WHO'S THE TEACHER?

It may be presumptuous of me to think that what I have to say is so important that you should listen, yet there resides within me the compulsion to express that which GOD has so graciously shown me from His Word and it's outworking in my life. So I would ask you to bear with my arrogance in purporting my heart to this blog with the anticipation someone might actually read it and even more presumptuous the thought they might actually gain something of value from it.

I would like to speak of who teaches us the word.
WHO IS THE TEACHER - the text is Isaiah 28:9
"Whom shall He teach knowledge? and whom
shall He make to understand doctrine?
them that are weaned from the milk,
and drawn from the breasts."

Who teaches knowledge and makes one
to understand doctrine? The LORD of hosts
Whom does He teach? Them that are weaned
from the milk and drawn from the breasts.

GOD, through the prophet Isaiah, has told us
that He in deed teaches and gives understanding.
Jesus said the same thing in the book of John (New Testament),
when He stated that the Spirit would "guide us into
all truth": But GOD also through Isaiah teaches us that the instruction and understanding He gives He gives to those who no longer need the milk of the Word. When we have grown to the point of eating the meat, (Hebrews 5), when we are able to chew and digest the meat, then GOD Himself will teach us.
When we ourselves can sit down with His Word and study it carefully and prayerfully for the truth of His knowledge and the understanding of His doctrine without someone interpreting it for us, and begin to go beyond the obviously stated doctrine and begin to dissect it, compare and contrast it, define it in it's own realm, then He Himself will become our schoolmaster - our teacher. It will become a personal intimacy between us and our Creator; and He will begin to teach us precept after precept, line of thought after line of thought, a little knowledge from here and from there, and piece by piece GOD will construct our hearts and lives with His knowledge,
[knowledge of Him - an intimate knowledge, not academic], with His ways, with the thoughts and intents of His heart;.......
but you see it is only going to become a reality that we gain knowledge & understanding when our dependence for learning is no longer from, or on, the preacher, the teacher, the scholar, or any other human being, but rather we have come to a point in our life where we personally seek to know the heart of GOD - when we make it a personal relationship with Him - when we desire to no longer be spoon or bottle fed, but have been weaned off the knowledge and understanding of others and are seeking personal knowledge of GOD, first-hand and intimate knowledge of and from Him. [At some point we might expound the 2nd chapter of Proverbs, the first 15 verses in this regard.]
Brother I want to sat that sitting with GOD our Father and seeking to know what He has to teach me is in deed a place of rest for me, and His knowledge flows freely from His heart to mine as He opens the eyes of my understanding and speaks knowledge of Himself to me - without stuttering and stammering, but rather with clarity, conciseness, congruence and comprehensiveness. Oh how delightful are the hours spent alone with Him, how delightful when here or there in life the lights go on and one sees GOD'S precept in reality, when GOD'S principles are no longer good teaching but everyday realities of life revealing the truth of His Word; when GOD begins and continues to show Himself through His Word in conjunction with everyday life and learning is no longer rote memorization but living realityy with Him, in Him, by Him and from Him. Such hope and excitement that comes from the realization of His presence, His teaching, His personal interest in us individually. This is where learning takes place - this is where understanding is illuminated, this is where we see our faith is not blind: WHERE? When we are acutely aware that we are in Him and He in us, and we are personally being taught by the Creator Himself.

WHERE? Where it is just YOU and me - my heart and Your heart melting together as one - when being alive with the joyful realization that it is You and I together and I am in the covert of Your wings with the ears of my heart tuned into Your "still small voice." Your voice that stills the raging sea whithin and makes light work of the tempestuous trial of life without. WHERE? Where Your teachings, Your speaking to me does not cause me distress, does not beat me down, does not break me to such a degree I cannot be put back together, does not bring me harsh conviction that I run from or feel trapped by - But rather Your voice to me is calming, gentle, assuring, restful and delightful, and molding to my heart and soul - Yea, the joy and rejoicing of my heart.

