HearHim.net » hear him

The hearing ear and the seeing eye

Andre Rabe — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:00:33 +0000

No father desires a relationship with his children to be interfered with by a third party broker – speaking to his children via an interpreter. The Father, your Creator, desires a direct, open relationship with you personally. He is confident in the ability He gave you to hear Him and to respond to Him. “The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made them both.” Pr. 20:12

Jesus, seeing the emptiness of religious festivals and rituals offered a much better alternative. “On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” (John 7:37-38). Jesus has more to offer than religious festivals and rituals; more than external sources of religious experiences. Once you partake of what He has to offer it becomes a source of overflowing life within you.

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The Crescendo (Chapter 6)

Andre Rabe — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:17:32 +0000

Throughout ancient times God spoke in many fragments and glimpses of prophetic thought to our fathers. Now, the sum total of His conversation with man has finally culminated in a son; He is the official heir of all things, He is after all the author of the ages. In Him everything finds their destiny. (Christ is the crescendo of God’s conversation with us.) He makes the glory (intent) of God visible in radiant reflection, He gives stature to the character and person of God. (Gen.1:26,27.)This final powerful utterance of God (the incarnation) is the vehicle that carries the weight of the universe. The content of His message celebrates the fact that God took it upon Himself to successfully purge and acquit mankind. Jesus is now His right hand of power, seated in the boundless measure of His majesty. He occupies the highest seat of authority.
Heb. 1:1-3 Mirror Translation

All the prophets bore witness and pointed towards an event; a person, in which the mystery – the fullness of God’s purpose – would be made known. It was not because of a lack of diligence that they only saw and spoke in fragments and glimpses, but because of the enormity of this revelation. There was only One who was worthy to open the seals; only One who would have the strength and wisdom to accurately reflect God’s original idea; only One who witnessed and was part of God’s original motivation to create. The prophets saw glimpses of the mind of God, but Jesus is the mind of God.

In no way does this belittle the prophets, but rather it emphasises the significance of Christ. The messages that came through the prophets had such rich variety, they were relevant in so many different generations and were communicated in such a diversity of ways, but they were all moving towards a climax – the crescendo of God’s conversation with man. The prophets spoke, wrote and sometimes used dramatic action to communicate their message – Jesus is the message. The prophets often spoke a word that was relevant for their generation, their time and situation – Jesus is the complete and eternal Word, always relevant, always fresh. The prophets bore witness to the reality and truth they saw – Jesus is that reality, is that truth. He is the very brilliance and light of God’s character and His aim is not simply to reveal truth to us, but to make us true. As we behold Him we are transformed into that same image!

The One who began it all, the Author of the ages, has not forsaken what He made. He is as surely the Lord of ‘destiny’ as He is the Lord of creation. The Creator is also the Redeemer. He has not retreated into being a distant observer, a purely transcendent God, but continues to be intimately involved, sustaining all existence, upholding the universe.

When John speaks about the Word that became flesh, He is saying that the very mind of God, the reason and very life of God was made visible, so that we no longer have to grope in the darkness, but know His thoughts towards us. He is the true or real light – the essence and reality of everything. If you want to know what God is like, look at what Jesus is like. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”. In this one statement He identifies Himself as the ultimate reality, the mind of God revealed.

God’s Word is Jesus Christ. There is only one Word and only one mediator between man and God, the man Christ Jesus. All He has to say to us, He said in Christ. All He has to give to us, He gave in Jesus Christ, for in Christ, He gave Himself in all His fullness. Not only did He become man, but in His free gift of grace, He makes us like Himself. Our entire relation with God, happens within this Word. This is the Word that planned our existence, this is the Word through whom we were created, this is the Word that is our mediation, this is the Word that reveals the secret of our identity and the purpose of our existence, and this Word is our only hope and destiny.
The Word Eternal

Long before the first line of scripture
was penned on papyrus scroll,
the Word, unwritten,
existed as the mind of God.

Before the books were gathered
collated as sacred text,
the Word, intangible; invisible,
was planning, was ordering
the ages that were to come.
This Word predates the Bible,
this Word predates creation,
this Word is alive and active
and speaking still today.

