Table of Contents

Preface 4

Chapter One

New Thoughts on old Things 5

Chapter Two

No Limits 15

Chapter Three

Father Abraham 26

Chapter Four

Faith is... 31

Chapter Five

The Realm of the Spirit 41

Chapter Six

Outside the Ranks 52

Chapter Seven

Wise Men from the East 62

Chapter Eight

Wonderful! 71

Chapter Nine

Eating and Drinking 82

Chapter Ten

Step out of the Boat 92

Chapter Eleven

The Mind 102

Chapter Twelve

New Interpretations 119

NOTES 125

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 136

Preface

This book is written to “the spiritually inclined” that respect the scriptures, yet seek more freedom of thought in their spiritual pursuits. It is for those who want to know the roots of the teachings they now adhere to.

Hopefully, the chapters that follow will help to add fresh insight to the spirituality of old and give new hope for the spirituality of today. It will attempt to touch upon many things that directly relate to where we are today in our expanded quest for a satisfying spirituality. It will attempt to draw upon the old and the new and benefit from them both.

The touchstone is in the verse below spoken by Jesus of Nazareth the prophet of Galilee.

“ Then said he unto them, therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.” Matthew 13:52 King James Version

Thurman Faison Chapter One

New Thoughts on Old Things

Solomon said “ There is no new thing under the sun, is there anything whereof it may be said, see this is new?” What a farreaching statement and an equally far-reaching challenge. How are we to respond in the 21st century being surrounded by so many “new things” that Solomon had not the faintest idea? With all due respect, and considerable reverence for Solomon’s wisdom, and yet with a current awareness of a multitude of undeniable “new things,” I believe we must just surmise that Solomon was speaking from his immediate perspective regarding man's behavior, and his less-than-desirable effects. His conclusion was, “all is vanity.”

From Solomon's immediate perspective and his experiments in trying to determine what was good and lasting and worthy of man’s attention, this is the way He saw it. I don’t believe it would be unfair to say that Solomon was in a fairly negative state of mind when he wrote those words. Looking at things (from only the immediate perspective) allows no leeway for ‘new realities’ or possibilities. This approach has kept so many in stagnant spiritual mentalities, which impedes our progress into new and exciting experiences with God. After all, it is written, that “In him we live, move and have our being.”

If this is true, and I believe it is, there is always the possibility of something new. Remember, it was God who said “I will do a new thing” and again, “Behold I make all things new.” New things require new thoughts, and he who has new thoughts can do new things. I feel it is extremely important that we remember that new thoughts are coming into our consciousness all the time. New thoughts create new things; we can have new thoughts about old things that help us to move forward into richer and more productive lives. Being willing to accept new thoughts without the fear of having violated some previous concept of truth is perhaps the greatest challenge for the spiritually inclined to overcome.

There is a tendency to stagnate on the old and recurring interpretations handed down through the ages so that it holds us back from accepting new realizations of the activity of God in our midst. But for the spiritually adventurous, who long for a faith without boundaries, to restate old things in the same terms is too constricting and limiting for their minds. This book is not a theological treatise, nor an attempt to engage in “higher criticism” or disparage previous interpretations. It is simply intended to suggest some other approaches to the truths we all hold in the highest regard.

It appears that knowing God in a conscious way, and having a personal awareness of His immediate activity in our lives, is of the utmost importance. But we have reduced this high and lofty concept to quoting various verses in ways suited to our theology or creed, and it crystallizes into our position and faith. If we quote it right and repeat it often we are considered a true Christian. If we vary from these declarations or receive “new light” of any kind, we are looked upon with great suspicion and sometimes accused of apostasy.

I believe the fundamental question is this, ‘Can we know God and yet have no particular scripture to fall back on or rely upon for our point of reference?’ I believe we can. And here lies the crux of the matter. Before scripture there was God and man, and before the various laws and commandments, some men knew God. It is this truth that stands. The unfolding accounts in the scriptures are about men and their experiences with God.

Adam talked with God, Enoch walked with God; Noah was spoken to by God and we are told that God also revealed Himself to Abraham and made a covenant with him. The certainty of God’s communication with these men and others was definitely established, leaving no doubt in their minds. There were no written references to rely upon, only a simple but unique consciousness of God and His absolute reality in their lives. This was their truth.

We must never lose sight of the true fundamentals of faith. The writer to the Hebrews said centuries later, “He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” It is out of this kind of faith that one has satisfying experiences with God, and these experiences with God are enough to assure us that God truly is. It is also interesting that the writer to the Hebrews is relying upon the previous accounts of men who experienced God long before the written records were compiled. He recalls at length the exploits and the miracles of their encounters with the Almighty. It appears that we can accept the principle that it is always God and Man, and then the record of the experiences that come forth from that communion.

Our quest should be to come into our own personal relationships with God and find comfort in those experiences we have instead of always referring to others and their relationship with God. There is a divine compass within each of us that guides us in our personal path of life. As one writer put it, “Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying this is the way, walk ye in it.”

In writing this book, when I refer to a scriptural reference, instead of mentioning chapter and verse, I have simply put a statement in italic quotes so as not to give a sense of dissecting the Bible by pinpointing the statements with our system of usual documentation. It is interesting to note that Jesus and the New Testament writers, when speaking of a scriptural account, simply made reference to the event, person or experience they were referencing. They rarely mentioned a particular book of the Bible; apparently it did not matter at that time, for they freely made their points without loading the hearer down with a multitude of chapters and verses as we do today, yet they made their points very effectively.

In fact, most often Jesus would not refer to the scriptures; He would instead tell a parable to make His point. To those readers who want the exact references, you may easily refer to the Notes section at the back of the book. I want the book to be less tedious and hopefully easier to read and digest. Let me emphasize to the reader that I am not saying we should not become familiar with the scriptures for encouragement and faith. We certainly need to know the possibilities they speak of and the examples of those who had great experiences with God. What I am saying is we must have our own experiences with God, and that we must not place limits on what type or form those experiences may take.

Do I suggest that we should then broadcast our reassuring responses from God or the miracles we personally witness to the world? No, it would not always be prudent or necessary. But to know that we have had those experiences will keep us from a slavish dependence on trying to find some scripture to rely upon, because we should learn to rely upon God Himself. In this way, we impose no limits on God to have to work in a particular way or according to a particular verse.

Someone once said, “God understands plain English,” and I also might add, any other language we may speak. In the event some may think I am saying never pray or make an affirmation using a scriptural reference, I want to assure you I am not. What I am saying, is I believe God wants to hear us speak from our hearts, with the use of our own words, and the reason we need or seek His intervention.

The Bible is full of promises, and it is good to know at least some of these them. But we must remember, these promises did not come out of the air or appear on a neon sign in the heavens. They came into the minds of men who knew God in a very personal way and they in turn spoke and wrote concerning them. So again, it was God and man, and then impressions set forth for others to see. The meaning of these things took on various modifications based on the passage of time and a new consciousness of God among the people. Then came forth new interpretations and new applications of the old declarations, some of which we will touch upon in later chapters.

For a few moments let us start with Adam. It is fascinating to read the account of Adam’s appearance upon the earth. We are told that “God created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them.” The scripture expands on this marvelous event by saying how He accomplished this. It says, “God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.” When I think of the significance of that astounding demonstration of God’s power, I am in awe at the wonder of it. We live today and have come forth through conception, from a seed, development in the womb, birth, growth and into fullness of masculine or feminine maturity. This too is a wonder that should still send thrills throughout our being.

The psalmist said “ Thou didst cover me in my mother’s womb; I will give thanks unto thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” We have been able to determine the process, and track the emergence of a human being from a seed in a woman’s womb, but we can’t explain the mystery of it all. Just as we are still at a loss to explain how a great oak tree was once in minute detail, encoded inside an acorn waiting to unfold. Again, let us go back to Adam and the beginning of it all for the human race. God formed Adam of the dust of the ground. Scientists tell us that the composition of the human body can be traced to the elements of the ground. However, no one has ever been able to take those elements and from them create a human being.