Now let me say this, no human being can grow themselves, IE makes themselves enjoy hearing the voice of GOD in their heart telling us of His ways, His desires, His heartfelt intents. To enjoy the presence and person of GOD, without intentional exercise of will power in causing it to be so, is something only the very Spirit of our LORD in us can and must bring about within our most deceitful and desperately wicked hearts'. He must grow us or we will not truly grow; and yet we are so judgmental of ourselves and otherds because we and/or they are not all we expect they should be.
How does this attitude in life fit with the saying of Hebrews 6,
"Let us go on onto perfection
and this will we do
if GOD permit."
He is permitting or not permitting growth.
He grows us up or we don't grow up.
He weans us off the milk and the breasts
and unto the strong meat. [note Hebrews 5/6]

We might take note that Isaiah writes of GOD teaching the "weaned", and 800 years latter the writer of Hebrews speaks of GOD allowing us to be eaters of "strong meat" and no longer drinkers of "milk" - of GOD allowing us to go on onto perfection ("maturity").
[How comprehensive are His unchanging ways,
and His ability to compose Himself with congruity
into His written word without error.]!

UNITY

I recently joined Gospel City which is a web site produced by The Spirit of Life Mission India our sister ministry located and native to Tamil Nadu India and founded by Dr Hannah Nesmani.
Please check out the web site and support this ministry which buids churches, rescues women being trafficked, and ministers to the Dalit (sub class, 'less than human' - or so they are considered by the class system of India). Pictures and more info on our sister ministry available through contact us in the U.S. through our website spiritoflifemissioninc.org. We wish to promote the unity of the body of Christ that ought by nature of the one Spirit indwelling all believers, exist between us.

FAITH:
What is faith?
What does it mean to walk by faith?
What is "obedience to the faith"?
I really do not want to do a theological study of faith at this point:
For 2 and 1/2 years I have lived a life based on the belief that GOD was
leading me in a specific direction, and had laid before me a task
which now I come to think the possibility that he may want me to drop
the pursuit of it's fulfillment. What does that do to my faith?

Perfect in Christ

What is a "perfect" Christian? The word perfect does NOT mean sinless.
It DOES mean 'mature? So how do I recognize maturity in myself?
I am going to give the texts with very little commentary
because I think GOD has said it quite clearly and He does not requie
a great deal of elaboration by me. So here are some signs that
I am mature or at least maturing:
1. Forgetting the past reaching for the future:
Philippians 3:13-15
"Let us therefore,
as many of us as be perfect, be thus minded...
forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of GOD in CHRIST JESUS.'
2. Carnality - envy, strife, division = NO unity:
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
"And I brethren could not speak unto you as spiritual,
but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in CHRIST..."
"...for you are yet carnal: for whereas
there is among you envying, strife, and divisions
are you not carnal, and walk as men?"
3. knowing the Father intimately:
1 John 2:12-14
"I write unto you little children..."
"I write unto young men..."
"I write unto you fathers because you have known
the Father... because you have known Him that is from the beginning."
the 'know' is an intimate knowledge NOT an academic knowledge;
[a topic for another time].
4. being spiritual - living in the Spirit NOT under law = love:
Galatians 5:22
"The fruit of the SPIRIT is love, joy peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance,
against such there is no law."
5. the "body" characterized by unity, eddification of one another, love, truth:
Ephesians 4:14-16
"That we henceforth (from here on) be no more children..."
but speaking the truth in love may grow up into Him in all things...
makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."
(note "all things", in verse 15/16)
It would be appropriate to summerize these scriptures by saying intimacy with the Father brings walking in the Spirit which results in unconditional love thus breaking down the walls of division and bringing unity and edification to the body of Christ - the church.

