Sunday, August 21, 2016

1 Corinthians 2:3-5

And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:3-5

For a second time in His letter to the Corinthians our Father has Paul write about the dangers of preachers who are all about the show and about those who are using worldly wisdom to justify the Truth. I really believe that this is a problem for us today as well, just as it must have been for the Corinthians for our Father to again write about it. 

Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves. Matthew 7:15

Jesus said to them, Be careful and on your guard against the leaven (ferment) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew 16:16

Jesus actually tells us several times in the Gospels to beware of false preachers. Our Father even has John tell us that we are to test the spirits to see if they are truly called or not.

Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world. 1 John 4:1

So how exactly can we know who is truly called and not?

By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God [has God for its source]; 1 John 4:2

Notice that our Father does not tell us that the confession that we are to look to is that Jesus became "a" man, but that He became man. Also notice that the confession is not that Jesus did come, but that He has come, so present tense, right now. The Truth is that Jesus is in us and we are in Him. The two of us are now one. We are eternally inseparable. Jesus is being great within us and His is the power that we are used to preach with. We are now members of His body, flesh of His flesh, and bone of His bone. We are new creatures in Him, so Jesus is us because we are Him, which means that He is man. Isn’t that awesome, our Father has grafted us into Jesus and Jesus into us. You see us, you see Jesus, and if your see Jesus, you see the Father. We are all one and it is the power of the Holy Spirit working through us that allows us to look past worldly wisdom and understanding. 

There are a lot of preachers who will talk about Jesus, but the ones who are truly called are the ones that are being used to talk about and demonstrate the Truth that Jesus and us are now one. Look for messages that triumphantly proclaim that there is no separation at all between Jesus and us. If a preacher talks about us being separate in away way shape or form, they are not called. If a preacher tells you what you must do and not what Jesus is doing through you, then they are not called. If a preacher talks about you losing salvation, they are not called. If a person is truly called and chosen to serve they will continuously share the Truth that it is our Father in us doing all of the works.  

The glory of the Truth is that our physical conditions do not and cannot limit God in using us. Our ability to understand does not limit Him. Our finances do not limit Him and our ability to accept and believe will never limit our Father from using us in His full capacity. Jesus is in us. He has come in your flesh and He has come in my flesh. He is here right now and He will never leave us or forsake us. We are many parts, but all one body, all perfectly joined together as the Body of Christ. 




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