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Questions & Answers How do you recognize your gifts? (Part 1) First posted: May 29, 2006
Question How does one recognize one's spiritual gifts? And how does one "activate" them?
Answer The question above points to the following passage in Scripture: spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
The phrase "spiritual gifts" was actually translated from the Greek word pneumatikos, which is derived from the word pneuma meaning "spirit, wind". Therefore, the word pneumatikos can be translated as "a thing related to the spirit" or "spiritual thing". Just like the wind, the spirit is invisible (John 3:8), meaning that "spiritual things" (pneumatikos) are invisible. They cannot be discerned through the natural mind, meaning that they must be discerned with the mind of Christ:
"13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But 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. 15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:13-16)
The phrase "spiritual things" in verse 13 was translated from the same word pneumatikos that appears in 1 Corinthians 12:1; the word "spiritual" in verse 15 was also translated from pneumatikos. Therefore, this passage is directly related to the visitor's question about recognizing "spiritual gifts" (pneumatikos).
The word "foolishness" in verse 14 was translated from the Greek word moria, which is derived from moros, the word from which we get the English term "moron". The word moros, in turn, is apparently derived from musterion meaning "mystery, hidden thing". According to thefreedictionary.com, the term "moron" was once used in psychology to refer to an adult with a mental age of from 7 to 12 years who has enough communication and social skills to have some degree of academic or vocational education. All of this reveals a fact about "spiritual morons": he or she is a person who is comfortable with a certain level of spiritual understanding and who covers the deeper "spiritual things" (pneumatikos) under a "shroud of mystery". Through this "out-of-sight-out-of-mind" mentality, the "spiritual moron" hides all the difficult things that challenge him or her to grow as a spiritual being.
Unfortunately, most of the Church is in a "spiritually moronic" state (mind you, we are using the word "moron" in a "technical" sense). The matriarchal Church does all it can to hold believers back as they grow towards the spiritual age of "12". This is the reason why Yeshua broke away from Mary at age 12; matriarchal Mary was comfortable with Yeshua remaining at a certain spiritual level, but the child Yeshua knew that He could not get stuck at age 12. He had to grow unto "the perfected man, the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Anointed One" (Ephesians 4:13, Hebrews 5:9).
"41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 47And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? 50And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 511And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." (Luke 2:41-52)[Notice how the final verse in this passage emphasizes Jesus' spiritual growth. Jesus the man was never "satisfied" with a certain level of spiritual understanding. He was not about to let satan, man, or even himself convince Him that He could get stuck at "age 12". Notice also that this passage does not refer to Jesus as the "Christ", emphasizing that Jesus had not grown into the fullness of His Anointing (Hebrews 5:9, Ephesians 4:13). As you may know, the word "Christ" means "Anointed One".]
Notice how Joseph and His mother looked for Jesus "among their kinsfolk and acquaintance" (v44), meaning that they were looking for Jesus among that which was "familiar" to them. It was time, however, for Jesus to step into "unfamiliar" territory, but Joseph and Mary "knew not of it" (v43). When Mary reprimanded Jesus for what He had done, the child Jesus had the "gall" to "talk back" at his mother(v49). Instead of giving matriarchal Mary a "formal apology" and a "pastoral consolation" for her motherly concern, Jesus confronts her (and Joseph's) ignorance. The word "wist" in verse 49 was translated from the Greek word eido, which refers to "mental knowledge". In other words, Jesus was saying to Mary and Joseph, "What have you been doing with your spiritual lives these 12 years that I have been with you? Your minds should have grown enough by now so as to know why I am doing this. You forgot, Mary, that Joseph is only a father to my soul, for the Father of my Spirit is God. Did you forget, Mary, that I was not conceived in you by the will of man, but was instead conceived in the will of God. You were assigned to me as my enablers, not My rulers. If you are unable to discern and unwilling to enable the gifts that are in Me, you are failing in the task assigned to you."