MAN TO KNOW< GOD TO BE KNOWN

Some time has passed since I last posted and there is reason not easily explained for that. To know GOD sometimes takes much waiting upon Him, and so it has been: But I know not that even now He has actually moved me to write or if the movie I just watched, "The Grace of My Heart", has moved me to pursue that which thrills my heart and brings me a sense of being where I belong - and where is that? - here expressing what He has shown me of Himself for our own personal relationship. So what ever drives me in this oh so wee hour of the morning, here I sit in hopes that something that is shared herein will be used by my Father to touch your heart for your edification and the furtherance of your pursuit of the knowledge - experiential - of the heart of the Creator. It has long been my conviction that GOD created man for the purpose of Him being known, not only by the "principalities and powers in heavenly places" (Ephesians 3) but by His creation also. Take for example the statement King David of Israel - under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit - writes in a song, Psalm 106, "...nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, that He might make His mighty power to be known." The key phrase here is "...to be known." He desires to be known; He desires His mighty power to be known. GOD wants us to know how very powerful He is. He desires it not out of pride, but rather because He is GOD - He is almighty, none more powerful. In fact He gives out power. He, Jesus, said to Pilate the Roman potentate over Jerusalem, that He would have no power unless GOD had given it to him. That's power: When the only power available to any one is the power you give them you can honestly and rightful say you are all powerful - and GOD wants that known. Besides are we not like sheep who would walk off a cliff were it not for His protection, who would starve to death were it not for His provision, who would walk in darkness were it not for Him speaking light into existence? How much power when a mere shh calms the raging waves of the sea, when a mere word brings worlds into being, when one can pick up a handful of dirt, mold into the shape of a human being and then breathe into the nostrils of that mold clay and it become a living soul. How much power? And where is the pride in desiring it to be known? Is it not for our own benefit that He find glory, is it not our honor to be the vessels He uses to demonstrate His power in and with and through? Why would we not want to see such glory? Why would we shun such power in our lives. To grasp the fact that GOD wants to be known is paramount to the understanding of His heart - If indeed a man can even begin to fathom the depths of the infinite GOD. So I would challenge you to seek to know Him - not know about Him - but rather strife for that intimacy, that experiential knowledge of the one who created you and I out of the dirt He created, and then breathed life into our soul. And I would encourage you to ask GOD for a heart that desires to see His power and not man's.

The LORD gives, the LORD takes

2 years of effort and today I find myself broken in my heart. Blog nets zero readers a day this past 7; the web site sees zero to 3 readers a day; and the MISSION receives no contacts for months. Have I gone wrong or does the LORD give and take away? Should I be raised up but not cast down by the Almighty? Should I only receive good at His hand or does His will require testing of my faith. Can I say as Job said, "Though He slay me yet will I trust Him." Many a question passes through the heart and mind of the believer. David wrote in the psalms, "Has GOD forgotten to be merciful?" and again he wrote, "why are thou cast down oh my soul?" Alone I may think myself to be but the past tells me GOD does not forsake me. Perhaps I have given reason for Him to do so but I know thou art faithful oh Father. Be merciful to me a sinner oh LORD, be merciful.

...in the Spirit

I would like to note that this is the third time I have added to this posting,
which is a study of what it means to be "...in the Spirit": I presently have
three more entries to add to this posting (before we move on to the next
segment of our study of the Spirit), plus a statement of personal
testimony/application of this study to my heart & life. 9-11-'07
*************************************************


"In me, that is in my flesh dwells no good thing." Romans 7
So my flesh will only do evil.
"The carnal mind is not subject to the law of GOD neither in deed can be." Romans 8
So, my flesh does only bad things (ungodliness), and my fleshly mind is not,
and can not be subject to GOD'S law.
So,
How am I to do good and not evil?
How am I to live righteously?
How am I to be holy?
The answer to these questions lay in the understanding of the Spirit and it's role in life.
"Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh? Galatians 5
What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? And how does one do that?

FIRST,
let us consider this question;
Are "walk in the Spirit", "be being filled with the Spirit", and "walk after the Spirit",
all three the same thing said in different ways, or,
are they three different principles at work in harmony with one another?


"" walk after the Spirit", Romans 8, has to do with "minding the things of the Spirit." Romans 8
It is a 'pursuit' of that which is spiritual and not physical.
"Minding the things of the Spirit is the method of that pursuit.
The Word of GOD is the "sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17).
I would think that is a "thing" of the Spirit.
Hence I mind the Word of GOD.
['Mind' means to be disposed to, or exercise the mind, or set the affection on.]
I am disposed to the Word of GOD,
I exercise my mind with the Word of GOD,
I set my affections on the Word of GOD -
I 'mind' the Word of GOD. Hence I am after (in pursuit of) the Spirit.
This would lead me to look at Proverbs 2 which admonishes us to
saturate ourselves with the Word, and tells us the result of doing so.
[A study of the 2nd chapter of Proverbs is to be found in FOUNDATIONAL
which is available from the Spirit of Life Mission Inc. at <>
FOUNDATIONAL is a study in how to approach studying the Word. It is taken from scripture
and is an Introduction to a much more extensive study of GOD'S written Word.]

Prayer is a thing of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:15 say,
"...I will pray with the spirit...".
Here we see the lower case 's' being used in spirit
which would lead us to not think Spirit of GOD, which is a being (a personality),
but rather think spirit as an entity - a state of being - the spirit of a man,
that is not physical - IE. the thoughts and feelings,
the non-physical part of our being.
IE., I pray in or with my heart and mind as opposed to my tongue.
Most certainly we pray out loud with our tongue (sometimes),
but we are praying words - images,
which come from our non-physical being - our heart and mind.
The words are concepts which have no physical body but rather
are manifested by the physical. Our spirit is our being
which is expressed in and/or through our physical body.

