Jesus
was teaching Nicodemus about being born again but he didn’t get it. This Jewish
teacher of the Bible knew the Old Testament thoroughly, but he didn’t
understand what it said about the Messiah. He had no revelation from it. You
should know the Bible, but even more important, you should understand the God
whom the Bible reveals and the salvation that He offers. God wants us to know
Him: “Thus
says the Lord: Let not the wise and skillful person glory and boast in his
wisdom and skill; let not the mighty and powerful person glory and boast in his
strength and power; let not the person who is rich [in physical gratification
and earthly wealth] glory and boast in his [temporal satisfactions and earthly]
riches;
But
let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me [personally
and practically, directly discerning and recognizing My character], that I am
the Lord, Who practices loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the
earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord” (Jeremiah
9:23-24, Amp). So above all else, God wants us to know Him. He wants us to
know Him personally and by experience. If we’re to boast or glory in anything,
it should be for the knowledge of Christ. Knowing about God is not the same as knowing
Him personally, and this is one thing that separate believers.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkgwLi9VGDFSX7qT9yfwTAhjSXnCKR_WXD-jzfebdYgQ3g8Uy3wOrFlHKK2CiypVIIXWBe-DFP-woFCcPKq0ynnCr789murDwU_fcNgV1FrnXgkh-XGwGcYu4kHDVQs4KoDs5OZNQwp4/s200/Wisdom+and+understanding+are+better+than+all.jpg)
God’s
Word says “Get
wisdom – it's worth more than money; choose insight over income every time”
(Proverbs 16:16, MSG). Nothing compares to knowing God. I’ve seen
people have everything they would need in the world but are as hopeless as
nothing. Hey, we have a God who shares His vision with us. Solomon asked for
wisdom when the Lord asked him to make a wish (1 Kings 3:9-13). God was so delighted that he added wealth and
glory to what he asked for. His Word came to pass, in that King Solomon
exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom (1 Kings 10:23). He was wise in almost
every respect and could even speak with authority on subjects such as botany
and zoology.
You
see, God’s interest is that we seek to know Him more. With the wisdom of God we
can bring into being anything we desire. Today, I see a lot of believers who
are so business-minded that they forget God. It’s good to work but you should
always put God first and you’ll succeed in everything you do. It’s surprising
you see others who go into business with the try and error mentality. As far as
I’m concerned, God’s ideas never fail! Not one word from Him has failed (Joshua 21:45; 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56).
People travelled from long distances just to listen to Solomon speak. Oh, the
wisdom of God, how priceless it is.
How
does Paul describe his Christian walk: “But whatever former things I had that might have been
gains to me, I have come to consider as [one combined] loss for Christ's sake.
Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the
priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and
supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively
becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and
recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have
lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in
order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One).
And
that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any
[self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience
to the Law's demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with
God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes
through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with
God, which comes from God by [saving] faith. [For my determined purpose is]
that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately
acquainted with Him,
Perceiving
and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and
more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power
outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I
may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into
His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] That if possible I may attain to
the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead
[even while in the body]” (Philippians 3:7-11, Amp)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0CSOsKM0xfaGNVXf_Y-OIOG-sTAPIxEXkv6AxTLqOjACTArUYKqmc3pUBv6eo1STj0XqcZYcpsj13KanxdgXsha_GNJmxRMCA7oz3kkvNpwGCt8EopjuoWgTKiTtxf92XEHX5o0PWwS8/s200/Those+who+know+their+God+shall+be+strong.jpg) |
Those who know their God are strong |
If
that was Paul’s attitude, then no wonder he did so much: “…but the people that do know their God
shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32). He did so much that people called him a god (Acts 28:6). When you hunger and thirst
for God, He’ll surely satisfy you (Nehemiah
9:15). Paul tells us to covet (desire) spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1). He counted
everything (including his mind) lost so that he may know Christ: “Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge
of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”
(2 Corinthians 10:5). We should put
our minds right; make it subject to the knowledge of God.
Let’s
also take a look at where he dedicates a whole chapter to talk about the
mysteries in Christ: “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with
excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For
I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my
speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in
the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them
that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this
world, that come to nought:
But
we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God
ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this
world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of
glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the
things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of
God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now
we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things
also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy
Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 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. But he
that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For
who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the
mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:1-16).
