2 Words in 1

 

Between the Lines

The Spirit, is very smart, and very intelligent. We men and women of clay, sometimes think we really are in charge. You’d think, some people almost believe, that the Holy Spirit of God, did not know things would be as they are today. One writer, said that there is nothing new under the sun; today, there’s just a lot more of it; to a greater extreme. I do see, that some of our folk, think that we are the badest of the badest.

All of us have heard that phrase, “Not with enticing words of man’s wisdom…” Man’s wisdom, has been raising it’s weak head and trying to interfere in God’s business, throughout the scrolls of time. We see a lot of this going on in many places today; those enticing words. But they seem to have forgotten what the apostle said afterward: “but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Man’s wisdom; man’s words. But as though some did not know, they are without true power. They cannot demonstrate it.

The next sentence, speaks volumes and volumes. “Your faith, should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” It goes back to a word that has been spoken numerous times here on this medium. Strange, it’s a verse that somehow comes back to us. Work out your very own soul salvation. Take responsibility for knowing yourself, what the Spirit is saying to the church. Humans fail and seek other roads; they can drift from the path and they can be deceived through pride and doing things their own way. We as saints, have the Spirit in us, to discern what is truly of God.

Years back, many of us understood, that much of this, is a mystery. We’d never know it all. But in the Spirit, we have power. We speak the wisdom of God, in a mystery, even the “hidden wisdom,” which God ordained before the world, unto our glory.

This idea of a weak Body, that is limited in what it can do, anemic with following men’s wisdom, is totally unacceptable to God. Saints of God, are to know the deeper things of God. You can’t tell me differently; I was around when all of us wanted those things and we sought them with tears and echoes of sincerity. The Spirit, led us that way.

Hogging all the glory for yourself, was nothing about God in our day. We did not get jealous or envious, if God gave some kind of revelation to one, and not to us. Because they shared it with everyone; and we all grew and learned from it.

We knew that if we sought God for the right reasons, He would somehow use us too.

Everyone was happy with the blessing and power they had; there was no competition. For heaven’s sake. You can’t compete with the Holy Ghost. This performing in men’s wisdom, is actually boring. It has no real sound; no real depth and there’s nothing to even take home with you. Once you taste of those mysteries, anything less is empty.

“And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing” 1 Corinthians 2:4-6 (NKJV).

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When Worship, is in Vain…

In these closing hours we are now living in, the Spirit is opening various people’s understanding. It’s in a way that we have never seen before, or not in a very long time. Many things, were right there in front of us all along; we either didn’t want to see it, or, it wasn’t our time. Thirty or forty years ago, some prophesies and revelations, would not have made sense; before the age of the computer. Today, it’s very real.

It’s likely, that the very idea, that our worship might be in vain, never even occurred to many of us. How would worship be anything but acceptable. I believe, it is the Spirit that is leading us back in this hour, to many of the teachings and preaching done by Jesus Christ. Today, an understanding of these things He said, make more sense and tell us things, that were there all along. He said, “Esiaias prophesied of you hypocrites.” This prophet foretold of them in Jesus’ day, and Jesus and the apostles, foretold of them in our day. One thing is the same; “they honoreth me, with their lips.”

But their heart, was far from Him. It’s the next few words He spoke, that I didn’t see clearly. “Howbeit, in vain do they worship me.” You see, this is what I feel has confused so many today. Some, appear to be worshipping; it really appears that way. And they are. We worship all kind of things. Are we saying that we can worship, and not really mean it. It’s done with the outward appearance, but the heart, is not truly in it. And at the same time, they were teaching for doctrine, the commandments of men. All, in vain.

Until some years back, I’d never heard of the commandments of men. As I said, it was right there, but I didn’t see it.

I had never heard anyone teach or preach on in; not in all the years I had been around church; going to all kinds of meetings. I believe, that their is a sincere desire to know today, just what it was that happened down through the years. Many people were and still are, being driven from the church. Only in this hour, is the Spirit beginning to show some things that were previously hidden. It’s so, we can help others. Many of our journeys led us into barren and low places; it was somehow in the plan of God. Only today, are we just beginning to see why.

The commandment of God, is to love people. And for thousands of years, people have been rejecting this commandment, to keep their very own traditions. You can’t worship God, without loving your fellowman. Oh, as Jesus said, you can, but it is in vain.

Christ himself taught that loving one another, is the true way of bearing the fruit of the real follower. If we do not, then worshipping Jesus, is only lip service; and it’s all for nothing. Much too often, it has come from, loving our beliefs, more than we love people. It may look authentic and even sound authentic to the natural ear. What is so frightening to me, is that so many do not realize, God, has not accepted it.

“Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” Matthew 15:7-10 NKJV.

 

~ Robert Blackburn

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Robert Blackburn