Posted by: William | November 29, 2007

A Year of Conversation, Day of Revelation

            During small group last night a discussion about spiritual gifts arose. One of the guys in the group suggested that instead of just talking about them, that we should just crack open the Word and read about them. We read from 1 Corinthians 12 & 13 (with the intention of going through 14, but we ran out of time). We had a good conversation and then before spending some time in prayer together we were discussing whether or not we’d continue the current dialogue into the next few weeks or if we’d move onto something else. The decision was somewhat unanimous that we would remain in the discussion and in the Word about the topic. But just before the conversation closed, someone suggested that instead of just talking about it, that we take it home with us and pray earnestly to understand, because we could have a “year of conversations, or one good day of revelation.”

            I think his words couldn’t ring more true. I don’t want to suggest that there is not place for conventional learning and conversation. I think those things are usually (even by the will of God) essential. But rather, I’d like to make the point that those things alone are useless and lead nowhere apart from the revelation of Christ; like the Athenians who by all there philosophy and wisdom erected an alter to “an unknown God” (acts 17:23). We by our carnal wisdom cannot come to know God (1 Corinthians 1:21), and by the power of our own minds, we cannot understand Him or the things He does (1 Corinthians 2:14).

            So what do I mean by this? Not that we should abstain from conventional learning, conversation, reasoning. Rather, that we should abstain from that first. I believe it is a true statement that we could spend a year digging through the scriptures, pining over commentaries, engaging in conversations with the most learned godly men, but apart from the Spirit of God, it will end in useless intellectualism. I submit rather, that we put intention in our prayers and faith so that we would first trust in revelation from Christ for understanding, and second anticipate or even seek the vessel which it will come through. In that way, we might see God give us in one day, what we could not get in a life time of seeking on our own.

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Responses

Powerful! That is the way to teach … that is Jesus with us the hope of glory! That is a revelational truth in itself! You will profit greatly from this truth being imparted to you.

Please let us know about your next gathering. Thank you!

By: C.L. Mareydt on November 30, 2007
at 12:49 am

Greetings William..now you’re getting it! woohoo! How exciting for you and your friends! He is a rewarder of those who dilligently seek Him,so you can rest assured that He will reward your efforts to simply refuse to lean on your own understanding in this pursuit…but do not pursue the gifts…l simply asked for them and trusted Him to deliver..pursue Him for His sake alone and the gifts will follow as needed,when needed…and do not limit Him…be open to them all. Just as Paul only mentions 9 fruits of the Spirit,when we can clearly see that there are 12 fruits on the Tree of Life of which there are 2 trees..one on each side of the bank of the River that flows from the heavenly throne(are the fruit on each Tree identical or entirely different?) in like manner do not assume these are the only ones available.( I plant a seed) Of course when just beginning I suppose you should stay with what you can see written (the intangible made tangible)In order not to get waylaid with a wrong focus,or an overidentification with the gifts,which will throw you off-plumb I like to see the gifts as The Gift( His Manifold Presence,Jesus ) evidenced in the operation of Grace through faith,which God tells me is(Grace) the enabling ,empowering presence of the Most High…operating in your life..enabling and empowering you to be..remember to be 1st…and then to do,all that you were created to be and to do. Grace walks hand in hand with Mercy…so this is not something that is earned.We desire only to do His Will…and we know it is His perfect Will to give us the kingdom…the spiritual gifts are nothing more than the normal action of an enlivened spirit made one with Jesus by the infilling of the Holy Spirit.. your spirit is made to move sort of like your physical body can move… bends to get the pan out of the cupboard and straightens to place it upon the stove,hand reaches to pour in the oil and the other takes the meat thats been previously prepared and tosses it into the pan ..all that’s left is to turn on the flame!…the flame is the fervant love He has loved us with ,filled us with ,given back to Him..an infinite supply, a powerful current…which we give away just as generously to others …what a flame we carry for our precious Savior!…what a pure flame He has for us ….His bride! Don’t worry !He helps us to remember to keep an eye out so as not to lose sight of what’s on the stove…I prefer mine rare in the center,please…So it is a normal function of the spirit to flow in the gifts and sometimes more than one at a time/or in combination,your spirit needs to exercise too..it does not only sit and study or listen or look always taking a back seat to the preferences/comfort zones of your soul(ie.intellectual discussion)as you already know….it needs exercise too… a hands on,learn as you go ..on the job training kind of thing..requiring an enormous amount of patience and trust..and is somewhat like learning how to ride a bicycle for the first time..remember He is the very best of parents,He is right there and you’ve got His steady hand to keep you from falling….and this bicycle comes equipped with training wheels for balance. Also, a bicycle is a vehicle it transports you from one place to another,and like a bicycle,which is my preferred method of transporting myself around town…good exercise,non polluting..slower paced..moving in the gifts of the spirit and becoming adept at it is ministry..it is a vehicle,that performs a function for meeting the needs of the moment..for the encouraging,equiping,etc. of the saints and potential believers as well..you not only get to have fun learning something new..(how fun it is when you are very small to ride a bike)..but then when you are little older you are given a larger sphere in which to operate as you prove yourself responsible and are allowed to go out further from the safe and familiar area around your family home .Are you getting this? Another thing to take some of the intensity of stepping out into a new area is to remember that it is not about me/you but more about His desire to move through me/you for the benefit of all,for the highest good for all…all of God’s creation(we so benefit when this virtue pours into us and out of us to who it is meant to benefit,serve)and so we give thanks that it is truly He who IS the Gift itself who is animating my/your spirit to fUNCTION as He would have our spirit move/FUNction…otherwise my spirit would not move…I would have to rely on my soul…very little power there on the soulish level, me matey’s.. why most folks don’t even know how to pray in the spirit always.. fervant effective prayer availeth much..not so much with soulish prayer..you have to lean on your own understanding when you do this.It is better than nothing ,but I am not one to settle for mediocrity..I believe you aren’t either! I want the best possibly way to do whatever it is I need to do…And because that is in accordance with divine will i get to have this..I need only ask.him to purify my heart and motives. He is the Resurrection and the Lifeforce of our spiritual life! We die daily..Let us die to our ideas of ministry and operations and bury this,trusting him to hold us fast to all that is of Him that we have learned before! He will do it His Way in me or I want nothing to do with it…this is already determined in my heart/your group..so do not be timid or allow the intimidator to hang out when you come together to fellowship….bind that bugger…give Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith an opportunity to move and He will…Believe it! Sacrifice a bit more of your structure for the suprise of His Presence…you practice in His Presence….He moves upon your spirit. He’s already got the order perfectly choreographed like some marvelous dance..He’s just waiting to teach you the steps. It’s easy remember…this yoke of His? I am in joyful expectation… and with you all to see His will be made manifest in your midst! Someday maybe He will transport you the way He has done with me …just like we read in Acts that He did with Phillip in the 1st century..bling..transport! Talk about a fringe benefit..now that’s a real perk! I tell you the truth..The Holy Spirit will bear witness as do the mighty angels who accompany me wherever I go…never leaving nor forsaking me..just like my lovely Lord Jesus! My soul shall make it’s boast in the lord,the humble shall hear it and rejoice! and again I say Rejoice!

