Spiritual insight – Wisdom From the Word

Eyes to See

Let’s talk about and reflect on perspective in terms of what we see and how we see. Jesus exhorted us many times to see and hear. The choice to hear is consistent refrain in His messages to the seven churches in Revelation. One of the main passages is below and Jesus quotes Isaiah in His highlighting of the issue.

¹⁰ And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” ¹¹ He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ¹² For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. ¹⁴ And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; ¹⁵ For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ ¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; ¹⁷ for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. ¹⁸ “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: Matthew 13:10–18 (NKJV)

In this passage Jesus tells his disciples that they can see and hear and on a later occasion rebukes them for failing to do so.

¹⁸ Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? Mark 8:18 (NKJV)

This should provoke humility in us and a recognition that just because we can see it doesn’t mean we do see! However, it also means we have the capacity to see and can develop it and if we miss the mark recover it.

Given the impact our perceptions have on our faith, it seems important to ‘look’ at how we can make changes. Here are a couple of examples of the need to ‘see’ accurately, salvation and spiritual gifts. I am sure you have heard someone share the example of how unfair it is for a murder, rapist (fill in the blank) or some other person considered terrible, to be able to repent and embrace Jesus and get into heaven while a ‘good person’ they know or know of, misses heaven and encounters hell because they never embraced Jesus.

In looking at this an illustration that came to mind is the idea of an old door with the brass casing and a hole in the centre for the key. One could push the key against the door jamb, the top of the door, or the bottom of the door and the key would not work. You could also push against the metal plate just next to the keyhole and encounter the same outcome. You would only be able to open the door if you actually put the key in the lock and turned it. In the same manner salvation is through Jesus, you can try other methods but only Jesus unlocks and opens the door to salvation. Therefore, we need eyes to see the source of salvation.

Now we look at spiritual gifts. There are two basic camps, those who claim that spiritual gifts, as listed in 1 Corinthians 12 ceased when scripture was complete, or when the last of the twelve original apostles died or something similar. Then there are continuationists. Those who hold that these gifts are still in operation today. I am in the latter camp. I am aware that theological arguments can be made for either position, though frankly I think key points made in scripture need to be ignored and misrepresented to hold to a cessationist view. I am a continuationist for two primary reasons, well maybe three. Scripture exhorts us to seek these gifts, I have seen them in experience for decades in my life and the lives of others, and lastly, because I think we need them to accomplish what Jesus has called us to do. Given that millions of Christians around the world function in spiritual gifts I ask of cessationists what Jesus said in Mark 8:18, “Having eyes, do you not see?”

Now is there a point somewhere here? Yes, Jesus has given each of us eyes to see and I am confident that we all miss things. I know I have learned a great deal over time and adjusted my theology more than a few times. Which requires a willingness to look at things in a new way, to reconsider my position. Jesus always has more for us if we are willing to look and ask Him to open our eyes to see.

No One Knows

In speaking to His disciples in Matthew 24 and 25 Jesus focuses on signs of the end of the age then makes a seemingly confusing statement.

¹³ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Matthew 25:13 (NKJV)

On the surface this implies constant vigilance because the time is unknown, which can lead to anxiety. However, elsewhere Jesus instructs us to not be anxious or worry about anything but to rest our hearts in trust in Him (Matt. 6:25-34). So, let’s take a closer look at what Jesus is getting at in Matthew 25:13.

The idea of watching is that of being alert and paying attention, being aware of the times and seasons. Now, I confess, I do not believe that Jesus can or will return at any moment. My reasoning is twofold. First, Jesus gave us signs to watch for, which means we need to pay attention to the signs and we will know the season of His return. Second, Jesus was clear in more than one scripture that He is returning to Jerusalem (Zech. 14:4, Acts 1:9-12) and that when He returns every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7). His return will be a very public and visible event. Scripture also tells us that Jesus is not returning until the leadership in Israel welcomes Him back. The verses below took place after Jesus had already been welcomed by the crowds shouting this phrase, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ in His triumphal entry (Matt. 21:9). We celebrate this on Palm Sunday. Yet after this had already taken place Jesus said the following.