When I think of my brain, my heart, my intestines, my bones, my veins, my lungs, my muscles, and the vast network of my internal physical organs, and the many nerves and various tissues that make me function, it humbles me. We are definitely 'wonders,’ each and every one of us. But Adam was the first ‘wonder’ and more awesome in his 'creation' than even we in our 'generation,' for it all began with Him. As I said before, we are conceived, formed, and then we are born into the world. We are helpless, dependent, and with a very limited consciousness. The cycles of growth and development begin, and we learn to associate things, distinguish differences, recognize people, and eventually, say our first words. As we accumulate more words, we develop the capacity to analyze, reason, compare and draw conclusions. We move from grade to grade in school and finally reach maturity. It is an exciting and grand experience, but can never match the experience of being ’created’ as Adam was. I say this because God created Adam as a full-grown, fully-developed, and fully-intelligent being, able to speak without having learned a language, able to reason and draw conclusions without having ever gone to school, and most importantly, able to recognize and know God instantly and in an immediate sense with no prior religious preparation. What a marvel that is.

We are told that after God formed man of the dust of the ground, He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. Before ‘the in-breathing,’ there was no life in the formed body that God had shaped with all its intricacies. We read that it was the very breath of God breathed into man that brought him to life. Without that initial inflow of life that came from God’s very breath, man would have only been a lifeless mannequin. It is this fact that relates man to God more specifically and directly.

It is this in-breathing of God that brought the image of God into man. Without a soul or spirit within him, man is lifeless. When we die it is obvious that the body lying there is no longer animated or functional, because the spirit has returned to God who gave it. The significance of all this is that the first man, from whom all other men came, in a true sense was made perfect. He recognized God, could intelligently converse with God and had the capacity to use critical observation and imagination. We are told that God brought the animals to him; both the beasts of the field and the fowl of the air and Adam gave names unto them all. Quite a formidable task, but remember he was created perfect.

We must never forget that out of Adam emerged the human race that continues to this day. Adam first, then Eve out of him, then us out of them. Consider for a moment we came out of our parents, our children came out of us and their children will come out of them. This is also a marvel—that enough life was breathed into Adam’s being that it continues through us to the end of time. Now you may think, all this is well and good and somewhat awe inspiring, but why so much about Adam? Well, if we are going to talk about God and man we may as well start at the beginning. We are trying to establish more clearly that a relationship with God and the consciousness of Him is not really a matter of religious training or scriptural knowledge, but was from the beginning a natural and logical result of man being created in the image of God. We are said to be “the offspring of God.” Since this is true, it seems natural that He from whom we have come would want to talk to us, commune with us, let us get to know Him, and even more so, know Him, since we are like unto God.

We are told God communed often with Adam; His voice and presence was known to Adam. It is stated that regarding the man and woman, “They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” It is implied that this was something that they were accustomed to. We don’t know all the visitations and conversations that Adam and God had, but we know there were enough of them to indicate it was a very natural thing at that time. We know the story of the serpent and the failure of Adam and Eve in the Garden that led to their expulsion. But we must remember that it was not over between God and man, or of God’s desire to make Him known to men and to show them His power and goodness. Let us keep this in mind as we look into a trail of divine activity in others’ lives, as we see old things in new ways.

As the record continues we see the birth of Cain and Abel and the distinctions between them. Abel appears as a sincere and somewhat of a humble spirit. Cain is seen as arrogant and angry. And we also see that God was very much in their consciousness, for there is a running conversation between the Lord and Cain regarding his offering not being as pleasing to God as his brother Abel’s. We are to assume that the way of sacrifice had been laid down and Cain chose to disregard it. God reasoned with Cain about his anger and resistance and told him that if he did right he would be accepted, letting him know that He was not playing favorites. The emphasis on Cain’s anger toward his brother and his ultimate murder of him is also recorded for our benefit. This is where the infamous statement, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” was made by Cain in response to God’s question, “Where is thy brother?”

Lest we miss the significance of what was going on, remember not only were Adam and Eve conscious of God and apparently still experienced His presence, but Cain also knew God’s presence and voice. The continued knowledge and presence of God appears again with Enoch, who is said to have “walked with God.” The relationship was so strong that the above phrase seemed to best describe their communion. In fact, it appears God so enjoyed Enoch's presence that we are told, “He was not.” He suddenly disappeared into thin air. The passage says, “God took him,” for straight into the higher realm he went without dying. I am sure most of us are not anxious for that kind of a transition, but we would at some point like to leave this life and be in the heavenly atmosphere. I touch on this passage to show that the revelation of God’s presence to men never stopped, but steadily continued to those who were spiritually inclined. There are countless passages that tell us of God’s love for men and His desire to share Himself and His power with them. I have chosen to highlight some of the people who knew God in no uncertain terms, so that we all might be encouraged to reach for our own consciousness of God.

I have stayed pretty much with experiences of men before the law and the writings of the prophets to emphasize the fact that experience with God did come, and still can come, without any indoctrination or adherence to a religious dogma or creed. I believe there is much valid and true experience with God by many who have no formal attachment or membership in any particular church. They may not use the same terms or quote a multitude of scriptures, but their encounters with God and the genuineness of their faith has brought forth great things. I would like to make mention of Noah; he also walked and talked with God. He was a righteous man in the midst of an increasing atmosphere of evil and violence.

Things got so bad that God determined to send a flood and start over again. God's indictment of man was stated in this way, “Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Corruption was everywhere and there was great violence throughout the earth. In spite of this general pattern among most men, Noah maintained a relationship with God and a consciousness of Him as all hell was breaking loose around him. After the flood the record says, “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.” The continuation of the human race was assured.

Abraham appears down the line, and the story of his life and faith, and God’s promises to him, is of great interest to us. For through Abraham arose the Jewish people and the unfolding of continuous activity and more pronounced expressions of the presence and power of God. There were many more individuals whose relationship with God brought forth astounding manifestations of the supernatural.

It is said of Abraham that he “ believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness.” That set in motion promises and prophets and pronouncements that finally culminated in the appearance of Christ, whose many words we still quote today. I imagine at this point someone reading this book may say, ‘Wait a minute. I thought you were going to be talking about not having the need for scriptures to have a relationship with God, and that we should go directly to Him. Now it seems like you are taking us back to so many references in scripture that it obscures the fact of, first God and man, then experience, not depending on anything or anyone else.’ Bear with me, what I said is still true, yet the foundation of our expectancy and belief in God comes from the record written of men whose experiences with God were compelling.

We have branched out in many directions in the use of our faith and rightly so. There are many denominations and churches and spiritual centers whose approach to God and faith is as diverse as the nations of the world. I see no problem with that. Knowing God and experiencing Him in fulfilling ways in our lives is every man’s privilege. He needs no church’s permission, no pastor or priests sanction no spiritual guidance counselor or anyone else. God is approachable and reachable from the ends of the earth and “his mercy endureth forever.”

I believe it is good to be aware of some of the thrilling expressions of God’s power as displayed in many of the scriptures because they can help trigger expectancy in our hearts. Sometimes someone else has to show us what is possible, and we can take it from there in our own particular circumstances. But let us keep in mind that we do not have to go to the scriptures in order to approach God. We do not have to find the right scripture in order to talk to God. Our words and our ways of approach to God are as diverse as our personalities and experiences in life. Also, there is no particular church that has accumulated all of the grace of God, or all the power or wisdom of God within it. There is no particular preacher or teacher whose contact with God is so great that he or she is the only dispenser of the riches of God.

God is everywhere and all around us and His presence fills the whole earth. He sees all, knows all and can understand and reach all of us. Let’s not limit Him to the scriptures, or to some church, or religious institution. He is greater than all of the focal points of our accustomed ways to approach Him. That being said, there is much to enlighten us within the scriptures that can inspire and inform us of experiences in the realm of the Spirit that we should be aware of. When we read that God did something, for this person or that person, it can become a catalyst for the expression of our own faith. Is it essential to follow that person’s pattern? No, it is optional. But since we are trying to determine what our expectancies should or could be in the 21st century, a little background for our reasoning certainly can't hurt.

