Monday, June 6, 2011

The Word Is God's

 If we deny the truth of the Bible, we deny God.  If don’t allow Christ to rule in our services, He isn’t a King.  Samuel was heartbroken about Israel’s desire to choose a king but God gave them their desire.  Why was Samuel heartbroken?  He was distraught over their decision to remove God as King but to allow man to rule.  (I Samuel 8:1-22)  What wisdom does man obtain?  Did he create the earth?  Can he read minds?  Can he govern the world?  Of course not, but sadly we have done the same within our churches and our nation.
      However, my heart is breaking like Samuel, God should rule, His Word preached, and the Spirit operating.  It’s seems we only desire for the Lord to be present but blinded to our ungodliness.   We desire to be called children of God, yet we don’t know who we really represent.  The Bible is the infallible Word of God spoken through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  The Word of God is used for reproof, correction, training of righteousness that we can be equipped to lead, disciple, and heal our people.  II Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Nevertheless, so many people desire for their ears to itch instead of their heart revealed.  This is a spirit of religion, a rebellious and dangerous heart blinding the hearts of the church. 
     When Jesus walked on the earth, the scribes and Pharisees couldn’t recognize the Son of God.  Although Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the enemy, they denied the power of God in operation.  If Jesus healed on the Sabbath, it was wrong.  Who created the Sabbath, wasn’t it God?  Why can’t God do something good on a holy day? As Jesus taught the people who were hungry for the truth, they were delivered, healed, and transformed.  The sinners recognized the power, love, and authority of God; yet the Pharisees were unwilling to follow.  Oh, they followed only to ridicule, judge, and distort the work of God.  Regardless of what time period, the religious spirit has existed in the days of the prophets, days of Christ, and Paul’s ministry.  It was the religious ones who killed the prophets, Christ, and most of the disciples. 
     As a young adolescent, I was raised in a wonderful Pentecostal church.  As a church body, we prayed until midnight on most Sundays.  As our hearts hunger for the truth and allowed the Word to inspect our hearts to correct, we witness the move of the Spirit of God.  As the Spirit moved people laughed in the Spirit, was prostrate on the floor, speaking in tongues, and people healed from sickness or demon possession.  As I grew up in the church, I have been observant to a radical shift of rejecting the truth. Our prayer services declined, church services grew shorted, and people’s tempers rose if the Word wasn’t preached to their liking.  Well, we are paying the price; we are wretched, poor, and broken.  If don’t receive the Word, we will never have life or healing.
       Nevertheless, I cherished those moments of the Holy Spirit moving, it brings tears to my eyes.  My heart’s desire is to witness a move of God within my lifetime.  Within my denomination, our church was founded upon one of the greatest revivals of our nation, Azusa Street.  During my college days, I was able to study this revival but can I be honest, I want to experience it.  As God promised in the last days, it will come.  My heart yearns for it, expects it, and will resolve to seek it until I have experienced it.  Being a student or reading books, I have never denied gaining knowledge but the Word of God is to be experienced with the soul.   There is a fire burning with me, I can’t stand it anymore.  The Word of God has to come out, I can’t contain it anymore.  My Heavenly Father sent His only begotten Son into this world for me to experience His presence.  It wasn’t for the priests just to encounter; it was for all of the people of God.  Anyone can gain access to the Father, He longs to transform, ignite a passion for life, and heal the deepest scars.
     As the Holy Spirit moved, our hearts were transformed by the truth.  When we reject the Word, we reject Christ.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, AND THE WORD WAS GOD.”  Since the Holy Spirit is one who leads to all truth, we will reveal our hearts, convict of sin, and comfort us in our troubles.  My attitude is anymore, Lord inspect my heart deeply but don’t let me not experience you.  My salvation will be complete, I will see Him.  However, I want Heaven to reign in my life, in my heart, within my church body. 
     I understand, many people will not follow my decision, there “itchy ears” will lead them to destruction.  As David prayed, “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.  Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19: 13-14. I choose God’s Word complete as the infallible Word of God to allow it to rule my life.  Will you?

No comments:

Post a Comment