³⁷ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁸ See! Your house is left to you desolate; ³⁹ for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Matthew 23:37–39 (NKJV)

When Israel as a people group and nation recognize Him as Messiah Jesus will return.

Now back to the ‘day and hour.’ While the phrase may not be clear to us, it was very easily understood by Jesus disciples as it came directly from the Feast of Trumpets. “No one knows the day or hour” was a Hebrew idiom referring to the timing of the feast. The feast started when two witnesses saw the first sliver of the new moon and reported their observance to the Sanhedrin, who confirmed the start of the feast and shouts were raised and trumpets sounded!

What is important is that this was the beginning of the new year and the fall harvest. I like many believe we will see a great harvest of souls at the end of the age, meaning we will know we are in the season even though we don’t know the exact day or hour. We should always need to be watching and aware, but from a place of trust and expectation, not worry. Think of the parable of the ten virgins. Watching for the arrival of the bridegroom was an exciting event, not an anxious one. Our watching should intensify in this season as we anticipate His return as the writer of Hebrews exhorts us.

²⁸ so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Hebrews 9:28 (NKJV)

Thus, as we wait, let us wait in expectation, looking for the signs of harvest and listening for shouts of joy and the sound of trumpets.

NOTE – I may do these posts less frequently for a season. I have a book that I have had ‘sitting on the shelf’ the past two years that I need to finish writing. I think from the Lord’s perspective it is ‘past due’ and I need to finish writing it. I covet your prayers for wisdom and discernment as I write. I began my weekly blog in January of 2014 and to date there are about 800 pages of searchable teaching material sitting on it.

Born Under the Law

I suspect that at some point you have likely read the passage below.

⁴ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4–5 (NKJV)

What I don’t know is whether you have considered the theological implications or weighed whether the ‘born under the law’ phrase was significant. It is. We will explore the significance but first we will take a bit of a journey through scripture by examining the background, which is rooted in a cosmic conflict.

We see the roots of this cosmic conflict in three key passages Genesis 3:1-24, 6:1-4, 11:1-9 and Deuteronomy 32:8-9. The cosmic conflict outlined here carries on throughout church history, is addressed by Paul in Ephesians and Colossians, and enables us to make sense of Yahweh calling Abraham out of Ur to initiate a redemptive restorative process that will ultimately lead to a new heaven and a new earth. The Genesis passages outline three failures, the sin in Eden that led to expulsion, the fallen sons of God taking on flesh and mingling with human wives in Genesis to corrupt humanity and the rebellion at Babel with humanity seeking to build a ziggurat to heaven to connect the natural and spiritual realms. Deuteronomy 32 shows that Yahweh disinherited the other nations and chose Israel for Himself as a vessel for the restoration of the earth.

This is clearer in two linked passages of scripture. Yahweh had disinherited the nations and chose Abraham to renew His process of restoring the earth and the original mandate given to Adam and Eve to make all of the earth like Eden, Look at the verses below.

¹⁸ “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:18 (NKJV)

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14 (NKJV)

First Yahweh promised Abraham that through him all of the nations of the earth would be blessed. Then Jesus addressed the how, the gospel, the good news of the kingdom, would be preached to all nations, all ethnos (ethnicities) or people groups. All will have the opportunity to be part of Yahweh’s program to restore the earth.

This came about because Yahweh invited Abraham into a relationship and Abraham said yes. We then had Isaac as the child of promise who became the father of Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons who became the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel. After the nation went into slavery in Egypt a deliverer was raised up by Yahweh, Moses. At Yahweh’s direction Moses led the nation of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness. You likely know about the Mosaic Law given by Yahweh through Moses in the wilderness. What you may not know is that the terms in the 10 Commandments were a marriage covenant between Yahweh and Israel. A number of times in the Old Testament Israel is referred to as married to Yahweh.

We now go back to Yahweh’s promise to Abraham; to bless all nations through his seed, the seed was Jesus. Paul makes this clear in Galatians.

¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. Galatians 3:16 (NKJV)

This gets us to the reason Jesus was ‘born under the law.’ He was the chosen seed through the chosen line of Abraham that would first bless Abraham’s seed then all nations through His crucifixion and resurrection. He needed to fulfill the law to fulfill His mission and purchase your salvation and mine. I don’t know about you but I am deeply grateful that Jesus was ‘born under the law’ and secured my salvation!

The Cloud Rider

Here we will look at the cloud rider in the Old Testament, look at the polemic Baal connection and the identity of the cloud rider in the New Testament. We start with three descriptive passages. Over thirty years ago the Lord gave me a simple song based on the first passage. It is brief and I will share it later.

¹ Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, ² Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. ³ He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, Psalm 104:1–3 (NKJV)

⁴ Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name Yah, And rejoice before Him. Psalm 68:4 (NKJV)

¹ The burden against Egypt. Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. Isaiah 19:1 (NKJV)

There are other references but these suffice to establish the point. As to why Yahweh is referred to as riding on the clouds, it is a polemic against Baal, who was viewed in the surrounding cultures as the cloud rider and god of storms. The Spirit inspired text is saying that Yahweh is the true cloud rider. Think of the significance in Elijah’s pronouncement of drought and battle with the prophets of Baal. Yahweh pronounced the drought and Yahweh brought the rain, not Baal. The storm god Baal was impotent in the face of Yahweh’s power.

Now we turn to the cloud rider in the New Testament. We have a couple of passages to consider. The first is the one that led to Jesus’ condemnation and crucifixion. At His trial Jesus refuses to speak until the high priest compels Him under an oath.

⁶³ But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!” ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:63–64 (NKJV)

Do you see it now? The high priest responded to Jesus statement by tearing his robes and accusing Jesus of blasphemy because Jesus was claiming to be the cloud rider, Yahweh. Not just that, look at Daniel. In this scene the heavenly court and council has been seated then this happens.

¹³ “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. ¹⁴ Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13–14 (NKJV)

The phrase ‘coming with the clouds of heaven’ refers back to the Son of Man in Daniel who is given an everlasting dominion. Jesus was saying He was this cloud rider. In fact, you can now make sense of Acts 1:9-11. Jesus ascends into heaven on a cloud and an angel says He will return the same way. The audience was all Jewish and knew the significance – Jesus was Yahweh, the cloud rider! It isn’t the image of a fluffy white cloud; it is the picture of one in authority presiding over the elements.

My point in all of this is to help see some aspects of the Old Testament with fresh eyes. I didn’t understand about the cloud rider and Daniel 7 when He gave me this simple song from Psalm 104:3 over thirty years ago. I now understand the words better because we are called to walk with Him and soar in the Spirit with Him, or as Paul put it, that I may “be found in Him (Philippians 3:9) wherever He is. It is a simple song about following Him into freedom in worship and being led by the Spirit.

Wings of The Wind

I ride upon the wings of the wind

Exulting in the light of Your presence

My heart has been captured by You now

Exulting in the light of Your presence

I’m moved by Your moving within

Exulting in the light of Your presence

Who is Behind You?

There is an important injunction in scripture regarding our spiritual heritage. While it was given to Israel, it is a sound principle to apply to our lives.

¹⁸ “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ¹⁹ You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ²⁰ And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, ²¹ that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth. Deuteronomy 11:18–21 (NKJV)

In an ideal world we would all have an investment like this in our lives in whatever environment we were raised in. Yet for many of us that is not the case.

I don’t know a lot about my natural spiritual lineage. My father was an illegitimate child born in a home for unwed mothers in Edmonton, at the site of the current Royal Glenora Club. I don’t know what if any Christian heritage there was on either side of my father’s family. I know my paternal grandmother had a family bible but I know of no active church attendance. On my mother’s side I know there was some Baptist background with her father’s family and someone in that lineage was a Jehovah’s witness. I know nothing of my maternal grandmother’s family in terms of spiritual heritage. She died of cancer before I was born. I know my mother became a believer at some point prior to my birth. I am one of six children, my sister then five boys. I am the middle boy.

