The Kingdom,

The Power

& The Glory:

 

-2-

 

The believer’s

Position Possession

Presumption

(based on conversations I have had with professing christians)

 

Back in the 1990s, when part of The Church was in the grip of full blown charismania, there were certain movements developing & emerging. The most prominent of these trends was strategic level spiritual warfare. Once believers had been taught who they were in Christ & what they possessed in terms of ability & authority, they were ready to enter the big leagues; or so they thought. Even today, there are those who claim to be demon slayers. Christians felt powerful. They prayed bold prayers. They bound, they loosened, they uprooted, they pulled down strongholds & I’m sure that they really, really frightened the devil. I distinctly remember attending some very lively meetings, but it was also puzzling to me that after all of that expenditure of energy, all of the shouting & all of the screaming, our situation did not improve.

Congregations in some churches turned up for services dressed in combat gear. Christians gathered in elevated areas of certain locations to do battle with the powers of darkness that occupied high places. Some folk chartered aircraft to fly over cities & engage ruling demons that they had identified. I’m not making this up. A very prominent word of faith teacher, who owns several aircraft, was involved up to his neck. He was a friend of my then Pastor. Once these principalities & powers, rulers of darkness & lofty spiritual wickedness had been thwarted in their efforts, what then? That’s right darlings; We were told that there would be revival!

FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, YEEHAW, YEAH!!

Well, what actually happened? In a nutshell, very little if anything at all. Spiritual warfare as a precursor for revival rests on a faulty premise & it is this: The believer is in possession of divine ability & authority because of their position in Christ. The Lord delegated His power to The Church when He ascended to Heaven & then sent The Holy Spirit. The Church must learn to walk in the power of The Word & The Spirit, in order to fulfil the great commission then there will be revival.

Is this feasible? Yes. Is this biblical? No. It is an erroneous presumption. When any believer, church, minister or ministry emphasises or promotes anything other than Christ & His Gospel, they are going to get into trouble. When we look properly at what The Lord Jesus said & what the Apostles taught, we will understand why all of the binding, loosing, screaming & pulling down of strongholds came to nothing & will always do so. It is futile. Little old you & little old me, taking on satan & his cohorts? Really? I think not. Perhaps The Church ought to concentrate more on spiritual welfare, rather than spiritual warfare. One is Scriptural. One is experiential. Paul told Timothy, ‘I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables’. (2^nd Timothy 4:1-4).  As I write this, I’m aware that one of the chief culprits pushing the warfare/revival agenda is still peddling his wares. He is billed as an international authority on spiritual warfare. This man’s online course promises the following:

emergency spiritual warfare training. (giggle)

combat tested strategies that actually work. (chuckle)

exclusive revival tools. (chortle)

I was in attendance when this man visited the charismatic church I was a part of in north London, in the early 1990s. It was a rousing message titled, Is there not a cause?

²⁸ And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. ²⁹ And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? ³⁰ And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner (1^st Samuel 17:28-30).

the believer is identified with David, the poor & insignificant little shepherd boy, who becomes imbued with a holy boldness. the devil & the forces of darkness were identified with Goliath, the big headed & big mouthed, big guy from Gath. David good. Goliath bad. If this were a pantomime we’d know who to cheer for & who to boo & hiss at. But there’s an ever so small but noteworthy problem here; the portrait that has been painted of The Church from this motif has become a pathetic caricature. it’s not about us.

Ask yourself this; with hundreds of thousands of believers ‘binding the devil’, in The Name of Jesus, why is it that he manages to slip free so effortlessly & continue on about his diabolical business in the world? Is he an escapologist? Ask yourself this; what exactly is being ‘loosed’ when believers decree & declare into the atmosphere? How much is enough? Ask yourself this; what is accomplished by ‘warring in tongues’ at the top of your voice, for hours on end? Is satan hard of hearing? Ask yourself this; what happens to the strongholds that are being pulled down from the heavens? Where do we put them? Funnily enough, no verses or passages from Scripture spring to mind to support these teachings or any of the talk that circulates concerning a coming revival. However, If we look again at the narrative of David & Goliath, there is a place that The Church fits into quite snugly.

¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid…²⁴ And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. (1^st Samuel 17:11 & 24).