The pneumatikos (i.e.- the things of the Spirit) can only be discerned through the mind of Christ, which is activated through a heart that is not willing to be stuck at "age 12". Those who are comfortable living in the familiar become "spiritual morons" who shroud the things of the Spirit under a mantle of "mystery". They hand God's mysteries over to the enemy, and they wash their hands in the waters of "blissful ignorance" as they proclaim with a sigh, "Those are things that we will never understand. Not even my leaders Mary and Joseph understand them. That is why they are called 'mysteries'".
The quest starts with a question Since "spiritual morons" hide difficult things under a "shroud of mystery", they quickly stop asking questions. Why ask questions that we are destined never to know the answer to? Therefore, when the site visitor sent us the question about pneumatikos, she was reflecting the complete opposite of "spiritual moronism". As the awareness of an unfamiliar thing was made evident in her heart, she decided to put forth a question rather than pretend as if the unfamiliar thing was not there.
One thing the Lord made me realize today (May 26, 2006) was an interesting detail in Luke 2:46 (quoted above):
"And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions" (Luke 2:46) [The word "doctors" was mistranslated from the word didaskalos, which literally means "teacher", and is translated as such in many other verses]
Notice that the child Jesus was sitting with the teachers hearing them and asking them questions. This means that Jesus was truly hungry for spiritual understanding. He probably wanted to ask Joseph and Mary a ton of questions, but, even in the midst of His youth, Jesus was able to discern that they could not answer many of the questions that were arising in His heart. This is why He felt the need to break off from them for 3 days. He was not going to remain under their "covering" if it meant that He would have to swallow His questions "unchewed". He needed to grow, and He was determined to go to those who could help in enabling His spiritual growth.
We grow through "question processes". As we groan and travail, looking for answers to spiritual questions, we activate the mind of Christ that has already been given to us. And, as that mind is activated, we begin to hear and understand the things of the Spirit. Fellow believer, a question betrays "non-satisfaction" and "emptiness". It betrays an awareness of a void that must be filled. Those who are satisfied do not ask any questions, because they have ended their quest for growth. They are like marathon runners who start to celebrate as they cross the 5-mile mark. They no longer ask any questions, because the 5-mile mark is as far as they are interested in going. Those who long to "complete the race", however, continue asking, and, with each "pressing question", their spiritual legs keep moving forward, pressing towards the full manifestation of the God-potential within them (and others). word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 2Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; 3Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 33:1-3)
Notice that this word from the Lord came to Jeremiah as he was "shut up" in the prison court (v1). The phrase "shut up" was translated from the Hebrew word atsar, which literally means "to restrain, withhold". In other words, as man was trying to "withhold" Jeremiah and stunt his growth, the word of the Lord came a "second time" because God could simply not stop talking to a man who remained hungry for Him, even as man was doing his best to restrain him. Even in the prison court, Jeremiah remained hungry, and God honored that hunger by visiting him with spiritual understanding a second time.
Notice how the Lord first declares that He is its "maker", the One who "formed it to establish it" (v2). This points to the following passage:
"18For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. 19I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right." (Isaiah 45:18-19)
In other words, the Lord is saying that He created us with a purpose. He did not create us "in vain" (v18). He made us appear on Earth to be "formed" into the fullness of His blueprint. We were not born into this world just to take up oxygen and "just be". Those of you who are aware of your "incompleteness" will lift up your eyes towards heaven and ask questions. Since God is waiting for you to fill your "incompleteness", He will be prompt to release His answers into your life. The mysteries shall be uncovered, for God "has not spoken in secret" (v19), meaning that He is not a "secret-keeper" who is bent on maintaining an immovable shroud over His mysteries. He wants you to "call unto Him" (Jeremiah 33:3), to travail and cry out unto Him for true spiritual understanding, and, as you do, God will "show you great and mighty things, which you know not" (Jeremiah 33:3). As you do this, the motivator for your hunger shall be "God Himself" (Isaiah 45:18). As your understanding grows, you will know Him more and more, and, as you know Him all the more (Ephesians 1:17), you enter into Oneness with Him.