Does this mean I lack any real spiritual heritage? Naturally it appears there isn’t much. Yet that is not the primary determinant. For each of us, at some point we or someone else began a spiritual lineage and heritage, and however great or limited our natural spiritual heritage is, we have the option of spiritually receiving from the heritage that others have provided. There are wells of living water that are available.

Our broader spiritual heritage speaks to the individuals and groups who have spoken into and invested in our lives. In the early years of my Christian journey, I was mentored personally by more than one saint and also by many great saints of old because I read voraciously. Each one imparted something. Two key early influences were Tozer and Finney.

The significance of the impact of previous generations of saints was brought home to me in the summer of 2007. We were on vacation in London England. One of the places we visited was St. Paul’s Cathedral. In the basement there were a number of tombs, one of which was John Donne’s. I knew of him from his poetry and his famous line, “No man is an island.” What I didn’t know was that he had preached regularly at St. Paul’s. While standing in front of his tomb the Holy Spirit surprised me by speaking very clearly to me, “Receive the heritage of many generations.”

All these years later I don’t claim to fully understand that. What I do understand is that I need to continue to open my spirit to receive from those who have gone before. That requires knowing the scriptures and discerning. For example, George Whitfield and John Wesley were famous preachers and friends. Yet they held very differing theological positions. Whitfield holding to Calvinism while Wesley was very much an Arminian. They were both key players in the first Great Awakening. Charles Finney was a key figure in the second Great Awakening after their deaths. He held what were some controversial theological positions. If I am to receive from these generations my focus can’t be primarily on the differences in their theological stances. That is important and I have sorted out and modified my own views over the years. Yet given that they held a number of conflicting views what I need to focus on is their passion for, and commitment to, Jesus. That made them so effective in their ministries along with their solid commitment to the need for conversion. They each held fast to the need to be born again, which we need to as well.

Now back to my question. Who is behind you? In each of our lives there are those who have influenced us that were simply part of our lives or background, those we didn’t necessarily choose. The others are those whose heritage we have chosen or can choose to receive from because we recognize the importance of those who have gone before. So, who is behind you or who would you like to be behind you?

Presence and Purpose

I was visiting with a friend and he asked a question. I honestly don’t remember the question, what struck me was my answer. I responded, “Out of presence comes purpose.” While that may not have any deep meaning for you, it had a significant impact on me. I have had that happen a number of times over the years, saying something and realizing the significance of it as I hear it. Which from my perspective is His wisdom. In essence I am learning something as I say it!

In the moment I saw the scriptural significance of the phrase, “Out of presence comes purpose.” Here is one example. In Ephesians Paul informs us of both the how of our salvation and the reason for it.

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8–10 (NKJV)

Any good evangelical can quote Ephesians 2:8-9. While it is great to understand our salvation and know that it is by grace and not works, what most leave out is verse 10. It informs us that our new birth is His workmanship, and that we were reborn through Jesus to walk in good works, works that He previously prepared for us to walk in. In essence our purpose.

Now, in spite of what this passage tells us, my experience and that of other is that when asked, beyond generalities, most Christians cannot articulate the specific purpose for their lives. What specifically have they been called to walk in? Which takes us to my comment, “out of presence comes purpose.” I don’t know about you but my experience is that when I spend time sitting in His presence and meditating on His word, I receive greater clarity of purpose. There is a clarifying of the good works He previously prepared for me to walk in.

Now, we all miss things, it was one of the Greek philosophers, Heraclitus, who said, “You can’t step in the same river twice.” We can’t and some of the things He has prepared for us to walk in have passed us by. Yet when we draw near to His heart, He doesn’t focus on what we missed, He focuses on the opportunities still before us! I am confident that I have missed many opportunities but I choose to focus on His presence to walk in my present purpose.

Let’s practically apply this to our lives. Think of Jesus ministry. He had a habit of getting into the Father’s presence each morning to receive instructions for the day. As a result, He knew when He would encounter Zacchaeus gazing at Him from up a tree, invite him down and Himself to Zacchaeus house for a celebratory meal. He knew He had an appointment with a woman at a well in Samaria. Other times He received information from the Father in the moment, such as knowing what His detractors were thinking when He healed the paralytic who had been lowered through the roof.