I can give you a cast iron, twenty four carat guarantee, that all those who think or believe they are able to engage the powers of darkness because of their position in Christ or their possession of Him, would flee just as the men of Israel did if they knew who & what they were attempting to wrestle with. There are five whole chapters to chew through before we get to Ephesians 6:12. We will come to this next time.

It is not a matter of who you are in Christ, but rather a matter of The Christ that you are in.

The biblical account of David & Goliath is one of the many canonical references that show us that The Lord Jesus Christ defeated the enemy in His superior act of redemption. It is pure presumption for any of us to attempt to use unscriptural methods or means in dealing with the presence, activity or identity of evil. I tell you now, in all seriousness brethren; you & I are no match for our adversary beyond that which God’s Word lays out specifically, but we will examine these things more closely in our next meeting.

⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1^st Peter 5:8).

If we are not careful, we will make a simple but significant mistake. The seventy made it & countless others are making it today, even as I sit here writing & you sit there reading. For some, this is a pet doctrine that they will not let go of because it makes them feel strong. For them, the goal is to demonstrate their ability & wield their authority. For them, the aim is to exploit their position in Christ & walk in what they describe as the sonship rights & privileges they possess. For them, the purpose is to bring revival. This is the result of poor, erroneous, experiential & unbiblical teaching. Listen to the words of The Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁷ And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. ¹⁸ And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰ Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. ²¹ In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight (Luke 10:17-21).

Presumption is dangerous. Abram presumed & went into Hagar. What happened? Ishmael popped out onto the scene. Presumption is dangerous.

¹ Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. ² And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. ³ And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. ⁴ And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes (Genesis 16:1-4).

Presumption is dangerous. Moses presumed & struck the rock when he was instructed to speak to it. What happened? No jelly & ice cream for Moshe Rabbeinu in the promised land. Presumption is dangerous.

¹² And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them (Numbers 20:12).

Presumption is dangerous. Saul presumed & didn’t finish off the Amalekites. What happened? He was left listening to a chorus of sheep & The Lord ripped the kingdom from him. Presumption is dangerous.

²⁸ And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou (1^st Samuel 15:28).

Presumption is dangerous. Uzzah presumed & took hold of The Ark to steady it, although he was not a Priest. What happened? Ding. Dong. Dead. Presumption is dangerous.

⁶ And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. ⁷ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God (2^nd Samuel 6:6-7).

Presumption is dangerous. Parts of The Church are presuming now. What’s happening? Believers are going beyond The Word into spiritual experiences that are more akin to the New Age than they are to anything biblical. Presumption is dangerous.

It doesn’t matter what a man says or does. It doesn’t matter what a man believes or teaches. It doesn’t matter how extensive his experience or how vast his knowledge, if he is wrong. The current climate of teaching on spiritual warfare in unbalanced, unhinged & unbiblical. What matters is what The Lord has said in His word. Paul told Corinth & of course us by extension, ‘And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another’. (1^st Corinthians 4:6). If Scripture does not teach certain things being taught, stay away & may I remind you that the kingdom is His, the power is His & so is the glory.

 

 

 

 

copyright © by david Samuel Parkins mmxxv all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

 

The kingdom,

The power

& the glory:

 -1-

 

The believer’s

ability authority

audacity

(based on conversations I have had with professing christians)

 

Back in the 1980s when I first came to Christ, pulpits & pews alike, were ablaze with predictions concerning a coming move of God. We were told that there would be signs. We were told that there would be wonders. We were told that there would be miracles. We were told that there would be an unprecedented manifestation of the gifts of The Holy Spirit. We were told that there would be a demonstration of the greater works. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Praise The Lord. Thank you Jesus.

FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, YEEHAW, YEAH!

Well, what actually happened? There was a lot of singing. There was a lot of decreeing & declaring. There was a lot of dancing. There was a lot of laughter, especially in Toronto, Canada. This was accompanied by a lot of rolling on the floor, a lot of running in the aisles & a lot of animalistic howling. Not necessarily in that order, either. Of course there was also the taking up of several collections. There were even reports of folk removing articles of clothing. This was called revival. I kid you not.

There was a very thin line to be negotiated when commenting on or critiquing this move, because no one wanted to be guilty of blasphemy against The Holy Ghost. These things made national & international news headlines. Oh my. Was this real? Was this the culmination of all of those sweaty sermons & breathless prophecies that had gone before? Was this the end-time revival & restoration we had all heard was coming?

FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, YEEHAW ...NO!

Although well-known verses from Acts 2 were cited time & time & time again, what we heard & saw was nothing like the outpouring of The Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Instead, we had vain attempts to recreate something else. Brethren, any move of God must be viewed biblically, not just historically. We have to study both, but given the choice I would advise anyone & everyone to stick to The Scriptures. Before we succumb to ear tickling & tantalising tales of supernatural events, let’s make ourselves a nice pot of tea & get comfortable. This is quite a thing.

There are some within The Church who believe that it is possible for individuals to invoke a move of God & get Him to do certain things. I was certainly taught this when I drifted into word of faith mythology. Faith was the key to access the things of The Spirit. Our position in Christ & the authority that went with it were also crucial for us to be in the flow of what The lord was doing. We were told that we could stride up to The Lord boldly & confidently get whatever answers to prayer we required. Sip some tea, don’t let it go cold.

¹¹ Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me’. (Isaiah 45:11).

Tell Him. Put a demand on Him. You’re equal with Him. He’s your covenant partner.

²⁸ Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways’ (Job 22:28).

Afterall, didn’t The Lord Jesus say that whatever we asked The Father in His name would be granted to us? (John 16:23).

FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, YEEHAW …NO!

With such abilities, why hasn’t the most visible & influential parts of The Church done more than raise huge amounts of cash, dodge taxes & set up property portfolios & ministerial pension funds, disguised as denominations? What has The Church commanded? What has The Church decreed? What has The Church asked for in His name? Let me give you an example or two.

‘..we are believing the Lord for: jobs and better jobs; raises and bonuses; benefits; sales and commissions; favourable settlements; estates and inheritances; interests and income; Rebates and returns; cheques in the mail; Gifts and surprises; finding money; debts paid off; expenses decrease; blessing and increase’. Bethel Church, Redding California.

‘I am blessed, prosperous, redeemed, forgiven, healthy, whole, talented, creative, confident, secure, disciplined, focused, prepared, qualified, motivated, valuable, free, determined, equipped, empowered, anointed, accepted, and approved’. Lakewood Church, Houston Texas.

Before my detractors accuse me of cherry picking, I have to point out that these examples are typical illustrations of the focus that mainstream pentecostalism & charismania push forward. The object is not The Lord. The object is man, not God. If we gather enough people together, advertise like crazy, tweak the music just right, invite the most popular speakers, sort the lighting & set the mood, The Lord will move visibly & tangibly. Forgive me while I sigh heavily & my eyes roll back into their sockets. This is a formula that may have worked historically, but does it reflect what has happened biblically? Is this the extent of the ability of The Church, by & large? I’m asking honestly because this is what I see when I look at the profile of significant parts of The Church. Now once again, it has become fashionable to hang the word revival on every service, gathering & meeting that any Tom, Dick or Harry decides to organise. I cannot speak for the reformed christian community, although I do have dear friends in those particular camps. What I say here, I say as a moderate Pentecostal & an escapee from the extreme elements of the Charismatic persuasion.

What is typically called revival today, is nothing of the sort. it is nothing more or less than an entertaining distraction. it is a circus. it is a joke. it is a scheme & it is a scam for the biblically illiterate & spiritually indolent. The rich leaders get richer & the poor saints get poorer.

Harsh, but true. Real revival is nothing like that. Look at The Scriptures. Look at Church history. One is a record of spiritual truths. The other is a record of spiritual experiences. In The Church today, we have many who would gladly choose experience over truth & that subtle abandonment of God’s Word is not without spiritual consequences. Ability does not automatically equal authority.

While The Church is praying, ‘Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.’ (Psalms 85:6-8), perhaps The Lord is saying to His church, ‘Wilt thou not read thy Bible?’. Read the book of Ezra. Read the book of Nehemiah. Read any biblical account of true revival among God’s people. It did not begin with laughing. It began with weeping. It began with a genuine repentance. It began with a deep sense of helplessness & humility. It began with a return to His Word. It began with real prayer & intercession. It did not begin with audacity. Selah. Pour yourself another cup of tea.