The Lord Jesus knew that He was incomplete at age 12. He knew that God Himself had made Him appear on Earth to be "formed" and "established". His entire life was one of perennial growth as He travailed for answers and understanding (Hebrews 5:7-9). When all was said and done, Yeshua had adopted the full image of the Father in His life, and He ascended to be One with Him. The Lord God has called us to do the same, for the Spirit of Yeshua has been placed inside of us.
"6For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8)
When Paul realized that he had "finished his course" (v7), he immediately understood that his "time of departure" was at hand. Fellow believer, once you stop growing, there really is no reason for you to "stick around" any longer. Once you are "done asking questions", you are "done". God made the Earth, and He formed it to establish it. Therefore, once there is nothing else to "form" in you, there is no reason to remain upon this Earth, for this planet was designed as a "quarry" where we, as living stones, are shaped to be fitted in the Eternal Temple, God (1 Kings 6:7, Revelation 21:22, 1 Peter 2:5). Once the questions stop, the only answer left is to be taken from the quarry. Even the Lord Yeshua (our paragon), had an unanswered question shortly before He left the "quarry". Once that question was answered, it was time for Him to be "taken away":
"And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matthew 26:39)[Notice that Yeshua was asking the Father if there was an alternative to the death He was about to experience]
"42He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me." (Matthew 26:42-46)[After praying 3 times, He fully understood that the answer from heaven was "No, there is no alternative". Once that final question was answered, it was time for Him to go.]
It is interesting to note that, just as the Holy Spirit prompts Paul to speak about spiritual gifts (pneumatikos), he is also prompted to speak about "dumb idols":
"1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led." (1 Corinthians 12:1-2)
The word "dumb" was translated from the Greek word aphonos, which literally means "without voice", "without sound". When we stop asking questions, we become like voiceless idols. An idol is by nature a "static" figure. Therefore, when you stop asking questions in your inner being, you become the follower of a "static" image of God, and you thereby become the follower of an "idol". Idols have the appearance of life, but there is no real life in them, which is evidenced by the fact that they cannot expand to "fill all in all". They remain there, looking "holy" and "reverential" but lifelessly still. A believer who stops asking spiritual questions (and who thereby stops growing) becomes like one such idol. He or she may look all "holy", "reverential", and "alive" with his or her Bible under the armpit on the way to church, but, to God, he or she is "stiff as a statue", because he or she is not the follower of an ever-expansive God.
As you voice questions, you are evidencing the life of God flowing from within you. This voicing of questions continues until you reach the point that you "fill all in all" in Him:
"17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1:17-23)
Notice how God longs for us to grow in the "spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him" (v17) so that the "eyes of our understanding be enlightened" (v18) and we be made aware of the exceeding magnitude of our calling. Those who allow their eyes to be enlightened will not be "satisfied". They will long to grow and grow in Christ, who grew until He was set at the right hand of God (v20), far above all principalities and all name that is named (v21). This growth process was "wrought in Christ" (v20), meaning that it was not "magically" given to Him. According to Webster's Dictionary, one of the meanings for the word "wrought" is "shaped by hammering or beating, said of metals". Therefore, God's work in Christ implied a painful growth process which was activated and furthered by Christ's constant desire to grow. According to the passage above, this growth process is to be manifested in us, if we are truly "in Christ". While the "body of Moses" (i.e.- the Church under the Old Covenant of "ministerial intermediaries") is a static, voiceless entity, the "body of Christ" (i.e.- the remnant believers who abhor the ministerial spirit of anti-Christ) is a dynamic, sound-filled organism that grows in the knowledge of the Lord, expanding to "fill all in all" (v23).