By: destinysweet on November 30, 2007
at 12:51 am

Walking with the Lord is on-the-job training. I know people who have spent 30+ years in the conversation without gaining the revelation. This is profoundly sad.

Relationship. Knowing. Encountering. Intimacy.

This comes in many forms and requires getting ‘dirty’. What does it mean to ‘become all things to all people’ for the sake of the Gospel?

Someone once said, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

There’s a difference between knowing about and knowing…

B

By: badguy on November 30, 2007
at 4:45 pm

Good words; I’m sick of knowing about God, I want to know God.

By: William Petruzzo on November 30, 2007
at 6:59 pm

btw, the last verse of I Cor 12 is THE most important verse in I Cor 13.

B

By: b4dguy on December 1, 2007
at 3:54 pm

Faith
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.”
{Hebrews 11 v 1}.

For faith is believing in things that we cannot see. Now we must believe that what we have prayed for will soon manifest in our lives, for by faith we will truly receive. Yet some people say, “ but it’s not easy and you don’t know what I am going through,” well, that is true, but it still doesn’t change the fact that Jesus said, “ All things are possible to them that believe,” and we must live by faith. It is worth hoping and believing for things in our lives to change, it really does not matter what people say, or what we feel, for God said, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God”. {1 Corinthians 3 v 19}.

Well, you may say Billy these things that you have written seem to be very foolish, and contrary to civilized people of today, but the Bible says, “That the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men”. {1 Corinthians 1 v 25}.

Dear saints never underestimate the power of our Lord’s gospel. Many people would like to know what you and I know, and see the things that you and I see, surely we are so blessed because we have the Holy Scriptures to tell us who and what we are in Christ.

Yes, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. May we always have the faith to believe for a better life, for ourselves and our loved ones, for Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and life more abundantly”. My prayer is that you may indeed have an abundant life in Christ Jesus”.

It’was a glad day when Jesus found me, When His strong arms were thrown around me, When my sins He buried in the deepest sea, And my soul He filled with joy and victory, It’was a glad day, oh, hallelujah! It’was a glad day He claimed His own! I will shout a glad hosanna in glory, When I see Him upon His throne.

By: evangelistbillybolitho on December 2, 2007
at 3:50 pm

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