GOD SPEAKS

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; Titus 1:1 & Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 1Timothy 2:4.

Things of the Lord cannot be understood completely with a human brain. Our brain cannot understand the spiritual things completely. In this regard, Read this verse-  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:13.  Man’s wisdom cannot completely reveal the things of the Lord.  If the knowledge of man is the criteria for faith in the Lord, He would have chosen the men of wisdom for His work. Remember His twelve disciples. Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus Acts 4:13. They were fishermen. They were not scholars but still were chosen by the Lord. Why? Can uneducated fishermen understand the things of the Lord with their brain? Then what is important – Knowledge of the word of God or knowledge of word of God along with spiritual experience?

The foundation of the faith of Christians needs to be acknowledgement of spiritual truth by each and every individual. Everyone needs to taste the Lord’s good ness. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalms 34:8. Taste cannot be taught. Taste is an individual experience and denotes the acknowledgment of truth. This should be your base for your faith. This will strengthen you in Christ Jesus. This will make you save yourself from the false teachings and teachings that come out of human brain and from unnecessary arguments concerning the things of the Lord.

In this regard, a good example can be seen from the Bible. The Lord told his disciples to teach the gospel to the ends of this world. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15. This was the message given by the Lord to all his disciples. But this was not completely understood by them until it was acknowledged as truth. In other words, this was understood completely through experience. This spiritual experience had made them to understand the things of the Lord better than understating with the human brain. In Acts Chapter 10, Peter saw a vision concerning the gentiles. Till then, he was of the thought that gospel was not meant for gentiles though the Lord had told them – Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Were not gentiles in the world? Thereafter, he realized that God was not a respecter of persons. – Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: Acts 10:34. He is Lord of all. Why did it happen? It was because our knowledge of word of God is not enough to understand certain things of the Lord. There may be thousands of preachers who give lectures and interpretations of each verse of the Bible. But preaching or talking what they have acknowledged as truth is important since it establishes our faith. Acknowledgement of truth with your spiritual experience is greater than your knowledge about the word of God. This is required for all who claim themselves as Christians. If it is there in everyone, then no false teaching shall move them to depart from the Lord since the spiritual experience has more insights than other’s knowledge. Therefore, let the acknowledgement of truth in the word of God be the basis for your faith. Avoid all interpretations for unnecessary arguments coming from faulty human brain.

And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.  Jonah 4:6-7

God teaches many things practically. It takes time. It gives us better understanding. No professor or an expert in this world can teach like Him. He is the best teacher.

When you do not understand certain things of the Lord, He may prefer to teach you practically. Jonah was very angry because the Lord did not do what he had told about the people of Nineveh. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. Jonah 3:10. Jonah did not understand the purpose of the Lord. The only thing Jonah knew was God would forgive the people of Nineveh if they repent. Therefore, he was not willing to go to Nineveh and tried to flee to Tarshish. The same thing happened. In this context, the Lord chose practical teaching. The Lord God prepared a gourd which gave shadow over the head of Jonah. Jonah was exceeding glad. Thereafter, God prepared a worm to eat up the gourd. Why? He might have spoken to Jonah about the situation and tried to teach Jonah using his words. But the Lord did not do so. Using this practical way of teaching, the Lord explained Jonah well about the situation.

The practical experience of this teaching will strengthen your relation with the Lord. Your faith is also strengthened. This is much required if you want to stand for Christ. Though faith cannot be seen, but can be experienced. This is possible with His practical teaching. Read this verse: And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Matthew 15:28-31. Peter thought he could also walk on water like Jesus. He asked Jesus, “If you were the Lord, give me permission to walk like you on the water”. He started walking on the water to go to Jesus. But when the wind was boisterous, he was afraid and began to sink. Peter practically understood what actually faith means. He understood that mere using words of faith were not a sign of complete faith. This practical way of teaching really made Peter to understand how to test his faith. Most of us may think that we have strong faith in the Lord, and show it verbally. But when the situation trails our faith, it fades away. Our Lord taught Peter (He taught even to all His disciples who were watching this from the ship) practically what is meant by faith. This is why He is the best teacher forever and ever.

