Greetings again my Brethren. This month we will do some comparisons and contrast, and a literal rendering at some of the verses in the proper characteristics section. Always remember context is critical. It is so easy to take a verse that is true and pure, but use it NOT as it was intended by the Holy Spirit to help make a point you are trying express. This is fundamentally wrong and just plain ungodly. Too many preachers and teachers bend and spin the truth of the word of God to make it fit an agenda or program sadly all they have done is show how much they do not know about the scriptures and even sadder it shows their lack of integrity. Modern technology (computer Bible programs and the internet where most ministers think they get a word from God) has even enhanced this “err” or to wilfully deceive someone for personal gain not “error” which means to make a mistake. There is a huge difference in the basic practical understanding, but more important the lack of a Godly heart condition to maintain a purity of the word of God. Let us look at Isaiah 64:4 and 1 Corinthians 2:9. Brother Isaiah says,
“For since the beginning of the world menhave not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, whathe hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” (Isaiah 64:4)and Brother Paul shares, “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.” (1Corinthains2:9) Here Isaiah speaks of the act of waiting for Gods whereas Paul speaks of the motivation of waiting. Please note the literal rendering, “whathe hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” The reward is not prepared for the one who has worked (for the LORD), but for the one who first waited to hear what the LORD has to say. One thing I am always learning is if we have not heard from God then we have nothing to say. Now man waits and works at the same time. Many Christians say I will sit here and wait on God to do the work after all He is God and He can do anything I will just wait on Him. Well this is true, but that is not the way the LORD operates. God expects us to get involved with what He is doing not what we want to do. After we hear from Him, the LORD expects “all hands on deck.” Now God sets the wheels of divine providence in motion on behalf of those who wait for Him in loving anticipation. And then God works with man as long as man continues to wait on God to work on his behalf. As I said Paul in 1 Corinthians speaks of the motivation of waiting. If there is no motivation from our heart to wait all we had done is wasted time. Our position of waiting is there, but our heart is far from it. I often see people “waiting before God” as they lay on the floor prostrate before God thinking they are going to get up into the spiritual realm from this lowly position, but it all happens from the heart. Paul continues to press this point to the Church at Corinth “But God hath revealed themunto 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.” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)What is going on while man is waiting? “The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” No activity, but seemingly inactivity on our part. You know a tree stands appearing to us in a place of inactivity, but in reality the tree is lifting tons of water from the roots to the top of the branches and back down All day and all night long the tree is hard at work, but it slips our eye because we can not seen any outward work being done. As we wait the LORD is checking us out. What is the LORD checking out? “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.” (1 Corinthians 2:12-13) The LORD is evaluating us to see if we have received “the spirit of the world.” How can we hear from the LORD and have the “spirit of the world”operating in us? Not only, “the spirit of the world,”but we too are not to have, “man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth.”How much of the church is infected with the teachings of the world that is based on the wisdom of man? All you have to do is listen to the seeker sensitive humanistic teaching that most of the “big” ministries you see on TV spew. Almost all of the them are physiology and philosophy driven trying to change the outward man while neglecting the inward man of the heart. To be able to affect the inward man of the heart one must be able to hear from God and know His ways because, “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 judge of no man..” (1 Corinthians 2:14-15)“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” Please let me say that again. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” The only way we shall know the ways of God is by opening up our spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us. Then we can spiritually judge all things and not be judged of man, but of God. It all starts in the heart as we wait on God.
Next month we will begin to look at what may be observed from our waiting. Walter Beuttler said if you build God a temple He will inhabit it. Have you built God a temple? If you do He will abide and wait for you.