When I say audacity, I don’t mean boldness, bravery or daring. I don’t mean swashbuckling with the powers of darkness & wielding The Name of Jesus at the devil & his angels. All power & authority, in heaven & earth belongs to The Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18). It is not present in the swing of a preacher’s jacket. Don’t worry, we will come to Romans 16:20 in our next meeting. When I say audacity, I mean an insolence, an impudence & an impenitence. I mean presumption. Brethren, I have been guilty of all of these sins. Sip some tea. Look at The Scriptures. Look at the history of The Church. I say again, it has become fashionable to hang the word revival on every service, gathering & meeting that any Tom, Dick or Harry decides to organise.

In these man-made revivals, do we see any deep spirituality, or just an emotional display of unrivalled carnality & shameless self promotion? Is The Gospel preached? Is God glorified, or is man? Remember what the word revive means; to bring to life again. Ergo, this means an acknowledgement of the state of The Church as a body & also the state of individual saints. God will NEVER bless what He has not sanctioned or ordained.

Some of you may very well become upset with me, when I say what I’m about to say in this series of articles. But I implore you, as Paul said to his son Timothy, ‘Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things’ (2^nd Timothy 2:7). You & I cannot invoke God or bend His will to ours. We do not have that ability. You & I cannot command The Lord Jesus with declarations or decrees. We do not have that authority. You & I cannot predict or control the movement of The Holy Spirit. We are not that audacious, surely? Well sip some more tea, because you may be surprised.

The only choice we have as believers, is a commitment to Him, submission to Him & obedience to Him. Does The Church need revival? Yes. Will The Church have revival? I don’t know. I see it in The Scriptures & I see it the history of The Church as something that is descriptive of certain circumstances. However, those who seek to emulate what only God can do, take these things to be prescriptive & herein lies the problem. This is deceptive. This is dangerous. This is audacious. With an unbridled arrogance, parts of The Church have either lost their memory or lost their mind, not bothering to consider anything that The Lord may have to say on the matter.

¹⁵ For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones (Isaiah 57:15).

Are the audacious humble? Are they contrite? Or rather, do they somehow think that they are the ones who are able to cause a holy God to do whatever they ask of Him?

¹ Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. ² After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. ³ Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth (Hosea 6:1-3 & James 5:7-8).

¹ O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. ² Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. ³ Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. ⁴ I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. ⁵ I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. ⁶ His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. ⁷ They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon (Hosea 14:1-7).

² O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).

Remember Adam, who was afraid of the voice of God because he had sinned. May the same fear come upon The Church & may He have mercy on us & revive us. 

It makes no difference what you or I want. It really doesn’t. What matters is what God wants. The Church seems to have forgotten the words of The Lord Jesus Christ, the Supreme Head of all things, Who taught us to pray to The Father. We would do well to remember this.

⁹ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. ¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen (Matthew 6:9-13).

 

 

 

 

 

 

copyright © by david Samuel Parkins mmxxv all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

 

 going on to perfection;

 -4-

 Children,

Have you Any meat?

Let’s circle back to where we started these meetings; the sincere milk of The Word & our growth into maturity. We cannot look at this issue without considering the words of The Lord Jesus; He is our chief example. Messiah took His disciples from ‘Follow me’ through to ‘Go into all the world & make disciples, teaching them to observe all I commanded you’. If The Apostles were tasked with this, then it follows that we too will have to move through the same process from milk to meat in all that we encounter in The Kingdom. In this, The Lord has faithfully given us a masterclass as both The Author & The Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). I love it when The Lord does things like this, because He’s The Lord & only He can do these things. Make yourself a pot of tea.

³¹ In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. ³² But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. ³³ Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? ³⁴ Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work (John 4:31-34).

¹There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: ² The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. ³ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:1-3).

Let me say this before I go any further. I am not accusing Nicodemus or others in his position of idiocy, inconsequentiality or a wilful blindness. I’m not. I am pointing out the fact that this discourse between The Lord & the leading teacher & Pharisee of the day, bears the same hallmarks as the principal things we’ve discussed previously; the necessity of beginning with milk, but not staying there. Nicodemus is introduced to us as a Pharisee, ruler of the Jews & was probably a Rabbi, given The Lord’s acknowledgement of his position in Israel.

I know that these verses are often used in evangelism. I use them myself. However, we will see that Jesus is saying to Nicodemus, ‘You cannot truly recognise me unless it was given to you from above’ (Matthew 16:15-17). This is where we all begin. Peter says this, as we saw in our first meeting. Drink some tea. Don’t let it go cold.