In a similar manner, as we seek presence we find purpose. We may have a sense to call someone and encourage them or call and check in on them. Those are good works He prepared for us that day. We may pause to pray at a coffee break at work and have a sense to pray for a specific individual or speak with a colleague later that day – out of presence comes purpose. This is a simple but profound and exciting walk. We get to have an audience with Jesus to receive direction during our day. If we don’t receive specific instructions we simply walk faithfully before Him each day and await further instructions as we seek His face and heart. As we are faithful in this a broader sense of our purpose emerges.

Thus, if we want clarity of purpose, we need to value and seek presence.

Entering into Rest

Rest, a comforting word, yet at times we may question how attainable it is in our hectic culture. To understand how to attain rest it is important to understand the scriptural concept. If we go back to Yahweh’s original purpose in creation it says that He rested on the seventh day after completing creation (Genesis 2:2-3). This later became an established pattern in the ten commandments (Exodus 20:4) where the Israelites were commanded to honour and keep the sabbath day. One day of rest out of seven. However, we see a shift with the writer of Hebrews. In his long sermon, he contrasts historical understandings with a new covenant. The writer of Hebrews shows how the new covenant is better than the old, how the law is now written on our hearts rather than stone tablets, how Jesus’ priesthood is far superior to the Levitical priesthood and he addresses sabbath. He takes the concept of a sabbath day, a day of rest, and shifts it to the concept of rest as a state of being. Something we will now look at.

Initially the writer of Hebrews tells us two seemingly contradictory things. He tells us that rest is available and that as believers we have already entered it. Yet is that our experience? Here are the scriptures.

¹ Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. ³ For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. ⁴ For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; ⁵ and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” ⁶ Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, ⁷ again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” ⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. ⁹ There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. ¹¹ Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:1-11 (NKJV)

Contextually the passage tells us in verse 1 that rest is available to us and in verse 3 that we who have believed, that is those who have been born again, have entered into rest. Then verse 11 exhorts us to enter rest. Thus, we need to make sense of these seemingly contradictory messages. The answer lies in understanding the ‘already not yet’ nature of the kingdom. George Eldon Ladd was a famous American theologian and Baptist Minister (though he was born in Alberta). One of the concepts he popularized in the 20^th Century was the ‘already not yet’ nature of the kingdom of God. Jesus inaugurated the kingdom at His first coming, He will fully consummate it at His return. In this present state we can by faith lay hold of that which is not fully ‘yet.’ That is what Hebrews is getting at.

At the new birth we transferred kingdoms.

¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, Colossians 1:13 (NKJV)

By faith we lay hold of this reality when we recognize where we are seated and set our minds there.

²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. ²² And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, Ephesians 1:20–22 (NKJV)

¹ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:1–2 (NKJV)

Thus, when we recognize that spiritually we are already living in a place of rest (seated with Christ) we can taste of it and experience it now. If we desire rest then our next step is to by faith step into that which we already possess, to meditate on this reality so we tangibly experience it in our lives.

How we Hear

In my last post I referenced the importance of pairing practical wisdom with spiritual understanding. Here I want to focus more on the specifics of how we apply them when it comes to hearing His voice. First, I draw your attention to scripture then share and analyze an example from my own life. Granted this example is not the normal process for me but it does highlight how we can hear and the importance of how we initially respond to what we hear. Now to scripture. There are two very relevant passages to look at in relation to hearing His voice.

¹⁴ For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. Job 33:14 (NKJV)

¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:11–12 (NKJV)

The passage from Job tells us that just because God is speaking, it doesn’t mean we are listening. For me a clear implication is that we need to train our hearts to hear. The 1 Corinthians 2 passage tells us that we know things in/by our spirit and that the Holy Spirit reveals to us the things of God. Again, it means we need to apply natural wisdom and pay spiritual attention. I am quite convinced that He is regularly saying more than what we are hearing. In my own life I find it important to daily centre my heart on Him and seek to be sensitive to His voice. When I do hear or perceive something He is saying there is always a three-step process, Revelation, Interpretation, Application. In short there is what I hear, then there is a need to interpret what I hear and lastly the need to know how to apply it, again, wisdom and spiritual understanding. It can become quite automatic in our lives if we engage in this process regularly. Below is an example of how I walked through this process and had to be sensitive to His voice, in this case images, to engage in Revelation, Interpretation and Application. I haven’t had an ongoing revelation like this on any other occasion.