If we can get a bearing on where our faith has come from in our search for greater experiences with God, I believe this will help us reach our higher potentials as human beings. We are still the object of God’s most undivided attention. I am persuaded that there are vast possibilities available to us, and untapped and unrealized potentials within us. Let’s continue our discussion—my hope is that some new thoughts will arise and assist many in raising the threshold of their faith.

Chapter Two

No Limits!

Since man bears the very image of God, there should be no limits to the possibilities within him. We tell ourselves this quite often. It is the rallying cry for greater expectations. We say, “We can do it” and we challenge ourselves to reach higher, to go beyond the past, to set the bar higher. And indeed, we have done some amazing things in the history of the human race. While some have said, “It can't be done,” others have stepped up and gotten it done.

We have actually come to the place in the evolution of mankind where we are more reluctant to say something can't be done; most of us prefer to say, “Maybe it can be done” or we say “Let’s give it a try.” That is because so many unbelievable things have been accomplished with the progression of time and the arrival of inquisitive minds, whose instincts urged them to try to unlock another mystery and solve another problem.

There is a most interesting and revealing statement that is made in the account of building the tower of Babel. You will recall that God had said to Noah and his sons, “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.” This command was to replace the loss of multitudes of lives that perished in the flood. As the people increased in number, we are told that they had one language and concentrated themselves in one area, the vast plain of the land of Shinar. Here they conceived the idea to build a city and a tower to reach unto heaven. The intent was to stay in that area instead of spreading out over the earth. Because they all spoke “one language,” communication was easy and a unified purpose was agreed upon; build that great city and the tower that would reach to heaven.

The scripture goes on to state a few very important things for our benefit today. What the people were doing caught God’s special attention and interest. It says, “And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men builded.” It further tells us that it was here that God changed their language, which forced a separation among them and caused the various language groups to logically cohere with those who spoke the language they understood. Then God scattered them over the face of the earth. We know today that we have many nations and many languages around the world, so God’s purposes for that time were fulfilled. But back up for a moment, and hear what God said after viewing their project. “And the Lord said, behold the people are one and they have all one language and this is what they begin to do, and now nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do.”

What a revealing statement that God made regarding the children of men. The Lord watched their efforts, took notice of the activity of their minds and firmly and factually stated that whatever men imagine doing, nothing can stop them. This is a profound and progressively-proven statement. It is the power of the imagination of men focused in a determined way that brings into their consciousness the ideas, and the means to produce what they seek to accomplish.

We have crossed some important thresholds in the emerging wonders of the abilities of man that God placed within him when he was created. And they continue to unfold from within him from generation to generation. There are many wonders from the hand of man that we can attest to, but it all started with what God originally placed within him. It is written, “He hath set the world in their heart.” There is so much within man that is exemplified in the world that he has created from “his imagination.” Now to some people who have feared to venture far from that which is old and established, the story of the tower of Babel is one of their favorite passages for hesitation and trepidation. They think this passage proves that man was stepping past his boundaries and God stopped him.

Many religious communities exist even today who have almost completely turned their back on the increasing creations of man, and have chosen to live, dress, think and work steeped in a mentality of a former time. Some wear clothes that predate the current period. There are even some who will only travel by horse and buggy and shun all new fixtures and devices. Of course, these are the extremes, but others still tend to resist change and the expression of man’s higher intelligence as somewhat threatening to their religious survival. Some tend to feel that our focus should be more directed toward spirituality and maintaining a distance from “the world” and its expanded interests. You will recall how difficult it was during the Middle Ages, when new ideas and the intense desire to know things beyond what the established church thought necessary was considered rebellion, and the things discovered and stated in new ways was considered “heresy.”

In spite of clashes between the well-intentioned church authorities and those who were later called “humanists,” the desire to know more and experience more of the realities of this world, both seen and unseen, has prevailed to this day. The resistance of the church eventually had to soften because the rumblings of the Renaissance were increasing during the latter part of the Middle Ages. It brought forth some remarkable individuals, whose range of intelligence and insights make even present day scholars pale in significance.

They knew so much about so many things and actually mastered vast subjects and expressed unique talents. There was Copernicus: mathematician, astronomer, physician, translator and economist. Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, sculptor, engineer, architect and more. And Galileo—scientist, physicist, philosopher, inventor. These men were considered polymaths, Greek, for those having learned much. There are of course many more names that could be added to the list, but these should suffice to give us a sense of the range of their intelligence.

It is my conviction that these men reached such great stature in the realm of knowledge and achievement simply because it is in our God-given DNA. As was quoted above, “Whatever men imagine doing, nothing can stop them” (paraphrased). The power of imagination and the desire to know and to do is an essential part of man's nature. And as God is the creator and man has come from within God Himself, man also is a creator—this is undeniable. It is interesting to reflect on the strong resistance put up against some new venture into the realm of possibility. People resisted the concept of the car before its perfection, saying it would never replace the horse and buggy. They also resisted the possibility of the airplane, saying “If God wanted men to fly He would have given them wings,” and again regarding harnessing of electricity, “It can't be done.” Yet here we are today with millions of cars on the road and the horse and buggy has been pretty much abandoned. Also, today men can fly in airplanes that they have created and can fly longer, higher, faster, and farther than birds that have wings. And the wonder of wonders, man has harnessed electricity and uses it in a multitude of ways to power almost everything imaginable. Radios, televisions, computers, air conditioners, lights, and machines of all types and sizes, are powered by electricity. This is not an exhaustive list of the things that are operated by electricity: there are literally thousands of devices that use it. Thank God for Edison, who began the search for answers.

Back in Babel the desire was to build a tower to heaven. What if the men of Babel could see our spaceships reaching the moon? It would be totally mind boggling for them. We must never underestimate the divine possibilities within the minds of men. Man’s focus on himself and his desire to improve himself, learn more about himself and the world around him, and reach for the meaning of things, has brought us to where we are today. I might further add that this is a very good thing. Who can deny the joy of seeing a jet plane streaking across the sky, or the quiet pleasure of viewing the paintings of the masters, or the satisfaction of learning to operate some new technical device? We all derive a sense of enjoyment from the works of our hands, even as God derived a sense of satisfaction from the works of His hands and pronounced them “good.”

There is no conflict between man’s creativity and God’s creativity. The source is the same. We need never fear to seek to know, to understand, to discover, to create; it is a part of our divine nature. Actually, all this was foretold; the insinuation of the greater possibilities of men appears in various parts of the Bible. It remains true even in the discussion we are having now, “Seek and ye shall find.”

The account of Daniel’s life is instructive at this point. He lived in the days of one of the greatest empires of that time, Babylon. The Babylonians (also called Chaldeans) were ruled by King Nebuchadnezzar, who sought through his conquests to enhance the strength of his leadership by bringing into captivity the best people of the conquered lands, and selecting from them the cream of the crop. He would then mold them into the most able and capable men to serve in his palace where he could benefit from their various gifts and abilities. When he defeated the kingdom of Judah in the southern part of the land of Israel, he chose from among the captives those who were “of the king’s seed, and of the princes, having no blemish, skillful in all wisdom, cunning in knowledge, and understanding science.” He wanted to teach them the learning and language of the Chaldeans. The qualifications of this select group included the ability to stand in the presence of the king. They had to have confidence, poise and the ability to function at the highest levels of government.

The significance of this highlight from Daniel’s life is the fact that wisdom, knowledge and science are mentioned as the prime focus of the king. The men who were superior in these areas would be among the selected ones, trained in all aspects of knowledge and wisdom of the land of their captivity. There are so many things to excite the imagination in the book of Daniel, but my purpose is to point out a few things that are relevant to our discussion. We are told that among the names of the chosen ones from the land of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Their names were changed to “Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.” Belteshazzar was Daniel’s new name in the land of his captivity. The unfolding of what followed after their training has amazed us for centuries, for we see the miracles of providence and power that manifested on their behalf in the land of the Chaldeans. Who can forget Daniel in the lion’s den, or Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace? But my emphasis is upon another aspect of their experience that involved the direct influence of God upon their minds. We are told, “As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.” What a marvelous statement. There really is no conflict with God in the area of man gaining knowledge or wisdom or his continued learning in any area of his choosing. Not only does God allow these adventures into the mysteries of life, but seems to be an active participant with men in their interest in these things. He seems responsive not only to our interest in the natural sciences, but even when we reach beyond the natural into the spiritual meaning of things.