Ever since I have been typing this word, the Lord has been constantly reminding me of a song's lyrics. Through a very unusual incident that happened yesterday (May 26, 2006), the Lord made it very clear that He wanted these lyrics included in this word. The song is entitled "Speed of Sound", and is by a British group named Coldplay. These are the lyrics:
How long before I get in {Notice how the song starts with 4 successive questions. In the song's video, the singer looks up as he asks these questions, which makes it evident that he is asking God these questions. These questions betray a hungry heart that is grasping for answers as it longs for a new understanding. In between the 3rd and the 4th questions, God replies to His 3rd question by saying, "If you never try, then you'll never know". This reveals an important fact: Many people don't ask questions because they always want to know where they are headed before they start on their journey. Question-asking, however, requires venturing out into unchartered waters with no shore in sight. As you start your "question quest", you only know where you are starting, but you don't know where you will end up. Still, you are willing to go on your quest because you would rather venture out into the unknown than get stagnated where you are currently at. You know you are incomplete where you are, so you have no choice but to go out and take a chance.}
Look up, I look up at night Planets are moving at the speed of light Climb up, up in the trees Every chance that you get is a chance you seize {Here, the singer is realizing that there is a spiritual level "up there" that he has yet to reach. He understands that, at that level, things move at "the speed of light", i.e.- in a higher dimension that he is yet to reach. He then speaks of "climbing trees", which is a prophetic reference to how God sees us as trees that start small and are destined to grow to great heights. The last line in this lyrics paragraph then points out that you must be a proactive conqueror if you plan to reach that higher level.}
How long am I gonna stand {Here, the singer is speaking of the "ostrich" spirit of "spiritual moronism" that hides its head in the sand whenever it is challenged beyond its current understanding. Ostrich believers simply place a label of "mystery" over all the things they don't understand, and they move on. Ostrich believers are also followers of "spiritual heads" who are comfortable in their spiritual stagnation. Their attitude is "If my leader is comfortable where he is at, why shouldn't I?"
The last 2 lines in this lyrics paragraph are a powerful word of warning. In order to have your head stuck in the sand, your head must be upside down. If you stay there too long, you will get used to seeing things upside down, and you will start saying that they are the "right way up", because you will have accommodated your mind to always seeing them upside down. Spiritual conformity eventually breeds Korah-style judgment distortion.}
-------- (Chorus)-------- {The first line in this paragraph contrasts "noise" versus "sound". Even though the Church is "soundless" at the spirit level, it is "annoyingly noisy" at the soul level. And, while the soul speaks in the Church, the spirit is forced to remain silent, and the spirit nature of God's people never grows. We must not be like little children who get easily distracted by the Church's "soul noise". Because of the Holy Spirit in us, we have been endowed with the ability to distinguish between "soul noise" and "spirit sound" (1 John 2:20-27).
The second line in this paragraph is a very "mysterious" line. On a couple of lyrics websites, I found this line transcribed as "All those pieces I have found". Yet, when I listen to the song myself (without the "noise pollution" of human intermediaries), I repeatedly hear the singer say, "All those places I got found". I am convinced that the lyrics posted on these websites got this line wrong because the actual words make no human sense to those who transcribed the lyrics. Yet, these words make complete sense in the context of the lyrics that follow. Notice how the last 2 lines in this lyrics paragraph speak of "birds flying from the underground", which points to green-horse riders who rise like the phoenix and like eagles from the Sheol underground. Once you go through your Sheol experience and resurrect in newness of life, you enter a new spiritual dimension that allows for "spiritual transports" that were not possible before. Under the green-horse anointing, you develop the ability to physically be manifested in many different places. Since you walk in resurrection freedom, you become "multiplied", and you are able to appear in many different places in different ways. You might not even be fully aware of this "multiplication", but you can rest assured that there will be multiple physical manifestations of the spirit in you in the places under your realm of spiritual responsibility. All of this explains the mysterious words "All those places I got found".
The third and fourth lines in this lyrics paragraph speak of "birds flying at the speed of sound to show you how it all began". This is a prophetic figure of how the transformation of the Church and the world has started through remnant believers launching their voice into the spirit realm. As hungry believers become aware that the current structures are woefully incomplete, "silent" questions have been raised into the atmosphere, and the sound of these questions have acted like "birds" breaking the sound barrier and kick-starting the process that shall end in the Lord's parousia. According to 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, the Lord's manifestation is preceded by 3 sounds: a red-horse shout, a black-horse archangel voice, and a green-horse trumpet blast.