We seek advice. Do not we? This is what we do every day. But, whose plans do we follow in your day to day life?  Is it of your own thoughts or others’ plans?  Both these may please us well sometimes. It is written in the Bible – The advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom. 2 Samuel 16: 23. Ahithophel’s advice was like as if one inquired the word of God.  The word of God says that the advice of Ahithophel was regarded by both David and Absalom as if one inquired of the word of God. It is not an easy skill to think in such a way. You might have come across such people or you yourself might be such a person. However, it is important to see whether the advice or thoughts are in the will of the Lord or not.

Furthermore, Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose 12,000 men that I may arise and pursue David tonight.  I will come upon him while he is weary and exhausted and terrify him, so that all the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king alone, and I will bring back all the people to you.  The return of everyone depends on the man you seek; then all the people will be at peace.”  So the plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel. 2 Samuel 17: 1-4.

In the above verse, Ahithophel gave advice to Absalom. This plan pleased Absalom and all the elders of the people. It is not an easy task to please or convince all people at a time with your thoughts or advice. This man Ahithophel could do it. What do you see in an advice or in a thought before you accept and implement it?  Just because it has pleased you or just because you think it is logical, you cannot follow it.  We need to bring it into His holy presence. It is because His counsel is better than any advice from any wise-man of this world. But we generally do not prefer to seek his advice. He himself says, as It is written, I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.  Psalms 32:8. Then why do seek the advice of men? Why do we follow our vain thoughts? Remember, even if the idea or advice or thought is very good and pleases you well, and if it is not according to the will of the Lord, it may not yield good result. This is what happened to the counsel of Ahithophel. For the Lord had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring calamity on Absalom 2 Samuel 17: 14 Therefore, bring the advice or thought into his presence, thought it seems good to you, and find the will of the Lord. Above all these things, it is better to seek the advice of the Lord than the advice of men. The word of God in the Bible will also guide you in this regard.

And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him. Genesis 2:20.

We need to learn to apply our mind for doing his works. God himself can name all his creation but he gave Adam an opportunity to name the cattle. Can Adam give names to all cattle better than God? Then why did God give him a chance to name all the cattle?

There are many instances that can be seen from the Bible in this regard. Let us see two of them. Read this verse: And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. Mark 2:4-5.  In this verse, we may note that the people carrying the man sick of palsy could not come near to Jesus because of the press. But did they stop their attempt? They used their mind and energy. They thought that they could enter from the top and let down the man of palsy along with his bed. Here they applied their mind. They carried him to the top of the house and let down the bed. Here they used their strength. It is written-Jesus saw their faith. Whose faith? Is it the faith of palsy man or of the men those who carried him? Faith also includes proper application of your mind and acting accordingly. Finally, there happened a miracle. Never stop at the hindrances. The Lord God gives you right knowledge. If you move a step forward, He is there right beside you.

Also read: And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungered, he, and they that were with him?  How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the showbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him ?Mark 3:25. David and other were hungered on a particular day, and they ate the showbread.  Was it lawful to eat the showbread for them other than the priests? Did not David know that it was not right to eat the showbread? But still ate? And still they were all guiltless. Why? This was only because David applied his thoughts or mind in a proper way to understand the law of the Lord. This is where we need to learn to apply our mind for doing his works.

And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she to live on. Luke 21: 2-4.

Do everything in the Lord as the Lord watches everything you do. Have this in your mind that Lord is right there in every situation observing you. This poor widow had put in two small copper coins which were all she had. Others were also putting in their gifts into the treasury. He saw them too. Fellow church mates might have considered those who are putting their gifts into the treasury as great. But the Lord did not. The Lord does not see as man sees. As it written – But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7

The devout people have this thought in their mind always. Consider how Joseph did when he was forced to do sin by Potiphar’s wife. Read- Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. Genesis 39:11-12. Joseph simply fled from there saying- how can I do this sin against God as he had this thought that God always observes us from above heaven. He did it even when none of the men of the household was there inside.

Jesus said –“for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she to live on”.  Lovers of money cannot love God more. The lovers of money cannot shake off money. In this regard read this verse- “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth Matthew 6:24.” How do you say you love God while being a lover of money? The poor widow gave all she had to the Lord. Then how would she live for the rest of her life?  She believed that God was her provider.  It is because- Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Matthew 4:4. . If you really believe that all you have right now is from the Lord, you will never withhold your hand to give back a portion of it to Him. This gratitude must work in our minds.

Finally, the Lord testified that she had put in all that she had though she was in poverty. God could not stop himself to give this appreciation before all. Following his words in the right spirit always will make Him happy. Why do not we seek such appreciation from the Lord?