The question may arise, “How does God give men wisdom, knowledge or understanding?” It is obvious; He has to reach them somehow. How does He do that? It is written, “There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the almighty giveth them understanding.” We must remember that God breathed into man the breath of life. This is the spiritual part of man. This is what brings to life his body and his consciousness. It is this spirit within him, which includes his mind that God graciously influences. God responds to his inquiries and thoughts with suggestions, ideas and impressions, leading to many wonderful discoveries. It would be absurd to think that God, having all knowledge, wisdom and understanding, would want the creature He has made in His own image to be dull, docile or ignorant.

As I said before, it is in the nature of man to want to know, to be inquisitive, and to find delight in solving problems and unlocking mysteries. We learn a great deal through our natural search for knowledge, and we find the solutions to many things on our own because we have that equipment in our natural intelligence as children of God. However, when our natural intelligence fails us or is insufficient for some challenge we face, it is then to God that we turn who can reach us in our minds and provide the answers we cannot see. It is still a good word to the wise, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally.” God will not refuse our request, nor send us away empty.

We are told that Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom. It is written that “God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much and largeness of heart even as the sand that is on the sea shore.” We are told the wisdom and fame of Solomon set him apart from the kings of that day and that Solomon's wisdom far exceeded theirs. Emissaries and leaders of the various kingdoms came to hear his wisdom for themselves. The book of Proverbs gives insight to some of the wisdom that Solomon expressed. Of course this book and his other writings, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, were not the only vindications of the nature of his wisdom. There were obviously astounding incidents in how he showed the depths of that wisdom, which caused even the Queen of Sheba to visit his palace. Solomon's kingdom and riches were said to be the greatest of that time in history.

The wisdom that God gives is not reserved to only one time period in the history of mankind. Other evidences of unique experiences of superior levels in wisdom and knowledge have been expressed in recent history. One of those experiences was had by one George Washington Carver, who was born to black slave parents in the 1860s. He was a humble man with a simple yet profound faith in God. He is said to have had a great thirst for knowledge, in particular, in the area of agriculture. He wanted to know the whats, whys and wherefores of various plant types. His questions were deep and broad and seem to have fully absorbed his attention from a young age. From his lowly beginnings, he came up from the shadow of slavery to secure an excellent education, earning two college degrees and became a professor at Iowa State College of Agriculture and later was a professor at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Although he gained recognition for his achievements in research at Iowa State College, his greatest fame was to come while at the Tuskegee Institute.

It was there when the challenges of the cotton industry crisis arose and all but collapsed that his amazing insights appeared. Mr. Carver was deeply interested in helping to find a solution to this historic crisis. It is said that he turned his attention to how to restore the soil, whose nutrients had been depleted from the massive cotton-growing industry. He also wanted to find an alternative crop that would help to save agriculture in the south. After finding a solution to restoring the soil, his attention focused on ‘the peanut.’ He is said to have asked God to show him the secret of the peanut. The results that followed are incredible. He discovered how to produce over 300 products from the peanut and encouraged the agricultural industry to grow peanuts and use its remarkable qualities to produce a multitude of useable products for the nation.

Mr. Carver’s discoveries helped save agriculture in the south and brought him to the attention of the United States Senate, who sought his input into other aspects of the agricultural problems of the country. He was only to have ten minutes of their time but they let him speak for over two hours, so fascinated were they by his insights and knowledge. His fame spread around the world.

There are many websites dedicated to the story of Mr. Carver's life; it would be rewarding for any reader who would like to know more about him to visit some of them. His life was another example of God giving wisdom in a specific way to a specific person who asked for it. Solomon was born a prince, the son of David, succeeding him as ruler of the nation of Israel. He arrived with status and power. George Washington Carver was born a slave, with no inheritance whatsoever. Yet both men asked God for wisdom in their particular circumstances and needs. One asked for wisdom to rule the people; the other for wisdom to serve the people. God answered both in granting recognizable experiences of wisdom—establishing them as wonders in their times.

Now let’s go back to Daniel, because there is more that surfaces in his life that relates to our interest in the things we are considering. Daniel had prayed with much anguish because of the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of his people. He fasted and prayed and confessed his sins and the sins of his people. He pleaded for God’s forgiveness and for the restoration of the land of Israel. He wanted to know the future and the time frame of God’s activity toward the people and the land, and also matters concerning the end of time. Daniel had a number of troubling and confusing dreams and visions. There appeared to him heavenly messengers, including the angel Gabriel, to interpret the meaning of the dreams and visions he received. These interpretations are instructive and have kept scholars engaged in trying to relate the meaning of the interpretations, as they might allude to various empires and rulers throughout the centuries.

I will not try to add to the many interpretations that are abundantly available to those who would like to search them out. What I want to do is turn our attention to a statement made by the heavenly messenger, “At the time of the end many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase.” Some paraphrase the “time of the end” to mean in “the last days,” or the “latter times.” It infers an up tempo, almost frenetic pace of life, and an explosion of knowledge. I think we can agree with that prophetic declaration of the mood and consciousness of our day. There is an accelerated level of activity today; universities and learning centers are innumerable. People are running around everywhere, all the time, honking their horns, the rush to get from place to place. The jammed-pack schedules of most people keep them busy from sunrise sometimes to midnight.

We can certainly attest to the explosion of knowledge in practically every major and minor field of study. Not only have we reached parts of the visible heavens, but we have even unlocked the secrets of some of earth’s invisible elements. We have split the atom and unleashed the frightening power of the means of mass destruction. As we seek, we certainly can find, but it’s important that we seek the knowledge of things that are constructive and that benefit the human race and not those that can destroy it. It may be too late to enforce that hopeful sentiment, because we already have the means to destroy the world as we now know it.

By now it should be clear that there are no limits to the things man can learn or do because he comes from the highest power of the universe. His increase in knowledge and wisdom has already been foretold. It is his destiny. He certainly is not perfect and many of his actions are still deplorable. But this book is not about our liabilities, which we must surely be aware of, it is more about our possibilities, which we certainly must become more acquainted with. It should be of great interest to us that it is stated in the sacred record, “Ye are gods and all of you the children of the most high.” The origin of where we came from and the high status we hold is emphasized in this passage. Jesus later referred to this same passage to make a point to those who criticized Him for saying He was the Son of God. We have untapped potential; we are much more than we think we are.

Perhaps here is the key to why positive thinking has had such a beneficial effect upon millions of people. Instead of telling people to keep within certain limits and settle for whatever life throws at them, some of the great motivators and inspirational speakers have sought to fire up people’s imagination to believe in themselves and their yet untapped potentials. In the field of psychology, it has been solidly demonstrated that what people think about themselves and their abilities definitely affects their performance for good or ill. We know that a bad environment pretty much limits the progress of those living in it. When we speak of environments, we are usually referring to the surroundings of an individual, not just the buildings or the neighborhood, but the people and their mentalities, whether negative or positive.

There have been so many studies in this area of research that the conclusions drawn from them have left none in doubt. What people hear all the time and how those around them act has a definite effect upon their mentality, and how they view themselves and life in general. It is to our detriment if we think disparagingly of ourselves or speak in negative ways or accept unconstructive words spoken against us by others. There is a phrase going around today when someone fails or makes a misstep to say, “You are better than that.” Isn’t that much better than saying, “You ignorant so and so,” or “You are so evil” or, “You can never do anything right, or you will never amount to anything?” It is sad but true that words can bring a person down; but it is also true that the right words can lift a person up.