A couple of years ago I was praying for a friend. I have committed to daily prayer for he and his ministry. As I was praying, unbidden I had an image of him sitting on an old farm wagon. He was on the seat with reins in his hand and there was a team of horses hitched to the wagon. I knew the wagon was filled with supplies for people. I could have dismissed this as just my imagination but it wasn’t something I had been seeking so I shared this with my friend and he was blessed as he had grown up on a farm and could relate to the image. It fit into his life story. I saw the supplies as being spiritual food he had to share with those to whom he ministered, which he agreed was accurate. A couple of weeks later while I was praying for my friend, not thinking about this, I again saw him on the wagon. This time he was at the loading dock of an old general store and others were helping him to load the wagon with supplies. This meant that he wasn’t alone in his ministry. He was leading, he was in the driver’s seat, but others were helping. A week or so later the image continued. At this stage I saw my friend driving the wagon to deliver supplies to others but this time Jesus was sitting beside him with His arm around his shoulder. This meant that Jesus could and would direct as to whom to deliver his supplies. It also meant that Jesus was intimately involved in his ministry. The final factor is the setting. It was like an old Western town. Scripture tells us that if we remember and walk in the old paths, we will find rest for our souls (Jeremiah 6:16). My friend’s ministry is about bringing struggling leaders to a place of rest in the Lord. He saw the setting as speaking to functioning in his calling in a steady measured and unhurried way. A horse and wagon can’t keep up to our modern hurried lifestyle, but that was the point. He was called to lead people into rest.

Now, I don’t know how many of us will have an experience like I did. I used it to illustrate ongoing discernment, Revelation, Interpretation and Application. More generally when praying for others I have standard things I pray but at times the Spirit lays something more specific on my heart for a specific individual or ministry. At other times I have an impression to call someone and share something the Spirit is saying. Yet all of this is rooted in learning to sensitize our hearts to His voice. A key part of this is not missing the spiritual looking for the supernatural. It is also a matter of not trying to manufacture something He isn’t saying. We are all called to a walk of simple and faithful obedience.

How is He speaking to you today?

Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding

I would like you to join me in exploring Colossians 1:9.

⁹ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; Colossians 1:9 (NKJV)

Here Paul’s prayer is that the believers in Colosse, and by extension us, would be ‘filled with the knowledge of His will.’ That is, that the priority in our lives would be knowing, and of course walking in, His will. Paul’s prayer comes with a qualifier.

The qualifier is in the latter part of the verse. The NKJV presents this latter part as ‘wisdom and spiritual understanding.’ In Greek it is literally written as ‘wisdom and understanding spiritual.’ Of our many modern translations some have it as wisdom and spiritual understanding and others as spiritual wisdom and understanding.

I believe wisdom and spiritual understanding is an accurate rendering of the Greek text because there is both natural and spiritual wisdom and natural and spiritual understanding, here Paul seems to be trying communicate the importance of both. This is similar to his language in 1 Corinthians where Paul connects the natural and the spiritual realms.

⁴⁶ However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 1 Corinthians 15:46–49 (NKJV)

We have all likely heard the expression that someone is ‘so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.’ The converse being the danger of being ‘so earthly minded they are no heavenly good.’

Neither of the above positions is correct. We need both natural and spiritual wisdom and understanding. We need to learn to discern what to do by looking around and we need to draw on wisdom from heaven to walk wisely and uprightly before Him. In terms of practical wisdom Proverbs is dedicated to the practical understanding and use of wisdom. Proverbs highlights the importance of developing practical wisdom, understanding and knowledge anchored in the fear of Yahweh (Proverbs 1:7).