“Heaven is my throne room;
I rest my feet on earth.
So what kind of house
will you build me?” says God.

What kind of doctrine could enfold Him,
What kind of information could define Him,
What kind of book could contain Him?

Yet, despite His boundless nature,
within His infinite wisdom,
He devised a crafty plan, by which
His thoughts, His intents
would fit themselves into
the form of a humble seed:
The DNA of His own life,
encrypted within the written Word.

And so began the writing
of that which we now call:
the Bible – the Scriptures.
Within the limitations; imperfections
of human words and human authors
God placed His eternal perfect seed.

A seed is not a tree;
the Scriptures are not our God,
Yet a seed is the beginning, the start -
provided with fruitful soil,
encouraged by water and light,
a seed gives birth to a being
much greater than itself.

His plan foresaw the day
in which this seed would blossom
no longer encrypted; no longer disguised
but fully expressed in the person
of Jesus – the Christ – the Son
The One who was in the beginning
revealed within our midst
Immanuel – God with us -
the Word became flesh.

His desire is still the same:
for His Word to break free of the boundaries
of letters and text and theories
and yet again, became flesh,
and yet again find expression in a person:
you – the chosen – the offspring of God.

So as we approach the Scriptures,
do more than read what is written -
listen to what is spoken.
So once again we can encounter
the mind, the voice, the person
who spoke long before
pen or paper were born.
(by Andre Rabe)
This Great Salvation
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you concerning things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. 1 Pet 1:10-12

When they inquired about the time to which all their writings pointed, the event that would be the fulfillment of God’s purpose and the release of His glory on earth, the Spirit of God within them pointed towards the sufferings of Christ. They realised that we ( those who came after the suffering of Christ ) would be the beneficiaries of this event. How many continue to search the scriptures, trying to find another prophesy that points to another time or event, and in the process neglect the greatest event – this great salvation.

The Jews divided time into two parts, namely: the present age, and the age to come. The ‘present age’ was subject to evil and the ‘age to come’ would be the perfect age in which God rules. In between these two ages they saw the ‘Day of the Lord’ which was, as it were the birth pangs of the new age. The writer of Hebrews is saying that the age of glimpses, fragments is gone and the age of completeness has come. The time of shadows and grasping in the dark has gone, the time of reality and truth has come. In Jesus “… the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining” and “you will do well to heed this word as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (1John2:8, 2 Pet 1:19). Jesus is not just another messenger of ‘the present age’, but He is the Day of the Lord, giving birth to a whole new dispensation.

God anticipated a time and a person in which He would reveal Himself in such clarity and completeness, that for all eternity it would be known as the crescendo, the sum total of His conversation with man. Just as He spoke creation into existence, this declaration would once again be a word of such magnitude that it would give birth to a whole new creation. Just as He originally said: “let light shine out of darkness”, He would once again speak a word that would shine with the knowledge of the favour of God; a message that would radiate the character of God with such accuracy that it would dispel all darkness, destroy all ignorance of His love and leave man without excuse to remain distant. This event would mark the end of the old Adamic race, a race defined by the fall of man, and be the birth of a new humanity, a humanity which God reconciled to Himself, not holding their trespassed against them, a humanity defined by Christ – His final Word regarding man.

Identity revealed
In the face of Christ Jesus the eternal purpose of God, His original intent and thoughts towards man were made plain. This revelation destroys every false identity and unlocks the truth about us. The light that confronted Saul on the way to Damascus was both a destructive force and a life-giving encounter. The flaming fire of the presence of God eternally destroyed Saul, and simultaneously brought forth Paul – the true person that God had in mind since the beginning. As Paul continued to look into this light, he saw the face of Christ shining with the knowledge of the glory of God. As he looked deeply, he became aware of the real significance of Christ, a significance far beyond the miracles He performed, a significance far beyond the few years He spent on earth. He began to recognise, in the face of Christ, the true identity of mankind.

It is this insight into Christ which takes us beyond a mere historic appreciation of Him, into a present awareness of the One who lives; the One who represents my innocence at the right hand of God.