The 3rd and 4th lines also point to the Earth's regeneration. The sounds of God's uttered words were what kick-started the regeneration of an Earth in chaos (Genesis 1:3). God placed man on Earth as a vessel through whom His words would be uttered so that the entire Earth would be conquered back unto Him, because the genesis of regeneration is sound. When a human being speaks words in faith and submission to Him, it is as if God Himself is speaking.
As we have shared before, those who are willing to shed themselves in prophetic sacrifice unto death are making a "quantum leap of light". As you "go to Sheol and back", you break the "light barrier", and you move from the realm of earthly limitation to the realm of the eternal. Therefore, this lyrics paragraph speaks of two barriers: the sound barrier (when you go past the speed of sound) and the light barrier (when you go past the speed of light). The "sound barrier" is broken when we walk in the anointing of John the Baptist. The "light barrier" is broken when we share in the Lord's death and resurrection.}
Ideas that you'll never find {In this paragraph, the singer speaks about the nature of the "sounds" he is hearing. These sounds carry ideas that are not devised by the natural mind, but, rather, by the mind of Christ. As these "unnatural sounds" are being uttered by God's remnant, the rest of the Church is bent on building her projects through soul noise. The Church is putting up these projects with her "moronic" head in the sand, meaning that her head is upside down. Therefore, as she is supposedly building "upwards", she is actually building downwards, towards the emptiness of Sheol (Psalm 127:1-4). This explains the line "... chipped down in China, all laid up". As you may know, it is common in the Western culture to jokingly say that you will end up in China if you dig a hole deep enough. Since the "moronic" Church's buildings are being built downwards, they end up in "China", where they are chipped down to nothingness.
In this line, there is a play on the word "china", which can be taken as "China" the country or "china" the "porcelain" material, which speaks of fragility. The "moronic" Church is busy putting up buildings made of a fragile material that does not stand up to the hammer of ever-enduring Truth:
"Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:29)
"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth" (John 17:17)
"The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment" (Proverbs 12:19)
"7The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. 8They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness." (Psalm 111:7-8)
There is also another hidden prophetic meaning behind the word "China". As we have shared before, China has a strong teacher calling, along with a hidden endowment of God's Philadelphia spirit of dreams and visions. Therefore, the "Chinese men" who are chipping down the Church's china buildings are the red-horse teachers whom God has inserted into the Church to "tear up" the doctrines of men, proving them invalid when compared to God's Word. These teachers are "Philadelphia dreamers" who visualize the Glory of God manifested in all believers, because their souls recognize and love the Spirit nature that God has imparted to everyone who has believed.
In the last 4 lines of this lyrics paragraph, the singer speaks of signs that he could not discern and lights he was unable to see. This again reveals his willingness to admit that there are things beyond his understanding, meaning that he is admitting his "ignorance". The English word "ignorant" is derived from the Greek word agnoeo, which is, in turn, derived from the prefix a meaning "without" and gnosis meaning "(heart) knowledge". Therefore, to be "ignorant" of something is to lack a heart knowledge of it. Heart knowledge (gnosis) is different from mental knowledge (eido). For example, you can know many mental facts about George W. Bush without ever meeting him or hearing him speak. But, in order to know him heart to heart, you must be willing to take the time to listen to him speaking from the depth of his heart. There are many eschatological parrots who speak about end-time prophecy; they have a mental knowledge (eido) of prophetic passages in the Bible, and they quote them verbatim in amazing fashion. However, their mental knowledge has not translated into heart knowledge (gnosis). They have not approached God to listen to His heart and discern what He is truly saying behind the words they have memorized. They have failed to look up and realize that there is a higher dimension than the one they are operating in. Because they don't look up, they remain at the Girgashite level, so they never become aware of the signs and lights going on in the spirit realm. It is one thing to be "ignorant"; it is another not to even know you are "ignorant". It is one thing to be aware of things you ignore; it is another not to be aware of your own ignorance.