Spiritual understanding, the kind Paul referenced in Colossians 1:9, comes from a different place. It comes from cultivating a sensitivity to the Spirit and learning to follow His leading. We need both, we may for example learn from Proverbs how to behave wisely in business dealings with others. Yet a deal can look good and we have a sense in our spirit that something is simply not right so we choose not to enter into the deal. This is spiritual understanding. The same application could be made in terms of how to navigate relationships in or outside the body of Christ. In light of this let’s seek to marry practical wisdom and spiritual understanding in our walk with Jesus.

The Spirit of Prophecy

I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the idea of prophecy as a spiritual gift. I will provide a brief overview for you as to how it is used and taught in the New Testament. It is something we see practiced in Acts and taught on in 1 Corinthians. In Acts 13 where the Spirit speaks through one or more the those ministering to the Lord and fasting Paul and Barnabas are commissioned into their apostolic ministries (Acts 13:1-3). In Acts 21:9 we are told that Phillip had four daughters who prophesied. Paul lists prophecy as gift of the Spirit, (1 Corinthians 12:10) and in 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 he highlights the importance of the gift then in 14:31 says we can ‘all prophesy.’ In Acts 11:27-30 Agabus via the spirit of prophecy predicts a famine which leads the church to practical action. In Acts 21:10-11 Agabus prophetically warns of what will happen to Paul if he continues his journey to Jerusalem.

The above examples show you how prophecy is used to release and commission as well as warn and prepare. In these examples prophecy is used to build up the body of Christ. Prophecy has been described as ‘God’s mind for the moment.’ It is a good definition of how He speaks to prepare or direct us as needed in differing circumstances (He also uses dreams and visions). In general, prophetic words from the Spirit are given for the following purposes.

³ But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 1 Corinthians 14:3 (NKJV)

Prophecy is given to strengthen, guide and encourage the body.

As it relates to popular modern practices you may be familiar with the numerous internet prophets and those who provide a ‘word from the Lord’ at the beginning on each new year. On the surface a good thing. Yet upon examination, the majority of those who release these prophecies, are mostly wrong and much of what they release can be discerned by following the news. This is not what the scriptures focus on in terms of the gift of prophecy. The gifts are to be exercised in the context of the body of Christ and subject to examination by other members of the body, not used as a platform to draw people and resources to the ‘prophet.’

I am not saying this to discount prophecy, I deeply value and appreciate the gift and think we need it in every season of the church. However, I think when exercising the gift you need guidelines. Not surprisingly scripture does provide sound guidelines for the exercise of spiritual gifts. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul presents love as the motivation for the exercise of any spiritual gift, then in 1 Corinthians 14 he moves from highlighting motivation to looking at the actual exercise of the gifts in general and prophesy in particular.

²⁶ How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. ²⁷ If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. ²⁸ But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God. ²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. ³⁰ But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. ³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. ³² And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. ³³ For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:26–33 (NKJV)

In the passage above Paul shows how the exercise of prophesy is for the edification of the body, is to be exercised with restraint, and subject to discernment by the rest of the body. You may be wondering why I am writing about this. First because I believe He placed it on my heart. Secondly the Spirit gives these gifts because we need them. I am aware that sadly many in the church today reject these gifts and focus on scripture alone. I am all for scripture as anyone who knows me can attest. Yet the scriptures don’t tell me what vehicle to buy, where to live, what job to accept or numerous other things. The scriptures don’t say whether a given congregation should go to two services or plant a daughter church.

In my experience many fellow believers allow circumstances to dictate their choices, yet scripture says we are to be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). Which means we need to hear His voice. The scriptures provide guidelines for discernment and counsel but those things are meant as aids not replacements for hearing His voice, whether by ourselves or through something He speaks to someone else for you or I.

Importantly, the ultimate purpose of prophecy is to make us like Jesus. After all the closing words of Revelation 19:10 (NKJV) tell us, “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” One way you and I exemplify this is walking like Jesus, listening to and obeying the Spirit, whether individually or corporately.