"GOD is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him
in spirit and in truth." John 4:24
JESUS CHRIST is "the express image of GOD." Hebrews 1
GOD is 'indelibly stamped' into CHRIST;
CHRIST is "an exact copy of GOD";
The character of GOD is 'engraved' in His Son JESUS CHRIST.
These term are the meanings of "express image".
GOD manifests Himself in and through JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS has a body and,
"in Him dwelt all the fullness of the godhead bodily." Colossians 2:9
The spirit dwelling in JESUS is GOD - this is why we say
JESUS is 100% man and 100% GOD: The GOD-man.
He is the physical expression of The living GOD who is a spiritual being.
AND we are created in their image Genesis 1:26;
'their' being, GOD the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Spirit;
IE. body, soul, and spirit.

So "walking after the Spirit is a pursuit of the things
which are of the Spirit of GOD
through the study of His Word and prayer;
in effect it is fellowship with GOD; a relationship.
Him talking to me through His written Word
and me talking to Him (prayer) and
these are "things of the Spirit, done in spirit and by the Spirit;
He - the Spirit - "makes intercession for us for we know not
what we should pray for as we ought." Romans 8:26
"He (the Spirit) will guide you into all truth." John 16

Walking after the Spirit results in;
1. no condemnation (Romans 8:1)
2. fulfillment of the righteousness of the law (Romans 8:4) WHY is there no condemnation to them that are after the Spirit? Because the law of the Spirit of life in CHRIST JESUS has made me free from the law of sin and death 8:2). WHY does the righteousness of the law get fulfilled in those that are after the Spirit? Because those that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit.
(We ought address the law of sin and death and the law of the
Spirit of life in CHRIST JESUS, and we will but not just yet.)

So the things of the Spirit must include the righteousness of the law which tells me that righteousness is something the Spirit of GOD tends to - not man (the flesh). It is important we not miss this point , for those whose thinking is tuned to the believer does 'this' and does not 'that' OR acts like 'this' and not like 'that' are setting rules of conduct ('law') which implies an act of the will to fulfill; But this statement in Romans 8:4 tells me that the Spirit is the one doing the righteous deed(s) not the strength of "will power" of man. Galatians supports this in that it was written to believers who had corrupted the gospel (or were accepting a corrupted gospel) by adding the "rules of conduct" to the necessities of daily life. In other words teaching that we as believers - children of GOD - are suppose to do this and not do that. They were teaching a gospel that was not based on the regenerating power of the blood of CHRIST and His indwelling spirit (Spirit). They were teaching righteous living but not teaching the power of GOD'S Spirit to bring about that righteous living. They had a form of knowledge (the truth), but denied "the power thereof" (2 Timothy 3:5, cf. 1 Peter 1:5); and GOD called it a
"perverted gospel" in this letter to the Galatians (ch.1) and stated that those who would promote such a gospel should be "accursed (ch. 1).
The ensuing question of Galatians was "Having begun in the Spirit are you now made perfect by the the flesh? We (you, I) were saved, regenerated, ie. "born again" by the Spirit coming into our heart, was I now going to be perfected in my walk with the LORD by the efforts of my flesh to submit itself to the law of GOD, [which is an impossibility (Romans 8:7]? I could not save myself from sin and death and only the Spirit can conform me to the image of CHRIST(for which I was predestinated - (Rms. 8:29). These 'things' - prayer, the Word, righteousness, etc. etc. etc. - belong to the Spirit, they do not belong to you nor I. They are His things. He has sole ownership, they are His traits if you will, His personality, His personal standard of living, His beliefs and convictions : In me "that is in my flesh" "dwells no good thing". I do not contain within my being - my flesh - the holiness, the righteousness, the peace, the joy, the love, the longsuffering nor temperance, and meekness,and gentleness: There is no natural desire - bent - for these things, which are the things of GOD, within my carnal being. Whatever desire I have within me is the Spirit's desire and He is in me and thereby that desire is in my heart. Take the Spirit out and the desire for GOD'S things goes with Him: Why?
Because it is His desire that is in me - He owns it - it belongs to Him - It is His nature residing in my most "deceitful and wicked" heart.