We started this chapter with the story of building the tower of Babel. God looked at their motivation and imagination and said, “Nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do.” These words obviously are true and should help to encourage us to use our imagination, and try to accomplish more with our lives. We are not to limit ourselves or others with constricting words or admonitions. If we use what we have in intelligence and imagination and fall short of our goal, there is always God’s help to stimulate our minds and multiply our ideas to help us achieve what seemed momentarily to be beyond our reach.

These are the “latter days,” where the biblical record has declared that knowledge would increase. It is not on the decline; it is on the increase and will continue to be. Look around you. So many new things. Some believe that before we come to the very end of time man will have reached his highest levels in many, many ways. The trend is toward self improvement, self realization and self actualization, as some writers have put it.

We should not think that we will one day hit a glass ceiling in knowledge, science or technology. If we are careful not to destroy ourselves and can somehow find a way for peace and cooperation, there appears to be no end to the progress we can make. I believe the conditions of our success on this planet will still depend upon our recognition that we came from the hand of God and that there is a power greater than us. We are not the all in all of ourselves; there are higher powers surrounding us and we are beneficiaries of their help even as the life of Daniel so vividly shows us. Chapter Three

Father Abraham

Where does our faith come from? Everything starts somewhere. Why do we believe there is a God? Of course we will reflect and give our various reasons—rational, philosophical or scriptural. These are the starting points for our belief and from that point a multitude of associated thoughts and imaginations emerge that center around our original premise or primary starting point. So it is with all of our religious convictions. They have their origin somewhere and from that point, or points of authority, all the variations and concepts of what we consider truth evolve.

It is important for us to reflect upon the fact that Abraham is the central figure and seed bed for most of what we believe about God and His activity toward the human race. We cannot forget Abraham because he is the beginning of a covenant that affects the entire world. It would be gross neglect, and an insult to God and the Jewish patriarchs, if I failed to focus to some extent on the truth that the source of our faith around the world has its roots in the spirituality set forth in the life of Abraham.

The focal point of the three major world religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam—trace their connection to God back to Abraham. The Jews, by direct physical lineage to Abraham and his wife, Sarah, through the promised seed Isaac. The Christians, by their faith in the promised Messiah, who was of the seed of Abraham through the line of King David. The Muslims, through Ishmael, son of Abraham through Hagar the Egyptian slave mistress. Without Father Abraham, there would be no starting point for any of the three religions, as it was with Abraham (who was called the “friend of God”) that God made a covenant that would engage the faith of men around the world. Without Abraham, there would be no promises; there would be no solid foundation for the law of faith to operate on; there would be no Jewish people, no Moses, no Ten Commandments, no long line of prophets and no scriptures. To read the life of Abraham is inspiring. The really important thing about Abraham’s life was his absolute faith in God and God’s commitment to him.

The life of Abraham is recorded in the book of Genesis and is quite inspiring to read. He is conscious of God in a most definite way. He hears God’s voice and follows His guidance. Remember again, this is what the Bible begins with, man and his relationship with God. There are many twists and turns and a multitude of events and different generations appearing and passing, but again and again we see that some men knew God. Abraham is called out of his native country of Chaldea to a land that God would show him, the land of Canaan. He was promised that land; it would be for him and his seed. He experienced many visitations and his faith was tested. He believed God and the sacred record says it was counted unto him for righteousness. This fact, he believed God, is the beginning of a new spiritual dimension in man’s relationship with God. God swore to bless him and his seed and that through him, all families of the earth would be blessed.

Abraham was the starting point from where all the future revelations and promises would flow. There would be more visitations and powerful demonstrations of God’s faithfulness to His seed, and through His seed, Israel and to the rest of the world. We say, “God loves us;” that knowledge came through the words of the prophets. We say, “Have faith in God;” that came also through the prophets. We say, “Nothing is too hard for God to do;” that also came through the words of the prophets. We believe God can raise the dead, why? It was done before by the prophets and is promised to happen again at the end of the world.

There are innumerable things that have happened in the nation of Israel and through it bear the divine stamp. For a little bit of time, let’s consider how the line of Abraham unfolded. From here forward, we are allowed to see God’s continuous activity and more pronounced expressions of His presence and power. Down through the line of Abraham many more individuals arose whose relationship with God brought forth astounding manifestations of the supernatural. But before we go further, let us camp for few moments on the greatest history-changing fact in Abraham’s life that produced echoes down through the ages, and has affected men almost everywhere in the world.

This is the first occasion of a man believing God based on some definite promises regarding his life, future and well being. This is the spiritual nucleus out of which patterns of definite faith in God, to perform certain things on behalf of men, continued to unfold. From the faith of Abraham there was set in motion the dynamics of the faith as we know it today. Increasing dimensions and untold variations of faith in God for practically everything under the sun has been expressed. We are inclined to believe God for a multitude of things in our lives, almost without a second thought. This steady flow of increasing dimensions of faith continued through the line of Abraham until it reached glorious proportions in the life of Jesus. It was Jesus who reiterated the admonition to “have faith in God,” after He spoke a word of power that destroyed the roots of a fig tree. His disciples were astonished to see the results of the power of His words.

The New Testament writers, in particular, the Apostle Paul, links the believer in Christ as being of the seed of Abraham because of their faith in the Messiah. It is written, “They which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” Our faith, like Abraham’s faith, is for specific things that we expect God to do for us because of innumerable promises. As quoted before, “He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” We look for ‘rewards’ of our faith. Jesus said if we pray in secret, the Father will reward us openly. Expectancy has been greatly heightened to look for things to happen because of our faith, to see changes take place, to experience wonders. In so many ways, biblical history as it relates to the supernatural, has been replicated and multiplied exceedingly in the experiences of many people around the world who have believed God. Remember, it started with Abraham in a most significant way.

Abraham left a place most familiar to him to follow God to a place unfamiliar to him. This required faith because he did not know where he was going, or when he would get there. He was relying upon a definite promise that I will state here, “Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house unto a land which I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great nation and I will bless thee and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing. I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

Abraham was 75-years old when he believed those words and started his journey, not knowing where he was going or how it would all unfold. I might add here that multitudes since that time have stepped out to follow what they believed was the guidance of God for their life, not knowing what the next steps would be or where they would lead to. From the many accounts that have been published, the assurances people received and the unfolding of wonderful things they experienced cannot be denied. From one man believing God, to millions believing God, has brought forth untold wonders. Now before Abraham reached his destination, the land of Canaan, he passed through a number of territories and received continued encouragements and assurances from God. All told him that not only would the land he finally came into be his and his seed after him, but that his seed would be “as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore.” Abraham was still childless and he and his wife Sarah were advanced in age. God kept the promise; his son Isaac was born to him when he was 100-years old and Sarah had long since lost the capacity to conceive.

I will not spend more time with the life of Abraham except to say he further expressed his faith in God in following the continued guidance he received to the point of his willingness to even sacrifice his son at God’s command. This never came to pass for God was only testing his commitment and faith. His life was rich and full and he died at the age of 175 years; the blessings then passed to his seed, Isaac.

The sons of Isaac were Jacob and Esau and the birthright passed through Jacob to his 12 sons, from who emerged the 12 tribes of what we call the nation of Israel. They indeed, and their spiritual seed, have become as the sand of the sea and the stars of heaven. I will not attempt to follow a genealogy of the line of Abraham through the nation of Israel. The purpose in focusing on the life of Abraham was to show the beginning of a man’s faith in God and the covenant that has affected all people. The promise restated was “My covenant is with thee and thou shalt be a father of many nations.”

Today, we expect God to respond to us when we believe in Him. It all started with Father Abraham and has reached many nations. The important thing for us to gather from his life and God's favor toward him is that he believed in what he could not see. He expected things that were beyond the scope of human experience in his time. He believed in the presence he was aware of as God and in the promises that were being made to him. Providence and power expressed themselves in wonderful ways and gave him continued assurance to believe. A full reading of his life story and the many events that occurred in his walk with God will reward any one with rich insights and greater appreciation for this patriarch of old.