He
puts it plain that he came not with excellency of speech. This means that how
eloquent you are does not make you a discerner of the mysteries in Christ. Paul
didn’t use enticing words of man’s wisdom as some still do, and it’s a powerful
statement! He didn’t speak mere words but he taught the Word in demonstration
of the Spirit and power. This means that miracles, signs and wonders followed as
he preached the gospel. And in fact Bible says, “And God wrought special miracles by the
hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs
or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out
of them” (Acts 19:11-12).
Jesus said such things will follow us (Mark
16:17-18).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-mqDy3TWRjwey8-kVovWhgT1GTYcHwbxH_lhO02VFzs9xCscaBCBN8qTNoitYmxYcx7fFhoALE89iW-dEo_OCrPg4vX2pzpyTwu1dAMYzp9SRGoD9NQy2JTCBMo2GifQ7bMWpRGEULM/s200/The+Gifts+of+the+Holy+Spirit.jpg) |
Gifts of the Spirit |
When
you see a man of God perform such miracles today, you’ll have people talking
against him but you don’t need to be surprised. Such people don’t know the
scriptures. They don’t know they’re spiritual gifts. Oh okay, it’s true
there’re 9 fruits of the Spirit (Galatians
5:22), but there’re also 9 gifts from the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-10). These are what Paul tells us to covet. I
was once at the station to buy something and I decided to stop when I saw a Man
of God teaching. A guy approached me and began asking me some questions. I
quoted Scriptures to him to support my answer; they mostly came from Paul’s
teachings.
I
was surprised this young guy told me to shut up and not mention Paul’s name
because he was such a hypocrite. I wondered at his remark so I asked about his
church but he never answered. I wanted to find out who was polluting this guy because
it’s a very serious problem. In fact Paul wrote one third of the New Testament;
how can you eliminate the teachings of such an influential Holy Ghost filled
man? If you find someone performing miracles and you don’t believe it, just
keep quiet than to talk against the works of the Spirit.
In
Luke 4:18 we see Jesus being given
the scroll to take the first reading of the book of Isaiah. He turned to the
sixty-first chapter and of course, He didn’t read like anyone else would have
read. He didn’t say, “Isaiah said the
Spirit of the Lord was upon him (Isaiah), for the Lord had anointed him.”
When Jesus started reading He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me”, referring
to Himself and not Isaiah. And when He was through reading, He said, “Today is this
scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21). The Bible says that heaven and earth shall pass away
but the Word of God shall never pass away (Matthew
5:18).
In
Jesus’ day, Isaiah had passed on to glory but the Word of the Lord continued on
earth. And it’s still the same today. Whoever will, let him step into the Word
and say, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me,” and the Spirit of the Lord will surely rest upon him. Don’t you dare
think Jesus acted the way He did because He knew Isaiah had prophesied
concerning Him. If you stand on the Word like the disciples did, you’ll get the
kind of results they got. Paul could boldly say, “The God of our fathers has chosen me to know his will.” But Paul
has passed unto glory.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1rTtOfVo-5GAUReEjrQs8SZZcaSue01xI2LAebosljM0TaufXkUy_bhlyetdjvfA904F5OE6T-wRQ30Nxg9Qyo0kAyjb4Ht9McJwkFq91mOACkTMKn7HAOTcI4mXcDXm9u4C0XONkjw/s200/good_shepherd.jpg) |
My sheep know my voice |
Now,
whoever will, let him step into what Acts
22:14 says and declare that the God of our fathers has chosen him to know
His will. You have been chosen to know the revelation of that Just One and to
know His voice. The whole world may hear other voices but you can know the
voice of God. Jesus said He’s the Shepherd and we’re His sheep. He leads us and
we follow; we hear His voice for He’s our shepherd (John 10:14, 27). We don’t recognize or adhere to the voice of
strangers. You can know Him!
As
we discussed earlier, for you to know His voice you must develop a voracious
appetite for the Word. The proof desire is pursuit. Study the Word and know it
for yourself. The voice of God’s Spirit is known to you through the written
Word. Train your spirit to respond to God by acting on the Word quickly. When
you receive instructions or counsel from God’s Word, don’t delay; act quickly.
This is learning to train your spirit. Praying according to God’s Word is very
vital. Prayer helps your spirit to become a dependable receptacle of God’s
ideas, visions and promptings. Pray mostly with the spirit, in other tongues.
The more you do, the more sensitive your spirit will be to His voice.