Jesus once asked: “Who do men say that I am?”. After His disciples gave Him all the current opinions and hearsay stories, He asked: “And you, who do you say that I am?”. There is an appointed time for you to move beyond popular opinion and come to your own conclusion. Can you hear Him asking you that question today: “Who do you say that I am?” Seeing Him for who He truly is, is not an intellectual exercise; it’s not simply reading about what He did or said. Even His disciples who were with Him did not come to an accurate conclusion about Him from observing Him in the natural. It was only when the Father revealed His own point of view to Peter, that Peter started to appreciate the real Christ. Jesus then immediately started speaking to Peter about his true identity – that He was a piece of a rock carved and originating in another rock. Reminds us of Is 51: “You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn” In realising His true identity, you discover your own. “The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.” (Rom 12:3 MSG).

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. (2 Cor 3:18 NAS). Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the reflection of God’s original thought about us, the means by which we were created, the mediator through whom we are justified and made blameless, the mirror in whom we see the truth that we were indeed created in His image and likeness.

Christ is the revelation of your true identity. “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col 3:4 NAS) The word ‘when’ in the Greek is in the present continuous tense. In other words ‘whenever’ is probably a better translation. The Mirror translation says it this way: “Every time Christ is revealed as our life, we are being co-revealed in the same glory (likeness and image of God) being united together with Him.”

More details of the book here: Secret of Contentment

Outrageous Love

Dawie Blake — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:03:47 +0000

(by Dawie Blake)

A life of happiness is one that finds its place in the outrageous & spacious love and excitement of God.

Listen to this…
All the tax collectors and sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes accused him, saying: “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Jesus immediately responds with no less than 3 parables to emphasize God’s view of the so-called “sinners”… these parables are key to understanding what motivates God.

He says: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’”

The term “hundred sheep” refers to the world with all its “sinners”, and the term “one” is an individual. This Man may have more than 6 billion sheep, but if one goes astray He will not count the 6 billion enough but immediately leave to go after the one! He will seek until he finds. Not give up after a week or 2 months or a year, but until He finds him. And when He finds him he is overjoyed and not angry with the sheep. He lovingly picks him up and carries him all the way home. He then calls all his friends and neighbours and celebrates his joy with them…

Now throughout all my observation and experience I have never seen or heard of a man motivated in this manner. Its, well, nearly ridiculous… placing so much value on the individual (and in this case the one who was the worst of the lot) to seek him, not giving up until he finds, not being angry at all, and then calling everyone he knows together in a huge celebration.

This, my friend, is what righteousness in God’s heart is about. Its not about doing right, but about placing the right value. “Sadok”, the Hebrew for righteousness, is the beam in a scale of balances. If God places you and your life on one side of the scale, what did He put on the other side to balance it out… no less than Himself!

You see, there was never another you. And there will never be another you. He only has one of you, if he loses you… he has lost you. For Him, you have equal value than Himself. He cannot be without you.

Jesus asks, “What man…” I don’t know of one with this outrageous love for us…
The last part of this parable was aimed specifically at the Pharisees’ twisted mindsets, “I say unto you, that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents (Gr. metanoeo – to change your mind) than over ninety nine (so called) just persons that need (Gr. echo – the correct translation is to hold, posses or conceive…) no repentance (Gr. metanoia – change of mind)”.

Someone once said something that left a deep impression on me: “When Jesus hung on that cross, He didn’t die for a faceless multitude, but He died for you by name”.

Once I went out into the night alone and sought God. I became distinctly aware of Him saying to me, “David if you were the only one on earth, I would still die for you.”

For months though, I wasn’t satisfied with this impression alone, and there was a yearning within me to read it in the bible. I prayed and searched specifically about this. Then one day I was sitting on my bed and opened my bible where it says: “I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” I read this, and then opened the bible directly at the above portion, loosely translated: “I am the Good Shepherd that will leave the ninety nine and go after the one”. If you put these two scriptures together we have this word confirmed.

(When next you have some study time, I recommend looking up the word “shepherd” in the New Testament…)

In order to clearly emphasize the principle Jesus tells the 2nd parable in Luk 15.

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.’”

The Pharisee may think that a coin (a simple man) is worth nothing, but this special woman searches carefully until she finds it; and once again an outrageous celebration follows in the joy of the find. Likewise God rejoices in your intrinsic value.