When people look up and see signs and lights they don't understand, most of them (including most leaders in the Church) react like ostriches. They quickly sink their head in the sand and pretend as if they saw nothing. It hurts their pride to accept that their understanding is incomplete. The singer, however, reacts differently. He does understand that there are "things you have to believe", meaning that you must often act without knowing the full answer, but that does not mean that you are not to long for an understanding of things. This is why he also speaks of "puzzles puzzling him". These are the puzzles that God places in your heart, things that make you restless until you gain full understanding. As you grow in understanding, things you simply "believed" at first will turn into "puzzles puzzling you", and your understanding will grow until you truly know Him, the Fullness of all things. When I studied math as a child, I was taught certain basic algebra operations and geometric formulas, which I accepted "as is" because my understanding was not mature enough to discern the theoretical foundation for these operations and formulas. As I grew, however, the very operations and formulas which I initially accepted "by faith" became puzzles that puzzled me. As I searched for the theoretical justification for these operations and formulas, my understanding grew. When God presents you with something new, there are times when you don't know the full "spiritual proof" for that new thing. You just "know in your knower" that it is true, because the Holy Spirit witnesses to its truth, even if you don't have "all the facts". As you relate to and operate in that "new thing", its truthfulness will become more and more evident to you. Your understanding will open up to the "spiritual proof" behind that "new thing", and what you initially "accepted by faith" will eventually be "fully embraced" by you because you will understand its core and fully know it to be true.
"39And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. 40So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. 41And many more believed because of his own word; 42And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." (John 4:39-42) }
[CHORUS] {As we said above, the song's chorus speaks of green-horse birds flying from the underground at the speed of light. The line "when you see it, then you'll understand" emphasizes the fact that green-horse manifestations and events are very difficult to discern in the natural mind, but those whose hearts are willing to be opened to the truth shall eventually see these green-horse manifestations and understand. Once you begin to see green-horse manifestations, you will have moved from discerning things flying at the speed of sound to discerning things flying at the speed of light.
"13And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?" (Luke 24:13-18)
The word "know" in verse 16 was translated from the Greek word epiginosko, which is a combination of the prefix epi meaning "upon, over" and ginosko meaning "to know" (ginosko is the verb form of gnosis). In other words, epiginosko refers to a "heart knowledge that goes over and above". These disciples did in a way know Jesus; they had walked with Jesus during His ministry on Earth, and they had been "up close and personal" with Him. Yet, the Jesus who was standing before them was a green-horse Jesus who had gone through death, Sheol, and resurrection. They understood the red-horse Jesus who had separated them from the religious structures in Jerusalem, and they knew the black-horse Jesus who molded them in the often-lonely journey that He took them on during His earthly ministry, but they did not know green-horse Jesus, the Jesus who was no longer moving at the speed of sound but at the speed of light. That is the reason why He suddenly appeared with them out of nowhere (v15). To "epiginosko" God, you must be willing to enter into the green-horse anointing.
Notice also how Cleopas reprimands Jesus' question (v17). The word "known" used by Cleopas in verse 18 was translated from the Greek verb ginosko, the verb form of gnosis. Therefore, Cleopas was declaring that Jesus was the "ignorant" one, as opposed to them, who did "know" what had transpired during those days. Those who place their heads in the sand are quick to condemn those who raise questions that in any way insinuate that there are things which we have yet to learn, especially when those questions deal with issues which the hearers feel they have already "mastered". Those who think like that have failed to understand an important truth found in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3: You are not supposed to master the Word of God; instead, you are supposed to be mastered by It. You expose yourself to the Word, not to "dominate" It, but to humbly learn and be dominated by It. The Word is "learned", not "mastered".
