SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES (5)
I trust the last four blogs in this series has been a blessing to you. Now we come to the personal challenge. Are you convinced that God is the God of Restoration, and that He is still restoring truth to His Church and to HIs people. I sure hope you are glad that you are alive in this day and can see the progression of restoration of truth since even before the start of the 12th Century with the recovery of the Scriptures and the translation into various languages of the day, so that Men of God could SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES and not only see the errors and heresies that had developed in the Church, but also begin to see the glorious truths that were in the heart of God from eternity past. Let me remind you again of the problem with the “dirty bathwater” or “fleas) that developed with God restoring truth and learn to not look at these (as God continues to restore truth) but see the beautiful “baby” in all its glory.
Sadly within 80 years people were being accepted into membership of the Lutheran church who were not born again, always let Justification by Faith be the foundational truth that undergirds everything we believe.
Remember that it is easy to “camp” at a truth, Calvin and Luther never embraced “Believer’s Baptism by immersion, even though the Book of Romans clearly teaches the Death, Burial and Resurrection route for the Believer. Let our hearts NOT be closed to the development of truth, like Believers were when for example Divine healing came as a fresh revelation to the Church, and that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are still available today as well. Every time fresh truth was reveled, there was many for refused to accept the truth, sadly many also gullibly received and then took it to extremes, remember WE MUST HOLD THE WORD OF GOD IN BALANCE,
Perhaps the most “dirty bathwater” was seen, when people began to be filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in unknown languages. many were not Theologically trained, they knew what they had received was genuine, because it produced so much good fruit in their lives, like a greater love for Jesus, and the Word of God, a desire to be prepared for the Lord’s return and so much more, but many did not see that the “spirit of the prophets was subject to the prophets”, and many emotional unacceptable actions took place. Much lack of wisdom in what was said and done caused many problems, then thankfully the Word of the Lord came “a second time” through the Catholic and Protestant Charismatic renewals, that has changed the face of Christendom for ever.
So, let me encourage you again, to spend quality time daily not only reading, but studying and meditating on the Word looking at various translations, if you don’t own a Strong’s Concordance purchase one, plus Greek and Hebrew Lexicons linked to Strong’s numbers, and regularly praying “Lord turn the Light on” expecting the Logos to become Rhema, the information to become revelation, that produces faith and much blessing in your life, and as you share it with others letting it become a blessing to many more. You may not be used like Luther or Calvin, but who knows, the key is that we let
LET THE WORD WORK
Make your constant prayer “Lord increase my hunger for your Word” may we be more disciplined in our commitment to His Word, may we make sure there is no sin in our life when we approach the Word of God, for not only will He not hear us (Psalm 66:18) but surely will not speak to us, unless we are “walking in the Light”. May the statement I concludeD with yesterday be the expression of our heart that,
WE ACCEPT THE PRINCIPLE THAT GOD HAS YET MORE LIGHT AND TRUTH TO BREAK FORTH FROM HIS WORD,
I am very aware there has been much repetition in this series, I trust the “penny drops” that there is the 18 inch drop from head to heart, that will cause a spiritual revolution to happen in our hearts.