Jesus felt so strongly about establishing God’s viewpoint against the Pharisees’ viewpoint of man that He told another radical parable.

Luk 15 from verse 11. This parable I found so rich with meaning … let it linger in your mind…
“There was a man who had two sons; And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he wasted all his possessions with prodigal living.”

Young and without insight and knowledge this son may have lived in the home, but in his heart he was lost and living somewhere else. So the Father, seeking to find him, let him go…

“And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger!’”

So when the temporary dried up and his once confident, independence and control over circumstances could not satisfy or sustain him, the truth started dawning on him. He realised his foolishness and that his Father is the only continually sustaining source of life. He realised that this is where he belongs.

“I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘

Notice that although he sincerely repented, he still had a “sinner” and a slave mentality. He viewed himself as the Pharisees would have. They must have reeled with disgust at the thought of prodigal living and thereafter living with pigs!

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

Now it is very uncommon for Hebrew fathers to run. Woman and children ran, but not “respectable” fathers. What is more, is that the father was constantly on the lookout, scanning the horizon. He was the first to see him from a distance. There was only one thought on his mind, this all-surpassing treasure of His was found. Overcome by emotion he ran to embrace and kiss his son, not giving any popular opinions any thought.

And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

The son had his little speech prepared and delivered it. He valued himself according to his deeds, and therefore only expected the very least.

The father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’

Paul asks, “if He has given us Jesus, how much more won’t He give us all things?” Rom 8:

These parables all point to a single principle – how does God value and see you? If I can put the answer in words it would be that the definition of you is Himself and His love, not where you come from or what you have done.

Why does God feel so strongly about this one principle? Imagine building an intimate relationship with someone based not on value, but on guilt and a poor self-image! It will never work. Why do we fool ourselves thinking God who did everything to reconcile us to Him in blameless innocence (Col 1:22) takes pleasure when we feel sinful & unworthy? How can I build a relationship with Him feeling this way? It is nothing less than a false religious humility based on the original sin of “I am not, I must become”. And it disregards His accomplishments on the cross. True humility is to know my works or my past cannot help me, but He did it all, a perfect and complete work! Now I see as He sees, I know as He knows – I am enveloped in His love, His thoughts, His works, His joy – I rejoice and rest in all I am and have in Him, and that’s all that matters to Him.

—

Although the sheep or the coin or the son were lost, and may have been battered along the way, they never lost their value. Nothing can change it, not even you, and so nothing can separate us from His love. Nothing can change the cross – it happened and the result was final. Do you really understand what happened there? It is the single most important truth you will ever consider… make sure you do!

‘Bottled at Source’

Andre Rabe — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:34:05 +0000

“Bottled at Source’ is the proud statement printed on the bottle of spring water I hold in my hand. The rest of the message emphasises how this water contains no additives or contaminants, but only the natural goodness found at the source – the unpolluted origin. The message is clear: the further from the source, the greater the potential for contamination; the closer to the source, the purer.

This is the same idea Paul had about the message he preached. “Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not based on a human point of view. For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:11,12

The first chapter of this letter and much of the second is focused on this concept that no human taught him this message, neither was it the product of his own scholastic efforts. Rather, this message was initiated and communicated by God directly – he received it from the source … unpolluted, original, authoritative, pure. This gospel is not subject to human interpretation, translation or misrepresentation.

He goes through great lengths to explain that he had no prolonged contact with any of the recognized leaders – in summary: “But from those recognized as important (what they really were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism )—those recognized as important added nothing to me.” (2:6)

Paul obviously understood the importance of direct, unrestricted contact with the Light of life as apposed to a second-hand religious system that attempts to communicate truth through a man-made hierarchy. Now he undoubtedly thought it important to communicate this message, but the whole purpose of his communication (and mine) was to introduce the listeners to the Source of these truths and not to set himself up as the source of their spiritual understanding. His attitude is portrayed so clearly in this portion of one of his letters: “We’re not in charge of how you live out the faith, looking over your shoulders, suspiciously critical. We’re partners, working alongside you, joyfully expectant. I know that you stand by your own faith, not by ours.” 2 Cor 1:24 MSG

This seems to me a very different approach to that taken by religious institutions. Most of these institutions regard themselves, consciously or unconsciously, as the guardians of truth – desiring to control and mediate between their followers and God. In the process these religious systems have become contaminants of the original message – no longer containing the pure message as derived from the source, but mixed with the additives of human tradition and popular interpretation.