Notice how the Holy Spirit takes the time to mention the name of the disciple who spoke the words in verse 18. The name "Cleopas" literally means "of a renowned father". Therefore, it speaks of someone who places the weight of His understanding on the earthly reputation of the one who taught him. Once Jesus, Cleopas' teacher, fell in "ill repute" by dying like a criminal, Cleopas did not know what to think anymore. Those who act like Cleopas by basing the credibility of their understanding on the earthly reputation of their "coverings" shall never grow into the fullness of God's calling. Their understanding shall be limited to the understanding of their earthly fathers, and they will ambition to go no further. Why go where your paragon is not interested in going? Yet, our paragon is Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1, Luke 6:40) and our teacher is the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27), and their reputation is not very "good" or "visible" among those who operate in the natural realm:
"It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?" (Matthew 10:25)
"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 3:8)
Notice how verse 15 declares that "Jesus Himself" appeared to them; this points to the New Covenant, which has no human intermediaries. Therefore, if you want to live in the fullness of the New Covenant, you must be willing to eventually discern things that travel at the green-horse speed of resurrected light. Otherwise, you will act like the two disciples in Luke 24 who began a slow backslide into the Old Covenant, where you once again become dependent on "renowned fathers" and where God is a being "far, far away".
Notice now how Jesus lovingly reacts to the disciples' spiritual blindness:
"25Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 33And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread." (Luke 24:25-35)
Notice how the Lord reprimands them with a harsh and confrontational question, calling them "fools". Notice also how the disciples humbly accepted His confrontation, even when they did not yet know who Jesus was. Instead of being "offended" by the stranger's harshness, they hospitably asked him to stay the night with them. Because of their humility, their eyes were eventually opened, and they were able to discern a Jesus who was now moving in the green-horse speed of resurrection light. As the song's lyrics declare, "...Oh, when you see it, then you'll understand".
It is worth noting that the passage that deals with the 2 disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) has 5 questions in it, 3 by Jesus Himself (v17, 19, 26), 1 by Cleopas (v18), and one by both disciples to each other (v32). It is through the raising of questions that our understanding is increased. Let him who is willing to accept this receive it.}
All those signs, I knew what they meant {To those who are willing to admit their "ignorance" and raise questions as they behold signs above that they don't understand, to them shall the signs be revealed, and they will know "what they meant". Fellow believer, as you grow in the Spirit, your spiritual eyes will peer through the veil and see the underlying spiritual roots and currents behind all human action. You will no longer see the spirit realm at "church" only. You will see it in all things. There will be no difference between the "spiritual you" and the "secular you", and you will see God's Hand and Will in everything.
The 2nd and 3rd lines in this lyrics paragraph are an admission of a higher level of understanding. Though many things can be fashioned and understood with a natural understanding, not all things can be "invented" in the natural realm. Some "get made" and some "get sent". The signs that "get made" are those where we present ourselves as a "living sacrifice", allowing God to work signs in the spirit realm through our very lives. That is the reason why the Lord speaks of "the sign of Jonah", meaning that Jonah was himself the sign as he allowed himself to be sent to Sheol and back. On the other hand, the signs that "get sent" are those that are wrought through the lives of others and are presented to us so that we may learn and grow; such was the case of the 2 disciples on the way to Emmaus; in their case, Yeshua was the sign before them, but He was a sign "sent to them" by God to challenge them to a new understanding.}
Fellow believer, as you look up and launch questions, the sound of your voice begins to travel like birds at the speed of sound, stirring the spiritual atmosphere all around you. As you travail to find the answer to your questions, you will grow in your understanding, and, as that understanding is ingrained in your being, you yourself (not just your questions) will travel like birds, only this time they will travel at the speed of light.
To some, it may seem like we have completely digressed from the original question sent by the visitor. Yet, all that was shared here is at the heart of that question, because it is a question about the recognition of "spiritual things" (pneumatikos). It is, in essence, a "foundational question" that requires a "foundational answer". Our God is a God who builds on solid foundations (Matthew 7:24, Psalm 11:3). To raise a building that goes "up", you must first dig a hole that goes "down". Small buildings require shallow foundations. Tall buildings require deep foundations. A shallow hole leads to a "superficial" building (i.e.- a building that barely rises above the surface). A deep hole leads to a "skyscraper" (i.e.- a building that breaks past the limitations of this earthly realm and reaches into the eternal realm).
God willing, we will continue the answer to this question in a future posting... |