4 Words in 1

Looking into the realm, of the Spirit
Scratch Marks
There is none good, but one…
Restoration…

 

Looking into the realm, of the Spirit

It is easy to dismiss revelation that others believe they have; and why is that? Because we don’t have it. It’s a common thing to disregard what others feel the Spirit has shared with them; because it just might be, that the Spirit, has not shared it with us. It may have died out in many circles, but there is an idea, a true heart, that must be revived and embraced among us. I heard it again just now; I was moved, because I had begun to believe, that many did not feel that way anymore. It’s this. It does not matter who God uses to do the work; what matters, is that the work gets done. It’s about the Work; not, who does it.

I heard a pastor on a video just now, and he said something that moved me to absolute tears. He said, it did not have to be him who was used in a particular gift. It could be a man in the congregation, that the Spirit chose to manifest Himself through, or a woman on the other side of the room who had some gift, the Spirit had not given to him. He said, so what. If God had given someone a gift for healing or of faith, let them use, what the Spirit had given to them; as long as the job gets done. People were still teaching this, even ten to thirteen years ago. I don’t know the place, the church or even the minister who was teaching. I only wonder, did that spirit, continue.

There are people who are confused about spiritual gifts. There are those who are not mature; some even a great deal off base, in some things, or it seems that way. But there is one thing that cannot be denied. The Spirit, is stirring people’s hearts about it; about the realm of the Spirit; what the true Spirit is seeing, feeling and hearing. The Spirit is not desperate; He’s only anxious to manifest Himself among people that desperately need Him. This war of the worlds, is over our heads; we cannot carnally define or even understand, everything that is going on all around us, even now. I can tell you one thing; politics, is not going to save us. No matter which side of the fence you say you’re on, or whether you straddle it; a house that is divided against itself, cannot possibly stand. United, we stand. And divided, what?

We don’t even realize, how long now, that we have been fighting one another. How cleverly, we have been duped; using the Bible, to fight one another and cause even more division. I don’t want to know it all; even if I could. I only want to know, what the Spirit would have me know. Just so, I can do what part I might have been assigned, to bring about the work that He has seen, for us to do. Let Him use you. It does not matter to me. Many are sinking; and too many have grown cold; they don’t want to hear. And you know one reason why? The message, did not come from them. You see, it’s not just important what the Spirit says to me. It is vitally important, what the Spirit says to you also. God just might use, the least of us all.

We’ve just got to have someone, who can see into that realm. We’ve just got to know, what we’re dealing with; and what we can do about it . Dear God, so many camping out, crawling all over one another, in a real brawl, to buy things, that can only temporarily satisfy. What if the number on your card, didn’t work tomorrow; the green paper in your hand, was worthless. If you can see something in the Spirit, tell me; I want to know about it. If God gives you a message for me, give it to me. I said, if the Spirit gave it to you. If I depend totally on the Spirit, He can tell me, if it is right or wrong. If one of us can see in the Spirit, two of us in the Spirit, can see even better. But sitting here, looking at one another in the flesh, is getting us, nowhere.

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Scratch Marks

Have you ever tried to let go of something; and you just couldn’t do it? And did you ever feel defeated or feel shame, because you just couldn’t let it go, like many others seemed able to do? You heard all of the scriptures people quoted, and you tried those too. But somehow, the doubt and fear, would creep back in, and you start to worry again. I think that one reason some of us have such a hard time with this, is that very few folk, are being honest. Nobody confesses; so nobody knows.

There is something phenomenal about hearing, that someone else has gone through the same thing you have. Just knowing that you’re not the only one, can truly make all the difference in the world. I don’t have time at the moment, to talk about how the seed, planted in good ground, produced some 30 fold, some 60 fold and some 100 fold. But I feel safe in saying this, not every person, is capable of the same thing; some people’s faith, is stronger than others. We might be a little less critical of others, if we really understand, that not everyone has one hundred percent to give. There are many circumstances in people’s lives, that can decide, just how much they can do; how present they can be in the work, people think they should do.

There is an adage that is well known among recovering folk. It so simply says, “Let go, and let God.” It’s a goal to strive for. That particular program, is a bit less harsh, than some religious groups. It suggests, that no one among us, has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to this. People, are only able to go along, at the pace they are capable of. I loved something I once heard a woman say about this topic. She laughed when she told us, “Everything that I every tried to let go, had scratch marks all over it, where I tried to hang on to it.” I heard others admit, that they also had a problem, that when it seemed they had finally given it over to God, it came back; and they began to worry about it again. They were struggling.

Whether we are compassionate enough to admit it or not, people do not always start out with the same abilities, or, the same chances. If you were born into a truly dysfunctional family; one where self-esteem and hope were not properly tended, it can be harder to believe in things; even God. I feel led to say something again; you can rebuke fear and worry, until your rebuker wears out; and it might not help.

But I can tell you what does help; you can talk to someone else about it. We need to face something in all of our lives; we were meant to love and help other people. Human beings, are supposed to talk to one another; Christ and the apostles both, taught that.

You see, we condemned others, because we thought they did not trust in God enough; we thought they were weak. Well, so what if they were; Jesus and the apostles told us, there were, weak people; that’s why we were told to help them. We can all go to Jesus; when we can’t go to anyone else, or we can’t trust anyone else. But if they taught that we were actually to go to one another, then why haven’t we. Everybody, claws like crazy, to hang on to some things, either they should let go of, or simply can’t let go of. Until we admit that, we’re missing the healing so many of us desperately need.

