Greetings,
"And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Ephesians 3:19
Found in this prayer of Paul for the church of Christ is this great verse for our need and desire today. There are 3 things for us to consider in it for our pursuit of revival and His Divine fullness in each of us, as the body of Christ.
1. To know the Love of Chirst;
2. that which passes this knowledge - experience;
3. Be filled with God the Holy Ghost;
1. To know; Now this knowing the love of Christ is not just the head knowledge of the fact of being able to recite John 3:16. It is the understanding of belief in what He has done, is doing and Who He is. God is Divine love.
Ravenhill once said, 'we don't know God; we don't know the Word of God and we don't know the God of the Word'. This phrase, which I use so often, speaks much to me about our problem in the church today and with prayer and the pursuit of revival.
1. Too many, throughout my Christian experience in the churches, pulpits, teachers, and pews have no knowledge of the Word of God. This is multiple reasons: 1) they don't read it; 2) they never have adequate bible study times, privately or corporately; 3) they don't feel a need to know it.
2. This leads to them not knowing Who God is. 1) no knowledge what God has revealed in the Bible about Himself; His Names, His attributes, His works and deeds No time spent in gazing, adoring or dwelling through meditation about these things of God that causes us to know Him better and deeper.
3. No time spent daily, weekly or for many decades in a healthy walk and acknowledgment of these things that causes us to know God and know the God of the word.
Out of these 3 things comes a pure, undefiled love of Christ for Who He is, what He has done and is willing and going to do for those that belong to Him. Many out of their ignorance of the Word and the activity of God do not know the depths of His Divine love for us. Out of this love for Christ comes forth the great part of our praise and worship of Him in prayer. Out of this love for Christ comes forth the brokenness and contrition over our sins.
2. That which passes this knowledge - experience;
Once the mind is filled with the knowledge of Who Christ is, what He has said about Himself and done, it fills the Christian with a greater love and appreciation that causes us to obey, become like HIm and be with Him. A healthy, spiritual Christian exemplifies these things because they know Who He is and they are drawn to Him. Murray said: "A glance at Christ will save; but it is the gazing at Christ that sanctifies." How much difference to those that simply have a knowledge about Christ; yea, even the devils have this; than for those that seek His Presence and long with faithful love to abide in Him, and He in them.
The Christian that experiences this love daily is the most healthy, spiritual one that you will find. He gives them spiritual blessings, because they have learned that in Him are all things to endure, be faithful, overcome and complete His task. Answered prayers, blessings, provisions, are sources that reveal the love of God to His children. Not only that which He has done, as given in the Word, but through biographies and the church history to show and demonstrate He is faithful to each generation that seeks Him. 'If you seek Me, you will find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.'
3. Be filled with the Holy Ghost;
Have you been filled with the Spirit? Do you know what this is? do you
desire it? in the book of Acts, there is that questions asked by
followers of Christ, "We have not even heard of this being filled with
the Holy Ghost." And to many in the church today, being taught all
their life of humanism, is found relying on self and men rather than God
and Spirit. That which is most needful for the first church, and for the church today, is the least thing sought for. I believe this goes back to our understanding of the Bible as well. We seek to much to rest in our own ways or the ways of man, rather than the ways of God.
Paul was filled, he prayed for others and laid hands on them and they were filled, and we need this also. To see the outpouring of God's wholeness we must know Him, love HIm and be filled with Him. When these 3 things break down, we see the mess we are in today. If there is to be a revival, it will be because God completed and fulfilled it in a man, woman, or small group that did it right.
Prayer Targets:
--War; not because of Syrian being bombed for their use of chemical weapons; but I have been sharing for months, now that one of the remedial judgements not exercised upon our nation is war an death through its repercussions; It is time right now to pray for a genuine work of God to be done in the armed forces for the saving of men & women before war time comes. God was merciful before the Civil War to send the great revival of 1840's, 50's leading up to the Civil War, where 500,000 people died. the nations are positioning for conflict with China, Russia, Iran and North Korea; by God's Divine hand of mercy these things can be taken care of. However, our nation is under judgement as well as theirs', and I fear that God is sending the red horse in Revelation to war.
--continued progression of evil by LGBT agenda in courts, laws, and society's influence; church largely silent and allowance for this evil to spread and devour our future;
--last week 2 more situations of teacher/student sex cases; this had been quiet for a while; but as in all judgements, there is a lull period before the next wave;
--murder-suicides; awful case of incest, baby and murder-suicide of father-daughter; a greater perversion with the incest;
--drugs; death, abuse, epidemic, destruction of next generation;
--lack of response by the church to the urgency of this hour;
--weather natural disasters continue and look to increase as spring weather and imbalanced places setting up for drought (1/4 of South West of US-extreme OK); wildfires; tornados, earthquakes have been non factor, expecting major change;
--new disease concerns; STD's over 2 million reported, highest ever; new strains of STD's resistant to meds, other bacteria and new plague on the horizon;
--economy;
--2 more police officers have been shot; I do not believe they have died but critical condition;
Updates:
--bible reading, T - 80 pages to go; Up through Ephesians; coming down to the stretch for the 48th time;
--newest work for 49th time through is verse by verses, 'The Activity of God'; first 4 and 1/2 chapters of Genesis took me a long time for several reason, one of which was that almost every verse has the activity of God being done.
--24/7 prayer time Cannot express how you are needed to pray with us and for us; weekly, daily, to invest time for the spiritual matters, future, and revival; http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090945a4aa2da75-broken
--A Word blog; nearing completion of Isaiah chapter 51; over 1,930 blog devotional/commentary started; the labor of this time investing work is not starting a verse, it is completing it;
--sermons uploaded to youtube page;
--as many of you know now, Greg Gordon has set up a Revival Conference for Oct. 4 - 6; I will be helping in prayer, moderating and speaking at this time together to seek about the Lord's will for revival;
Until,
dan
Started: April 14, 2018
Continued:
Finished:
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