Chapter Four

Faith Is…

The New Testament writer to the Hebrews said “ faith is,” and continued on to give a most profound statement regarding this thing we call faith. It exists, it is real, it is powerful and it is a part of the fabric of our lives. What would life be like if faith was not? How grateful we should be that faith exists. What a chaotic place this world would be without faith. It is essential for our survival and for our individual success. We look into the eyes of our new born children and we have faith for their futures. We have faith in what lies in them to be developed and nurtured by us. We have faith that somehow we will be able to provide for them, instill self confidence and help them learn to draw upon what we instinctively feel is already there. Our hearts beat with joy as we can almost envision the possibilities that lie within them.

It is this thing called faith that carries us through the storms of life and the greatest disappointments we face. It is faith that causes us to feel we can somehow make it. It is faith that stirs us to get up and try again when all seems lost and hopeless. What a wonder this thing called faith is. Without it none of us would ever reach our potential. What a drab place the world would be, and the state of man, without the evident fact that faith is.

Now, someone may say, “I have no faith.” That is far from the truth. You have faith in different things and different people and different possibilities. Your religious faith or belief in a particular doctrine or dogma may be stagnant or lifeless, but faith as a part of your nature will always exist. It is how you use it, or to what purpose you employ it, that reveals its presence in your life. You may have little faith in some things and great faith in other things and yes, no faith in other things, people, plans or theories. But faith as a part of your nature will always remain, and you may use it in any way you choose.

It is a consolation to read the words in the New Testament that state emphatically, “God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Faith is something that God has placed within man; it is part of his divine nature and it gives every man his royal right as the offspring of God to believe and receive. It allows every man to experience the greater possibilities that life holds for him. In a very real sense, it puts men on an equal footing before God and grants each the privilege of seeking his own dreams and the powers of the kingdom within. I believe if we are honest, we will easily recognize the faith that is within each of us and the various ways it has been used by us and others to accomplish amazing things, and to overcome the most difficult of circumstances. Faith is a most marvelous resource with unlimited possibilities when it is employed and applied for some definite purpose. Jesus said regarding the believing one, “He shall have whatsoever he saith.” What an astounding statement. He put the possibilities of faith in the hands of the believing one. There is to be no limitation to what can be expected, nor can anyone else interfere with the expectations of the believing one.

Now, back to the words of the writer to the Hebrews who said faith is, and went on to say what it is. What he said has occupied the minds and hearts of the spiritually minded for centuries. He said, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Philosophers and theologians and Bible scholars and spiritually-sensitive people have approached this declaration from a multitude of directions, and ventured into many explanations and even some mysterious interpretations. The real important thing about the statement, which indeed is a revelation, is that faith is the thing out of which things we desire, and yet cannot immediately see, is made of.

This is the “holy grail” that so many exciting discoveries have been made by those who have chosen to seriously explore the meaning of this great declaration. When we focus on the stated fact that faith is the substance, our imaginations are charged and challenged. Faith is a real substantive element that is within us and rises to the expectations we have when we use it. We can camp for a while on this supercharged statement and so many ideas come into our minds. If we are scientifically inclined, we think from a perspective of the comparison to compounds or chemicals that when mixed, produce certain things, and the mixtures may be almost endless in what certain elements can produce. If we are more spiritually inclined, we sense the reality of a spiritual element within us that comes alive to bring forth the desires of our hearts.

Whatever our approach, the central thought is that faith is the thing we can use to create the most wonderful things that life has to offer. Faith has a quality about it that is unlike anything else we may possess. Often our material possessions are reduced or wiped away and we are filled with a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. We have lost our jobs and the house we live in is being foreclosed; there is no money in the bank because all the savings have been wiped out paying medical bills. We say we have lost everything. We say everything is gone. But from a spiritual perspective this is not totally accurate. We have not lost everything. We have lost many tangible and visible things, job, health, savings and home. These things are of great value, but there is still something left that is of infinite value, our faith! It is not physical or visible but it is a remarkable substance. With it we can remake everything we have lost. Faith has a certitude about it that brings comfort and calmness to the heart. It also can bring excitement and great expectation. It can make us feel we can start over again, that we can somehow recapture what has been lost. It is said to be the substance of things hoped for.

This is great encouragement for us. What do we hope for? Obviously, the man who is ill hopes to get well again. The one whose savings has been wiped out hopes to once again have an adequate amount of money in the bank. The one who has lost his job hopes to be gainfully employed again and the person who has lost his home hopes to be in a position to purchase another one. We could go on endlessly about things we hope for. The things vary with the circumstances, needs or desires of the individual. We have been given great reassurance with these words, that faith is the substance of the things we hope for. If we have faith, all is not really lost. We still have the most valuable thing in the world that exceeds the value of the things we hope for.

The only thing that can interfere with faith is fear, or unbelief. More than once in the New Testament Jesus said to someone in great physical distress, “Fear not, only believe.” Again, the presumption of the presence of faith in these individuals was implied. Jesus knew they could believe. You also can believe. It is your right, your privilege, yes, even your responsibility to believe and fear not! We have all heard of the healing works of Jesus. He preached and healed throughout many of the towns and villages surrounding Jerusalem. His fame spread far and wide. But in one area it is said, “and he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” and it further says “He marveled because of their unbelief.” There had been enough done in other areas that their faith should have been inspired; Christ was amazed that they resisted the inclination to believe. Sometimes it is more amazing when we do not believe than when we do. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose by having faith because it is from this substance the things we need are formed.

The writer says it is the evidence of things not seen. What an intriguing statement! So many spiritually-minded people seize upon this truth to declare that faith is the thing. Or, simply that by having faith, establishes the existence of the thing itself. The thing(s) we desire and believe for are coexistent. If we have one, we know the other is just beyond the veil of sight. If we have faith for something, then it will appear. You have heard it said, “I will believe it when I see it.” The rejoinder has and always will be, “You will see it when you believe it.” All things begin with something; this is the obvious undeniable fact of life. Things never just appear out of nowhere without a beginning somewhere. There is always a starting point where the process actually began. So it is with the use of faith. It is faith that embodies the thought, the energy, the earnest desire and expectation of a thing or things. Then the process has begun; the connection with the unseen has been made. As we believe it here in the natural, it starts to form in the supernatural.

Someone once said, “Faith is that feeling you have when you know that you know.” Things may appear to be the same as they were before, but you know that you know, a change has already happened. It’s not yet seen, but your faith has reached the realm of the unseen and a response has established itself in your spiritual consciousness. You feel that what you have asked for is in existence and will eventually show itself. We might say that faith for a thing is the prototype of the thing itself. So the things we believe for have their existence in the faith we have expressed for them. In a very real sense, the faith we have for them guarantees their existence; it is the evidence of the things themselves even though we see them not, or at least not yet. They will emerge, for faith remains the evidence of their ultimate reality.

The things not seen in the realm of the Spirit are the source of creative power and activity. An amazing number of things are being created moment by moment; it is in the realm of the unseen that God wants us to have confidence for it is there that the mightiest things are being formed. Perhaps what we call the natural order of things can help us relate in our imagination to what is happening in the spiritual realm when faith has been activated. The analogy of a seed and its completed expression in its final evolution into that we are finally able to see can be helpful. We see the end result in the form of an oak tree, a palm tree, or apple tree or a thousand other kinds of formations from the ground. In essence, planting a seed in the ground where it is unseen in its mysterious activity—drawing from the soil the right combination of ingredients needed for the miracle of transformation, is an example to us of things unseen as yet, developing into what they become.

We plant our seeds with confidence and we really have no idea how they turn into what they become. Even the best of scientists can only track the progress, but cannot tell us how the mysterious unfolding takes place. So it is with faith. It is like a seed. We have learned to have confidence in the seeds we plant; we know if the seed is good it will produce what it is designed to. Therefore, the seed in effect is the guarantee or evidence of the thing itself. We put the seed in the ground, it is out of sight, but we know something will happen and in time it will show its full expression. We know the seed is the substance of what we are hoping to later see unfold. In the realm of the spiritual, we have faith in our hearts, and faith has its own spiritual ground or atmosphere that it is drawing from and finally it produces from the unseen what we seek. The fact that faith is a substance and that it can bring forth things that are not seen is one of the key principles that undergird much what is considered “new thought.”