²³ Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. ²⁴ For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: ²⁵ But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. ¹Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, ²As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: ³If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1^st Peter 1:23-2:1-3).

In order for us to see The Kingdom, we first have to come to know The King.

⁴ Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? ⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:4-6).

Nicodemus asks a natural question. However, new birth was not a new concept. The Conversion of a Gentile to Judaism was a new birth. Conferred kingship was a new birth. Bar Mitzvah brought new birth. Marriage was a new birth. Ordination to Rabbinic status was a new birth.

All of these particular paradigms have an all too common denominator;  continuance, development, growth.

Having eliminated all other possible meanings, he asks The Lord the obvious remaining question. Jesus answers with another statement concerning water & The Spirit. Nicodemus would have been no stranger to this. The motif of ritual purification with water ran throughout his theology (Numbers 19, Psalms 51, Ezekiel 36), just as it does under The New Covenant. Water & The Spirit go hand in hand. (1^st Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 5:25-26; Titus 3:5 & Hebrews 10:22). Water & The Spirit. These truths are highlighted throughout Scripture, beginning in Genesis 1. The Lord makes this plain as day to him. When The Messiah opens your eyes, pay attention. Jesus continues; ‘Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit (John 3:7-8).

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘I don’t quite know where you’re coming from’? This is the thrust of the lord’s statement here. Remember the words of The Apostle Paul. Remember what he said to the Corinthians & to us by extension. Let’s circle back & look again.

⁹ But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ¹⁰ But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. ¹⁶ For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ. ¹And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. ² I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. ³ For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (1^st Corinthians 2:9 & 3:1-3).

In order for us to enter The Kingdom, The King & His Kingdom have to first enter us.

Jesus contrasts the natural man to the spiritual man. The man who is born again. The man who knows The King & sees The Kingdom. The man who has entered The Kingdom & in whom The Kingdom dwells. Paul expands on this by pointing out that ‘the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned’ & ‘he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man’. The Lord demonstrated this quite clearly; ‘Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man’ (John 2:23-25). Pay careful attention to Messiah.

⁹ Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? ¹¹ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. ¹² If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? (John 3:9-12).

Doctrinally speaking, if we cannot seriously deal with milk, how in the world are we going to handle anything more substantial? Nicodemus is thinking as a natural man does. ‘Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?’ I fear that this was a rhetorical question that has echoed down to us through two millenia.

In order for us to grow in The kingdom, we first have to have The King & His Kingdom growing within us.

We come to The King & to The Kingdom as children (Luke 12:32, 18:17 & Galatians 4:19). Every single one of us begin in the same place; as babes. Although we will always be God’s children, we do not stay there. We grow, we mature, we go on to perfection. Nicodemus is only part of the way there in his understanding, but Jesus isn’t talking about rebirth; He is speaking of new birth. Paul said, ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new’ (2^nd Corinthians 5:14-17).

Again, we return to the words of Paul, who expands on what Jesus has said; ‘When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known (1^st Corinthians 13:11-12). There has to be continuance. There has to be  development. There has to be  growth.

Fast forward to the present day & take a good hard look at The Church at large. Of course, this includes examining ourselves. Believe me, it isn’t comfortable when we realise that The Lord has an expectancy of our progress & maturity; ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect’. (Matthew 5:48). That’s a tall order, even for the most dedicated amongst us. Read the whole chapter, of which this is the last verse. ‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;’ (Ephesians 5:11). We will all progress to this place, ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6). He has done His part. He is doing His part. He will do His part. What about us? What have we done? What are we doing? What will we do? I say again, as I have said previously, I am not questioning anyone’s salvation. I am asking where you are.

Still carnal? Still fleshly? Still a natural man? Still drinking milk? Nicodemus was the man; the teacher in Israel & yet when faced with the Rabbi of all Rabbis, he struggled to believe when told of earthly things. Lord we like the parables. Lord we love the miracles. Lord it’s great when you’re lambasting hypocrites. But please don’t give us anything too hard. We don’t want any responsibilities. Just allow us  to wallow in the lukewarm.

¹² For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. ¹³ For everyone that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:12-14).

¹⁵And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; ¹⁶ As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. ¹⁷ Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. ¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen (2^nd Peter 3:15-18).

⁵ Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No (John 21:5).

Brethren, I am tired. I cannot possibly exhort or implore you any more than I have. I hope that you enjoyed your pot of tea.

 

 

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