No father desires a relationship with his children to be interfered with through a third party broker – speaking to his children via an interpreter. The Father, your Creator, desires a direct open relationship with you personally. He is confident in the ability He gave you to hear Him and respond .
Jesus, seeing the emptiness of religious festivals and rituals offered a much better alternative. “On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” John 7:37,38

Saviour

Andre Rabe — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 11:31:19 +0000

This past week my family and I were on holiday on the Cornwall coast. I simply expected to enjoy a relaxing time, but it was a Divine appointment in which God drew me to Himself in a surprising way.

We explored a few of the coastal towns and came to a place called St. Ives. Set on an idyllic coastline and blessed with a characterful town, it was everything I hoped Cornwall to be. As we walked the quaint cobblestone paths, appreciating the cottages and ancient buildings all around … I became strangely aware of an … an emptiness!

Now, feelings of emptiness or any other negativity is not something I tolerate. I would normally just turn my mind on Him and return to a place of peace and rest. As I silently prayed, I sensed that what was happening was something He initiated. He was giving me an experience of emptiness … exactly the opposite of the fullness one experiences in His presence.

In the midst of all the beauty … even in the company of those I love, I became aware of such meaningless emptiness. He showed me what life is like without Him. Without Him the idyllic coast was reduced to nothing more than dirt and water. The beauty drained from every scene. The picturesque cobblestone paths and cottages became nothing more than dirty streets between old buildings.

The crowds of excited holiday makers, roaming through town, suddenly lost all their energy – all seemed like such meaningless activity – no value; no purpose … nothing without Him.

The Lord pulled me back from this place of despair and I enjoyed many precious moments with the family. I knew that He was teaching me something very significant and from time to time I would again have some experience that reminded me of the hopelessness of everything without Him.

The lesson was brought to a conclusion on the trip home – a seven hour journey. God reveals much about Himself by the names He chose for Himself. I was reminded of the name ‘Jesus’ – the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means Saviour.

Matthew 1:21She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus , for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them from failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God].

I began to appreciate Him as Saviour in a way that overwhelmed me with gratitude. In the midst of emptiness, meaninglessness and purposelessness, He is indeed my Saviour.

The most delicious meal, set in a perfect environment would fail to stir an appetite … without Him.
The simplest of meals, satisfies … with Him.
A life of great achievement would be nothing more than wasted activities, meaningless pursuits and purposeless existence … without Him. But with Him, seemingly insignificant moments become eternal treasures. He saves my live from emptiness. He saves every moment from insignificance.
Our highest and best thoughts, even our thoughts about Him, would be nothing more than empty philosophy; self-deceit … if they were without Him, without His warm and personal presence.

But He did not leave us to and by ourselves, to guess and grope in the dark after some idea of Him. No, He came – the Word became flesh and revealed the thoughts of God – grace upon grace; truth upon truth – substance that dispels all emptiness. He Himself became the truth of my thoughts, the substance of my dreams.

“Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too.” Col 1
Saviour … Jesus,
Thank You, thank You, thank You.

Listen…

Andre Rabe — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 21:24:33 +0000

He is speaking â€¦ are you listeningâ€¦
Morning by morning he awakens me; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord God has opened my earâ€¦Isa 50:4

He is speaking consistently â€“ morning by morning â€“ and He has given you the ability to hear Him.

He has so much to offer â€“ real fulfilment and satisfaction â€“ but what price does He place on this offer; what does He want from us?

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently ( pay attention ) to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure loveâ€¦ â€œ Isa 55:1-3

The opportunity to hear Him is ever present, and the result of hearing Him is rest – a rest of satisfaction.