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There is none good, but one…

“And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God“ Mark 10:18.

I wonder, just how often we have ever quoted this scripture. We seem to recall with great zest, those we wish to use to prove our particular beliefs and the isms to which we ascribe. The speaker here, doesn’t seem to get quoted as much, by those who want to cite the words of the apostles. What if we pause, one more time, and quote this verse together: “There is none good but one, that is, God.” The speaker of this short proclamation, was none other, than Jesus Christ. Now, this one verse alone, should have put the cap, on self-righteousness; forever.

I have no desire to participate in any kind of doctrinal debate. Even as a small child with the Holy Ghost, I found these debates to be uncomfortable and perhaps, a bit earthy. But, is it possible, that more emphasis was not placed here, because of the fact that the Son of God, made reference to His Father, God. When we skip certain passages within a text, because it may not give credence to some of our other beliefs, we are likely to omit a truth that we needed most. The whole idea of being holy and filled with the Holy Ghost, is to produce the fruit of the Spirit; which includes meekness and true humility. The fruit of the Spirit, is what draws people to us; it’s the fact that our spirit, is different than other people’s spirit; they can feel it.

I don’t believe today, that we should shout about how much we wish to be like the Apostle Paul, unless we desire to feel, we’re the least in the Kingdom of God. Because, that’s what he said he was. We know the mighty acts that Jesus could do and that Paul could do; but have we ever understood, that being last, made them first. Let’s think back over our lives, and focus on those people we knew or came across, that we thought were very humble. It did not matter, how much they had, where they came from or what their status in life was. There was something about them; it even seemed to hover around them; there was a goodness, a warmth and a glow about them. Their spirit was easy to entreat; the least in the Kingdom.

It seems that from the very beginning, man and woman, had pretty much proven, what they were capable of. Men and women today, could take a wonderful place like Eden, designed by God himself, and manage, one way or another, to mess it up. It’s kinda like what mankind is doing to the entire planet now; taking something perfect, and destroying it. I don’t think, that most folks think much about the life of Christ, before His ministry began. Oh, we know about his birth, the flight to Egypt and the time He was a boy in the temple teaching the adult Bible class. But Christ, lived and worked among the people; the Word says that there would not be enough books to hold the accounts of everything He did in His lifetime. One thing is sure; He knew people. And how they acted; including, his church leaders.

Who am I, in the face of all of that. There is a song that we loved, and yet do this very day: “Who am I, that a king would bleed and die for, who am I, that He would pray, not my will thine for.” Maybe we should all sing the rest of it, together. If Jesus could say, why do you call me good; there is none good, but one, that is, God, then WHO, am I. I’m getting older now, and I can remind some people of something we once taught, and, believed. We are not going to get anywhere in this, if we don’t stay humble before God.

If the righteous, scarcely be saved, I don’t have much to brag about. If we make it at all, it will only be by his mercy, and grace. I must not forget that.

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Restoration…

Restore = return, as to a former place, position, or rank; to return to the original or former condition.

I was listening to a message a quite renowned evangelist/ apostle was delivering on “failures.” He made a comment that I would like to share; he said, that anyone who has never failed, has never done anything of significance.

He went on to speak about mighty men of God, who were real failures in the beginning; how the Lord had turned their mistakes around, and how prized and precious, they became to Him. And he went on to comment about forgiving those, whom God has forgiven.

If you are going to restore an organ, you do what is necessary to put it back into the original or former condition. I can assure you, that if the instrument is only half restored, it’s quite a disappointment to play it. But, what about the organ player. Let’s say, they got into some kind of trouble, and they failed terribly somehow; things happen in this life; people mess up. If they have repented, asked for forgiveness and made amends where ever possible, does it mean that they should never be allowed to play again. To have a talented, experienced musician sit idly by, seems such a waste; especially, if they have a repentant heart, and God’s forgiven them.

I love old cars that have been restored. There’s something about the idea of taking something that has been discarded and cast aside, something that was once beautiful and valuable, and making it a thing of price, again. You can be sure, that there are many who would buy it and ride in it; but they would never put forth the effort and work it took to make it so. God has made some promises to many people who were cast aside; just left to decay alone, out on the back side of somebody’s field. He sent His only Son, to recover these people; to help return them to the beautiful vessels they once were. The potter, brought them back to the wheel, and began again; remolding, and reshaping. They submitted, to the hand of the potter.

I’ve been to a lot of auctions of antiques and such over the years. I am so amazed at what so many of us threw out in the trash, that has been truly recovered and with a little work, are now treasured pieces of value. Who would have thought, that old dresser we set out on the curb, would one day, be worth a lot of money.

Might someone ask, what are we worth to God? What value does He place on his creations; what feeling would He have, toward those who have taken the time, care and love, to restore a piece, that originally belonged to Him; and perhaps even now, still does?

More than one OT prophet spoke about what happens to some sheep; and they did not blame it all, on the sheep. No matter what, the sheep never lost its value; at least, not to the Good Shepherd. I think it just might be, that those who have been restored, have learned a meekness, they may not have had before. If Jesus had not come looking for us, we would have perished; I have no doubt about that. He’s called us, to give back to someone else, what we have been given; another chance.

Through His love and precious mercy, and in His Spirit, we can do again, what we once did; sometimes, even better.

You see, that’s what restoration, is all about.

 

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Robert Blackburn