It is interesting to note that some branches of Christianity call their ministers “practitioners.” They are actually working with the law of faith to produce definite results. They consider what they are teaching and doing is “practical Christianity;” it is difficult to argue with the results they produce and benefits they bring to those who believe. There certainly needs to be an active engagement with spiritual laws and an attempt to bring forth from the universe’s storehouse many its riches.

At this point it is good to remember the words of Jesus when He said of the believing one, “The works that I do, shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my Father.” Some people of faith are taking Jesus at His word, trying to perform His works and the greater works, employing the concept of faith as a creative substance.

Now, someone will say, how can we do the works of Jesus? That sounds really farfetched. Well, it was Jesus who said it, so we must take Him at His word. The early disciples gave it a try. They went out using His authority and believing in what He said and things began to happen for them. The sick started to be healed, the powers of evil were broken, and the truth of what Jesus said began to show itself. Oh, they had some failures; on one occasion (when they failed) they asked Jesus, why couldn’t we do it? He said “because of your unbelief.” Then He went on to say, a work of this kind requires a little more spiritual concentration. Some things require prayer and self denial, to give more determined focus on the challenge at hand and become more sensitive to the higher consciousness and the presence of God. But lest we miss the point, they had some success. It was the beginning of their experimentation with the law of faith based on the words of Jesus and His obvious spiritual authority. They had to learn to work with this substance called faith. There is nothing automatic in the realm of the Spirit. We adopt a certain frame of mind and expectancy, and responses begin to show themselves. It may take time to become familiar with what is happening and how it unfolds, but we have to make a start.

The more you work with something the better you become at it. Jesus once asked His disciples, “Where is your faith?” The winds were howling, the waves were about to capsize their little boat and they were afraid. Jesus’ words must have surprised them. He wanted to know where their faith was; He gave them something to seriously think about as He rebuked the wind and the waves, “and there was a calm.” We can be sure they were not conscious of the substance called faith at that time. All their attention was on what they could see and feel. They could see the high and threatening waves, they could feel the force of the winds and the tremendous rocking of the boat as it was preparing to capsize. Jesus wanted to bring their attention to what made the ultimate difference in their dangerous situation, faith. He had His, and they didn’t even know where theirs was. In effect, Jesus was giving them a lesson again. They expressed their terror, anxiety and panic. Jesus wanted to know where their faith was. Had they lost it somewhere? Had they forgotten that they have it? Did they misplace it? Jesus lived with a consciousness of faith. He used it consistently and in many different ways. He expressed it confidently and powerfully. He always had absolute control. He wanted to impress on His disciples that they must use their faith in difficult times. They must always have it in the ready mode to be activated in the midst of all of life’s uncertainties.

I believe the same question is being asked of us many times over, where is our faith? We often use everything else, our fear, our doubt, our anxiety, our despondency, but forget to use our faith. Jesus’ words seem to imply the need for recall; where is it? We try not to forget our drivers’ licenses, our passports in traveling, our birth certificates for legal matters; these are all important because in a moment of time they can resolve some challenges and give us some peace of mind. Of course, the analogy is not perfect, but the fact that certain things we want to have available to us when needed, can at least remind us that in the realm of the Spirit we must always have our faith, ready to use whenever the need arises.

When Jesus quieted the storm and avoided catastrophe by His remarkable use of faith, He engaged “unseen things” that responded to His words. These unseen things or powers completely subdued the raging storm. He was not just speaking in the wind; He expected something to happen, and it did. He wanted the disciples to understand that it was faith used with authority that brought calm and serenity again. The disciples were so astonished they asked, “What manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him?” At this point it is good to remember again the words of Jesus—that His works can also be done by us. But first and foremost, we must find our faith and learn how to use it.

One of the principles emphasized in the New Testament is, “ that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Actually, the writer of this passage is relating the creation of the worlds to the word of God. God spoke, and it was so. Whatever is in God, when He speaks it must happen. It is also to some degree in us, made in His image. Does God believe in what He says? Of course He does. Do we believe in what we say? Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. Remember the aforementioned reference, that Jesus gave assurance to the believing one “who shall have whatsoever he saith.” There appears to be a concerted effort to encourage us to create things by our words of faith.

Let me clarify for a moment the implication of the words, “ He shall have whatsoever he saith.” In this case, Jesus is not talking about prayer; He is talking about the power of this substance called faith when expressed with expectation. For Jesus prefaced this remark with the statement, “Whosoever shall say to this mountain be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe, those things which he saith shall come to pass.” It is then that he shall have whatsoever he saith. Now I know this is a very lofty expectation for us to reach for. We are usually not taken up with trying to command mountains to move. But the thought of Jesus, the power of faith even the size of a mustard seed, is worthy of our consideration. It can accomplish remarkable things; we have the right to command things to happen with our words. It is whatsoever we say in faith that reveals a level of dominion that we never knew before. This same thought was expressed in the Old Testament in a slightly different way, “Ye shall decree a thing and it shall be established unto you.”

Someone may say, ‘Wow, but that’s way out of my league.’ At the moment you may be right, but potentially it is not out of your league; you are made in the image of God and there are powers you have that you may not yet know the depth of. A lion cub may not yet be the majestic creature he will become. He can’t roar yet, he has no royal mane or powerful bearing, but it’s in him. We certainly can’t think for a moment that Jesus was just playing with our minds. What He said must be possible. He was telling the disciples to learn to believe, not doubt in their hearts, and most remarkable things can be done. I am sure some of us have already moved some pretty big mountains out of our way by faith. We are told that this thing called faith is the thing out of which other things are made. It deals with the realm of the unseen. The Apostle Paul said “We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” When we step into the realm of faith we are not to be focused on things as they appear. Our attention is not to be upon what is before our eyes. The physical senses can't help us in the realm of faith. They work to relay to us what is happening right now within the range of our sensibilities. They are unaware and unable to track things in the realm of the unseen. They are involved with what temporarily occupies our attention while faith is working within the range of other sensibilities, in the unseen where all things are possible.

Let’s consider for a moment the conscious mind. It is directly connected to what is seen and felt. It absorbs all the messages from its immediate surroundings and the sensations affecting the body. If there is pain, it registers it; if there are financial problems, it registers them; if there is disharmony; it registers it. But somewhere within the mind there is another sensor, and it is that substance called faith. It sees from a different perspective. It is not focused on what the other senses, whether physical or mental, are registering. Faith is tracking other signals, which responds to it and brings forth the changes. Everything we are experiencing in any given moment is temporal, not permanent. It can be changed. The circumstances we face that are so draining can be changed. The current heartaches can be changed. In fact, we are told that there will one day be “a new heaven and a new earth.” But in the meantime, we can draw upon those powers that are eternal, which will one day produce that new heaven and new earth. They are permanent, but responsive and flexible to our needs and wishes. God has ordained it to be so, and so it is. We are told that our days can be as “days of heaven upon the earth.” Jesus said nothing will be impossible for us.

So we know with absolute certainty that faith is. We know it is the substance within us that deals with things unseen. This is where faith operates to bring things that are not seen into our immediate reality. We will do well to keep practicing our faith. Not by just going to church and hearing sermons, but applying it joyfully and expectantly in all our lives’ endeavors, especially in the times of difficulty or seemingly impossible circumstances. I close this chapter with a passage from the scriptures that says “The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all those who have pleasure in them.” If you have pleasure in them, look for them, search for them; you will find them when you use your faith.