God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, just as he did in David’s psalm, centuries later than the original invitation: Today, please listen, don’t turn a deaf ear . . .
And so this is still a live promise. It wasn’t cancelled … otherwise, God wouldn’t keep renewing the appointment for “today.”
The promise of “arrival” and “rest” is still there for God’s people…Heb 4

So, friends, we can now–without hesitation–walk right up to God, into “the Holy Place.” Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice, acting as our priest before God. The “curtain” into God’s presence is his body.
So let’s do it–full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out.
Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word.
Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching …Heb 10

The Scriptures in Perspective

Andre Rabe — Sun, 21 May 2006 15:10:00 +0000

What a joy it is to develop relationship with a God that loves to speak! Our God is not silent, nor withdrawn. His voice is familiar and finds an echo within our own hearts. Scriptures is one of the ways in which He chose to reveal Himself, and how to discover His living voice, instead of dead letters, within the scriptures, is the focus of this writing.

Attitude is such an important ingredient in any relationship. Our attitude toward the scriptures greatly determines the value we find in them. The very definition of attitude implies a complex and delicate state that involves beliefs, feelings, and values.

Because of this I thought it best to start with a series of symbols or illustrations, which describe the Word of God. Many of the passages we’ll look at refer to the Word of God beyond just the scope of Scriptures, and I appreciate that God speaks in many ways, but the focus of this writing is specifically on discovering His voice within the scriptures.

Jesus likened the Word of God to seed. Seed is a marvel. An apple seed is not an apple tree, yet it contains within it everything necessary to produce an apple tree. The seed is the beginning, the promise, the container of a living ‘creature’ much greater than itself.

In the light of this, there are two obvious errors in the way we could value the seed. Firstly, because we recognise that the seed is not the apple tree, we could decide to discard the seed. It is not the actual product, so why waste time on it. We could contend that we have an apple tree, and therefore no longer need the seed. I think the error of that is obvious to all.
Secondly, we could place undue value on the seed. We could defend the integrity of the seed, spend quality time with the seed, study the seed, profess our great love for the seed and eventually worship the seed – as if the seed is the life it contains – it is not!

Jesus said that the word of God is like seed. Scripture is seed – it is the beginning, the promise, the container of a life much greater than itself. God’s eternal purpose was never for His Word to just become Scripture, but rather ‘flesh’. ‘And the word became flesh and dwelt amongst us’ Paul saw the same truth when he wrote to the Corinthians that they were ‘living epistles’. He places more value on them than on his letter! Paul intended for his letters to simply be the catalyst, or seed that would give birth to a life much greater than the seed. God intends for the scriptures to simply be the catalyst – the beginning of a relationship with Him that could never be captured in words. God desires to express Himself, not in the letters of a book, but in the lives of His children.

Jesus emphasised this same thought when He told the Pharisees ‘You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me!’

Can you see how we could place the Scriptures in a position of honour that blinds us to its actual message? Can you see how we could value the seed as if it is the tree?
In no way do we subtract from the value of scripture in this way. Giving scripture its proper value is also the highest value we can give it.

Scripture contains the Word of God, as such it is intended to function as a seed that would germinate within us and produce the actual fruit – a transformed life.

Again in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he warns about an approach to the scriptures that produces death! A seed that is kept outside of the environment in which it germinates can eventually die. So much preaching and teaching tries to impart knowledge and exhort people to gain more knowledge of scripture – I content that this produces more death than life.

Hear why and what John wrote: ‘I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth … But the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true and no lie, and as He has taught you, abide in Him.’
His motivation for communication was not to inform or impart knowledge, but to stir up and confirm that which God Himself was teaching them (without his writing).

The Father has made available a relationship with Him, but so often people prefer a relationship with a book about Him. Why worship the manual, if Emmanuel – God with us and in us – is inviting you to encounter Him?

Obviously we value the scripture – the way it should be valued – as a catalyst, but placing it in the wrong position will hinder, rather than promote intimacy with God.

Perspective:
Let me give some examples of what Paul describes as ‘peddling the word of God’. I find the down-to-earth letters of Paul so refreshing compared to so much of our contemporary Christian writing. For instance, Paul doesn’t make a statement and then list 10 scriptures to support his point. It is so easy with concordances etc to find all the words that supports your point of view, yet this method completely ignores the actual message of the scriptures. It is with this perspective that I want to show some shocking facts about scripture. When we loose sight of the overall message, and dissect the scriptures into little verses it is amazing what we find.

