts that falls short of God’s fruit of the spirit, prevent the shining of the pure light of His countenance outward to others. God cannot yet be seen because of the remaining spots of darkness in us.

Our religious words and works at these times lack the pure power of truth and love behind them. They are spots and wrinkles in our garments. Only the Lord can cover our nakedness until He completes His work in us to be like Him. How can others be drawn to Him and learn to trust Him and His word if His light within us is fractured and bent by our own character?

Our own flesh, what remains in our hearts that falls short of God’s fruit of the spirit, prevents the shining of the pure light of His countenance outward. Our religious words and works at these times lack the full power of truth and love behind them. 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 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 (), 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.

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 coming to know 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.

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. And 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. The first three chapters explicitly speak to several of the early churches, symbolically representative of stages of growth that modern Christianity experiences.

It is a blessing to read and learn from God 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 understant 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

The message that God relates through John to the seven churches is to us, His people. 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.” He warns more than once that if they do not repent, or change, He will take their candlestick, their light of the presence of the Lord out of their their midst until they repent.

As we move out of the church 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 present accepted religious ways and teachings.. He was raised in but no longer immersed in the Jewish beliefs and traditions of His natural Jewish heritage.

Jesus brought a new covenant, a new way to follow the Lord. He did not do away with the law, but fulfilled it, making a 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 belief and fellowship, but to be like the Israelites in the wilderness. They obeyed when God said to stop and pulled up their tent stakes to follow on further when He said to do so.

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 so what is gathering in His name mean for us today? It is whenever and whomever the holy spirit leads us to gather to 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—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.

We need to move on into our Promised Land, not settling in the various camps along the way. Of course, 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? 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.

With this church example in Revelation, we see that He is standing outside, knocking to get in when He sees this Laodecian 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.

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 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 a leader of our meetings? We know we cannot do it, but He can! 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. We sincerely desire that our own fleshly mixture be 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 organizations that carry the name Christian, practicing and promoting their brand of Christianity, some of whom 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 have left these 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, no longer modeling or mimicking former religious styles and the mannerism of our elders. Though gaining much gold from their treasure houses, Jesus is the pattern Son, not humans.

There should not be such a mark of human leadership on us 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 are now pursuing 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 the gathering is to be unto Christ. Carefully consider this: can we honestly say that we manifest the full power of His resurrection? 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. 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 use of symbolic examples and metaphors.

We continue to learn much from such 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 many other messages in the Bible.

We 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 early 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, but that is simply not the truth. Symbols such as those of prophecy, of revelation, of Jesus’s teachings, are understood as taught by God, leading to a change in character, not presently unique to one religious group or another.

We are all required to grow up into Him if we are to be His called, chosen, and faithful to the end.We are learning to lay down what we thought we knew so He can give us His present truth, 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 time now. Read 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, worshipping 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 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 await 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 increasingly of 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 NIV