When
you receive Christ into your life and are born again, the Lord begins to share
mysteries of His Kingdom with you. Mystery refers to something that's known but
not meant for everybody, but is released for a select few. This is why Bible
says, “We
speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God
ordained before the world unto our glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7). This hidden wisdom is not for everybody, but
only for those in that inner circle with God, and that's us! Understand that
the way God deals with His children is completely different from the way He
deals with the rest of the world. Jesus' disciples noticed this fact and they
wondered why He talked to them plainly, but spoke to the others in parables.
He
replied them saying that it was given to them to know the mysteries of the
Kingdom of God (Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10).
He doesn't have this obligation to the rest of the world, and that is why when
we begin to declare the truths of our kingdom, the carnally minded cannot
comprehend them. In your life, never act like someone who's confused or without
direction. Quit talking like a victim, saying things like “I don't know what to
do.” No, not you! You have insight to the secrets of God. You are the one who
can look at a seemingly hopeless situation and laugh in the face of it, for you
have inside information that all things work together for your good! (Romans 8:28).
As
you study the Word of God, do it with confidence, knowing that the Holy Spirit
is more than willing to reveal to you wonderful truths of the Kingdom that will
make you a winner every day. Have a strong foundation, so “that we henceforth be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”
(Ephesians 4:14). For lack of
knowledge, it’s possible to accept whatever someone teaches. Today he sees
somebody say something different and he accepts, another time he accepts a
different thing. I’ve seen this happen to some people and it’s a serious
problem.
Paul
went to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus as he was instructed by God. In a
private meeting with the leaders, he explained the gospel message he preached
to them. He was there because the people
were being deceived. He stated: “…because of
false brethren who had been secretly smuggled in [to the Christian brotherhood];
they had slipped in to spy on our liberty and the freedom which we have in
Christ Jesus, that they might again bring us into bondage [under the Law of
Moses]” (Galatians 2:4,
Amp). Some people have listened to such folks and they are in bondage.
The
plans and purposes of God are unsearchable to those who walk by the senses. Be
very careful about them. Don’t think: “Oh, I’m too young or too old for God to
use me.” There is no respecter of persons with God (Deuteronomy 10:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Romans 2:11). The devil is
wasting people’s time by making them engage in things that do not profit them. They
are arguing about which day we should go to church, ceremonies and festivals we
should observe, foods we should eat etc. Instead of seeking to know more about
God, they are always looking for things they can argue about.
Get
this: “…don't
let anyone criticize you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating
Jewish holidays and feasts or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these were
only temporary rules that ended when Christ came. They were only shadows of the
real thing-of Christ himself. Don't let anyone declare you lost when you refuse
to worship angels, as they say you must. They have seen a vision, they say, and
know you should. These proud men (though they claim to be so humble) have a
very clever imagination. But they are not connected to Christ, the Head to
which all of us who are his body are joined; for we are joined together by his
strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from
God.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKv6rbdmtkWuNfzqvJ2Eb0akZNTq18NSNUrBLYp1qjN0iHXzzghKTll-ovOJ6z92jTKvHX3iHP7zkb9PEM8LJuV8NISu9I1xdE_PDLGAGcGwyzl2OFjjn7qmIfMfhGxII3KeYYAfFObw/s200/Be+like+trees+-+have+deep+roots.jpg) |
Be like trees - Have deep roots |
Since
you died, as it were, with Christ and this has set you free from following the
world's ideas of how to be saved – by doing good and obeying various rules –
why do you keep right on following them anyway, still bound by such rules as
not eating, tasting, or even touching certain foods? Such rules are mere human
teachings, for food was made to be eaten and used up. These rules may seem
good, for rules of this kind require strong devotion and are humiliating and hard
on the body, but they have no effect when it comes to conquering a person's
evil thoughts and desires. They only make him proud” (Colossians
2:16-23, TLB). No wonder such people look so proud; they think they are too
good by their works! Have deep roots in the Word so that no one deceives you.
Don’t
waste your time with such people, because we are told to “avoid foolish questions, and genealogies,
and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and
vain” (Titus 3:9). The message Bible translates it this way: “Stay away from mindless, pointless
quarrelling over genealogies and fine print in the law code. That gets you
nowhere.” They’ve gotten nowhere in their journey with God, and have not realized
it. That’s a scheme the devil is using to waste their time. Before they
realize, they’re been old. They can’t confidently state like Paul: “I have fought a
good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
Finally,
brethren, “Watch
out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual
double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount
to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human
beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of
Christ” (Colossians 2:8,
MSG).
I
love you,
God
bless you!Labels: NEW CREATION REALITIES