Observation.
The Scriptures are often just an account of what happened and what was done. As such we can say that it contains the Word of God, but we cannot say it is the Word of God. For instance there is an account of how Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement and went their separate ways. This is not God’s Word on how to handle disagreements; it is simply an account of what happened. The message contained within the whole account is the Word of God, not isolated sentences.

Personal opinions.
We clearly see the different personalities and influences of the different times in the writings of the different authors of the Bible. As such it is clearly a human document, yet I also clearly see God’s message and dealings with man shine through all these writings, and as such I recognised that every part, every word is inspired by God. At one stage Paul clearly says that what He is writing is his own opinion and not God’s command! I think most of the writers, although not explicitly saying so, did not think of their writings as Holy Scriptures. This meant that those who read the letters did it with the full knowledge of the fact that there was a real fallible human behind these letters, yet they recognised the voice of God in the message.

Lies!
Let’s take the book of Job as an example. Often passages are quoted from this book as ‘the Word of God’, forgetting that within this same book, God rebuked them for what they said about Him in the book! Clearly, every individual sentence in the Bible is NOT God’s Word – It is the collective writings that contain His message.

All Scripture inspired by God:
Some find it difficult to reconcile this with ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God’. There is, however, no contradiction in saying that God included every word and sentence necessary to communicate His message. Although some of these sentences are personal opinions, and others accounts of lies – lies even about Him – He still inspired the whole story as the container of His message.
Perversion of the scriptures occurs when one does not understand the story and quote the individual verses as ‘The Word of God’ concerning a specific subject.

Of much greater importance than understanding how the writing of scriptures was originally inspired by God, is allowing Him to inspire your understanding of them! Never underestimate the power of a seed – the power within the scriptures. You have the one who created these stories within you … let Him reveal to you its true meaning.

Remember ‘the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true and no lie, and as He has taught you, abide in Him’

It is an awesome experience when God takes the truth contained within these stories, written long ago, and makes that truth visible and relevant to you personally. He delights in showing us what He sees. And seeing what He sees is called faith.

Scripture is an awesome catalyst to encounter God Himself, but don’t miss the forest for the trees – He is in you, hear Him; know Him; read Him.

By Andre Rabe

Jesus versus tradition.

Andre Rabe — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 15:29:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, on my way back from work, I was listening to BBC 4 on the radio. The topic of the program was the emergence of spiritual groups that weren’t associated with any mainline religious organisation. A representative of the Baptist Church and a Bishop from the Anglican Church were defending the value of long and established traditions, being the best guard against these ‘cults’.
Interestingly, the presenter pointed out to the Baptist minister that their organisation started as a much persecuted group. They were refered to as a cult simply because they did not fit into the Anglican structure of their day. It took decades before they were accepted. (And the reason that they were eventually accepted is because they compromised enough to become just as lifeless as the structure they originally came out off.)
I immediately started thinking about what Jesus said about tradition. Before we look at His words, let me give you the summary of the argument put forward by the Anglican Bishop and the Baptist Pastor:
Basically people are evil and deceptive and therefore you should never be too trusting, and maintain a healthy level of suspision. No one person can therefore have an accurate interpretation of the scriptures. We need many people over many years improving the interpretations of the previous generations. The long esthablished christian traditions were refined and build up over decades and so we can have great trust that they are sound and those who deviate from them are deceived.
The Angican representative ended off by saying he places no value on any spiritual experience. Only religious traditions are worth any attention.
The presenter ended off by remarking that although they were convinced that they had the exclusive rights to the truth, millions were voting with their feet and leaving these religious organisations.
I always find it astonishing that religions that claim to be based upon the teachings of Jesus Christ, would ignore what He had to say. Jesus was confronted on a number of occasions about his apparent lack of respect for tradition. He made no secret of His attitude toward tradition but boldly declared that tradition was the very reason that they ignored God. Let’s look at one of these occasions:
“Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?” Mat 15:1-3
Instead of praising the value of tradition, like the people on the BBC interview, He said that tradition can often be the cause of transgressing the Word of God!
I’m so glad that we don’t have to rely on our own interpretation of the scriptures to know God. My confidence is not in my own ability to accurately interpret scriptures, or in anyones else’s ability to hear Him. My confidence is in His ability to reveal Himself. God’s self disclosure was far, far too important to entrust it to human organisations, or leave it at the mercy of our own interpretations. God took this responsibility upon Himself â€“ to make sure that He reveals Himself to all.
It is such a precious experience when God opens ours eyes to a specific truth. Such an experience will often lead to a transformation in our lives â€“ our conduct changes as a result of revealed truth. This is the way God transforms our lives â€“ the transformation is the natural result of beholding Him. Religion is so deceptive because it pretends to do the same thing, but instead of transforming lives throught the revelation of truth, it tries to adjust behaviour. Even what started as a revelation of truth can easily end up as a religious tradition … if we forget the original truth, and replace it with behaviour management.
Tradition is like an empty tortuise shell â€“ it has the same form as the actual aminal, but there is no life. Never allow the life-giving revelations from the Father to become dull memories. Always return to the ultimate authority and live-giver â€“ your Father, creator of all things.
By Andre Rabe
Http://eclesia.blogspot.com/