"Walking in the Spirit" has to do with a state of existence:
A state of having caught up with the Spirit and being consumed by Him.
A state of complete immersion in the things of the Spirit.
We say such things as "He is a man of prayer", or , "a man of the Word".
When we say that about someone we are saying he is a man (or woman)
whose life is consumed by the Word and prayer.
We are in effect saying a man eats, sleeps, breathes the WORD and prayer.
He has the close intimate fellowship with the Father which consumes his (or her) life.
He or she is always minding the things of the Spirit - 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.

What does Psalm 1 say?

"Blessed is the man who walks
not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor sits in the seat of the scornful,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
but
his delight is in
the law of the LORD
and in His law doth he meditate day and night."

[day and night - that is all consuming!]

Let us look at some statements concerning the Spirit GOD makes in the letter (epistle) to the Corinthians in chapters 2/3
He speaks of the
* "things of the Spirit"
* the "things GOD has prepared for them that love Him
revealed to us by the Spirit."
* "we speak with the words the Holy Spirit teaches us to say
not with the words of man's wisdom but hidden words
words in a mystery."
* the things of GOD can only be understood
by the spirit which is from GOD.
* GOD has given us (the "believer") that spirit
so we can discern His things, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual things
* to the natural man the things of the Spirit of GOD are foolishness
because he cannot understand them - they are spiritually discerned.
[He has eyes but he cannot see, ears but he cannot hear the things of GOD.]
* spirituality - that is to say, living in the Spirit,
is a mature state of being.
{You will note that none of GOD'S teaching concerning His Spirit has
any mention of 'law' (rules of conduct) being related to,
nor being a part of spirituality. To live under rules of conduct (law)
is in fact a childish view of Christianity (1 Cor. 1/2/3). Carnality is a
state babies live in and living by rules of conduct, or law,
is a carnal life and is evidenced by envy, strife, and division.}

So let us summarize:
1. The spiritual world is an unseen world - a mysterious world,
hidden from the eyes and ears of the natural man. It is a world
that can only be seen and known by the spirit which is from GOD
I.E. His Spirit The 'believer' has that spirit in him (or her). That
spirit of GOD knows the deep things of GOD and reveals them
to us. To walk in the Spirit is to live life, in this world, learning,
knowing, meditating on (thinking on ) and following
"the things of GOD."
2. This is a dedicated life that brings about unity - not strife, envy,
and division. It is maturity, whereas 'carnality' (living by rules) is
'babyhood' and seeks the "milk of the word" and not the "meat" (Heb. 5/6)
and it produces envy, strife, and division. This life of living or walking
in the Spirit is a life of total commitment to knowing, intimately,
He who created us, redeemed us, and adopted us. It is not a casual,
non-chalant affair with a person I feel obligated to, and hence,
seek out fulfillment of that obligation at certain [predetermined]
times and dates. The life of walking in the Spirit is a life of being
absorbed into, or by, the very heart of GOD - to be consumed by
His Spirit (spirit). (note cf. Luke 14:26)
SO THUS FAR WE HAVE
a pursuit of GOD'S Spirit (His things) - that is, a walking after...
and a consumption by GOD'S Spirit - that is, walking in...
-----------------

IN PURSUIT OF? -------A. flesh------B. Spirit

The pursuit of -------------- *the flesh -or--*the Spirit

The substance of
that pursuit --- *the things of the flesh -or--* the things of the Spirit

the mindset
of that pursuit ------* carnally minded--or--* spiritually minded

the result
of that pursuit-----------------*death--or--* life

the relationship
to GOD---------------* enemy of GOD--or--* pleasing to GOD

What constitutes being in the flesh verses being in the Spirit?
Romans 8:9
If the Spirit of GOD dwells in me I am in the Spirit and not the flesh.
If CHRIST is in me, then and only then
(1) the body is dead. Why is the body dead? Because of sin.
(2) the Spirit is life. Why is the Spirit life? Because of righteousness.

------------------

I am going to stop here for now, I think we have much here
to digest and/or consider whether it be truth or not
according to what GOD has revealed to us in His Word.
We will pick up latter this very large topic,
this very important knowledge to our understanding of our life with GOD on this earth.
The Spirit is no small topic and extremely difficult to comprehend,
but we will continue to explore the Word for knowledge and understanding
from the Spirit, of His being.