Christ â€“ the ultimate design.

Andre Rabe — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 19:41:00 +0000

Christ â€“ the ultimate design.

John describes God as light, life and love.
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. His light is not just any light, it is absolute light. Darkness cannot understand or overcome it. Light is not a passive quality, its dynamic, explosive. Light desires to shine! This is God; He desires to reveal Himself. He is not withdrawn, unknowable and hidden. He is light and He desires to enlighten every man with the knowledge of His favour. While Paul was hunting down the followers of Jesus Christ, Jesus revealed Himself to Paul. Later Paul writes about the God who reveals Himself to those who do not seek Him! He makes His sun to shine on the evil and the good. It is in His nature to reveal Himself; itâ€™s got nothing to do with your ability to attain revelation, itâ€™s got everything to do with His desire to reveal Himself independent of you deserving or not deserving it!

God is life and in him is no death at all! The greek word for this God-kind of life is Zoe. It also has the meaning of absolute life in it. Jesus spoke about this life as abundant life. At another time he describes it as a spring of living water bursting forth from within you. Again, this is no passive quality. God is not passive, He brims over with life. He lives abundantly and desires to share this abundant life. His life is so expansive and so full of goodness that he simply has to share it.

God is love. Loveâ€™s greatest need is to give. This is no passive love either, but a love that manifests itself. He demonstrated His love toward us, in that while we were yet at enmity against Him, He reconciled us to Himself! While the world was still spitting in His face and breathing out hatred against Him, He kissed the world and declared that their trespasses would no longer be held against them. This is a love so great that it cannot wait for man to approach, but took the initiative to embrace us while we were yet hostile.

We so often limit our perceptions to our own points of view. We see the love of God only within the context of our need. But it is not so much our need for His love or light that caused Him to reach out to us, as it is His own desire to simply love. It is not just the intensity of the darkness we are in, that motivates Him to bring light. It is simply His nature to shine forth.

God delights in revealing Himself. He overflows with life. He brims over with love. He bursts forth with light. At the very core of who God is, is this urgency to express Himself, to manifest Himself, to demonstrate His love. The whole of the universe is testimony to His enormous desire and ability to express Himself. Every galaxy, every plant, every animal is a unique manifestation of His imagination. But ultimately a person wants to express Himself through a personality and thatâ€™s why God made you!

Love needs to give; Lightâ€™s nature is to shine; life reproduces. These are the characteristics of God; these are His essential qualities. This expressive nature of God gave birth to His ultimate plan and purpose: He designed a vehicle, a being through which He would accurately and completely express Himself! He preserved that design in Christ. You are part of that design! The way is which the Word describes His eternal purpose is so revealing of His desire to express Himself: A body through which He would live; A living temple which He would fill Himself and dwell in; A kingdom of light and love in which He would put away all contradiction.

His eternal purpose is to fully express Himself. In Christ the fullness of the Godhead dwells in a bodily form and you find your completeness in Him
Col 2:9 Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him.
Col 2:10 When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.
Col 2:11 Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It’s not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. No, you’re already in–insiders–not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin.

By Andre Rabe
andre.rabe@gmail.com

http://eclesia.blogspot.com