Chapter Five

The Realm of the Spirit

Most of us have heard of Samson. When we hear that name we immediately think of power. The life story of Samson is fascinating and most sacred. We have even seen movies depicting Samson and his amazing strength. I said his story is most sacred because his life had an awesome beginning. He was a child of promise. An angel came to his mother, who had been barren for many years and could not conceive, and told her that she would bear a son. This son was to have a very unique purpose as a deliverer of the Israelite's out of the hands of their overlords, the Philistines. His life was severely restricted in terms of diet and drink; his long hair was not to be cut and would be a sign of his dedication to God. We are told that “the child grew and the Lord blessed him.” We know how he killed thousands of the Philistines with a strength never before seen. He became a one-man army. We know about his love for Delilah and her treachery against him. But there is something said regarding Samson that can perhaps throw light upon a most important subject, the realm of the Spirit. We are told that “The Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times.” Before there were any feats of strength or any miraculous power displayed by Samson, we are allowed this insight into what was happening to him. God’s Spirit began to move him, at times.

Samson was being conditioned in a higher consciousness. Let me say, before we go further, that this reference to Samson’s life was never exactly duplicated in the biblical records. Others experienced God in supernatural ways, but Samson's life was entirely different from start to finish. We can never duplicate his life, but some things about it are suggestive to us and can reward our earnest attention. The one thing in particular worthy of our attention is his awareness of the Spirit’s movements upon him. We are told it had a beginning and it happened at times. If we are to gain anything from the life of Samson other than his fatal mistake in pursuing Delilah, which resulted in his humiliation, suffering and finally his death, we must look at the beginnings of the emergence of the miraculous power in him. It began with a growing consciousness of the Spirit’s presence moving him. He began to feel something. The passage seems to indicate a gentle but prominent, and recognizable, influence upon his higher consciousness. It appears to have come at intervals and was something that Samson became familiar with. It was, we might respectfully say, a getting-acquainted time for Samson with the source of the power he would soon display.

Now someone may say why are you using Samson to talk about the realm of the Spirit? Why should he be a reference for what we talk about today as a higher state of consciousness? It is true, we can never be like Samson; there will never be another one just like him. But, he holds a place in the spiritual history of men who reached beyond the veil and drew enormous power to do exploits and astound the world. We must take notice of the fact that Samson did have a higher consciousness. He did have a strong sense of the realm of the Spirit and of the power that was there. This is why we should never forget him, and we should learn from his reliance upon the divine power, and his consciousness of it. If we are to become acquainted with the supernatural, we must understand something about the Spirit. Sometimes it moves to establish a preordained divine purpose from God. Other times it moves to bring to pass certain things for our benefit according to our needs and desires. But if we are to experience the ways of the Spirit, we must become aware of it even as Samson was.

Most of us can confirm the reality of the higher consciousness when we take regular times for meditation and prayer. It is in the quietness, or the silence that we withdraw from the world around us to the one within us. We often are able to lift our consciousness from the world beneath us to the one above us where divine influences come. Samson was called to be a deliverer of the people. His credentials were not great wisdom, or even great diplomacy, but great power. This great power came directly from his consciousness of the Spirit. At some point, he was able to sense that enormous power was stirring upon him and within him. I believe he became aware that it was being made available to him when the need arose. He was able to sense that he could reach for it in times of emergency, or in times of battle, and it was there for him to draw upon. I believe we can conclude that the Spirit is the source of the supernatural in our lives, and from the Spirit there flows into men and women’s consciousness a sense of what is being given to them. This comes with an acquaintance with the Spirit’s movements upon us. When our spiritual senses are quickened, we reach a higher state of consciousness and become aware of things being imparted to us. These are gifts from God.

When Paul (in the New Testament) wrote to the Corinthian church about the “gifts of the Spirit,” which were wonderfully breaking out among them, he spoke of their availability to men. In another passage, he referred to an Old Testament verse that said of Christ, “Thou has received gifts for men, for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them.” The gifts reveal the presence of God. The gifts don’t come to perfect men; sometimes they come even to men who have been previously rebellious and may have had a history of a contrary nature. The grace of God is unlimited.

Now back to Samson for a moment. After he became acquainted with the Spirit’s movement and was able to discern the impulses he felt, we are told that he would shake himself and the power would flow into and through him to meet the challenge at hand. The only time it did not come was when he had allowed the sign of his consecration, his long hair, to be cut. The point I would like to make is how Samson learned to reach for the power he had become familiar with. He would shake himself and the power would come instantly. This was his unique way of reaching for God’s power to bring it forth. It appears that once we become acquainted with the Spirit, and what we sense as being available to us, we may reach for it in the way that is right for us as individuals. I am sure that God does not want all of us going around shaking ourselves every time we are trying to reach the realm of the Spirit. We don’t have to do it the way Samson did it, neither does God expect us to. He does not make carbon copies of us; we each are to find our own way of reaching for the supernatural.

We should first be aware of the fact that God is everywhere and within our reach. God is all encompassing, surrounding us all and responsive to everyone. Lest we think that the realm of the Spirit and the Spirit itself is not available to us, let me share a promise that was made in the Old Testament through the prophet Joel, which said, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” So when we speak of the realm of the Spirit, we are speaking of a nonexclusive dimension not restricted to a certain class of religious individuals, or to some denomination or church. When God gives gifts, they are gifts. They are not earned or warranted by our being a part of a certain class or group of individuals. Although certain individuals such as Samson and others spoken of in the scriptures were stars in the galaxy of the supernatural, they were only forerunners and examples of the possibilities that are in the realm of the Spirit. This is why the words spoken by the Prophet Joel should bring great encouragement to us today. The prophet went on to say that supernatural things would follow. Now let me say at this point, God was speaking through the prophet to emphasize there would be no exclusions; it is for “all flesh.” Of course, these words extend the availability of the Spirit to the spiritually inclined. He who does not seek the things of the Spirit will never find them.

The words spoken above by the prophet suggest a most lavish outpouring of the Spirit’s presence upon men everywhere. The realm of the Spirit is reachable and response is guaranteed to the sincere seeker. What a refreshing revelation this is. It should stop the spiritually arrogant dead in their tracks. No one can dictate where the Spirit can go or upon whom He may endow his presence and gifts. No one has the market on spirituality or the supernatural. Sometimes the most astounding things come from the most unlikely places. Sometimes the least-known, least-respected persons exhibit the most wonderful spiritual gifts.

In the New Testament, the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise made by Joel happened in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. It was after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Many of us are familiar with the account of what happened in the upper room, where some of the Jesus’ disciples were in concerted prayer and meditation. We are told that “suddenly there was a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind;” it filled all the house where they were sitting and flames of fire appeared upon their heads. We are told “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” They were almost delirious with joy and suddenly began to speak in languages they had never learned. I believe speaking in tongues, or languages from cultures around the world, was another sign of God’s intent to grant this outpouring to reach all nations and the spiritually inclined everywhere. I don’t feel we should get wrapped up in the flames of fire or speaking in foreign languages. This was inauguration day for the visible and obvious beginnings of the availability of God's Spirit to men and women all over the world. Now that the Spirit has come in a very pronounced way, the presence remains for those who seek and find it. It is all a part of what we call the kingdom of God.

Speaking of the “kingdom of God,” there is a direct connection of the Spirit with this most marvelous kingdom. The declaration of the kingdom being at hand when spoken of by John the Baptist, or being described by Jesus as being within us, always referred to a spiritual realm, or realm of the Spirit. There had been so much talk about the kingdom by John and Jesus, that some asked the question “Where is the kingdom?” This gave Jesus the opportunity to say “the kingdom of God cometh not with observation.” You can't see it by looking around you. There is no visible seat of government in a location that can be traveled to; it cannot be found by looking through the lens of the natural eyes or detected by the physical senses. You cannot find it by looking without; you will only find it by looking within you. It is recognized with spiritual senses, and these are brought to life by the power of the Spirit. In a real sense when we become conscious of the realm of the Spirit, it is like a birth into a new dimension.

We come into this life certainly not with a memory of the moment of conception or of the process of development in the womb. Neither can we think back to the day we were birthed into the world. We can only recall the growing sense of our place and consciousness in the world among our parents, among our siblings and our surroundings. Our birth into this life unfolded with a gradually increasing sense of ourselves and others and the manifold activities going on around us. So it is with being born of the Spirit, or being brought into a new-life consciousness by the Spirit. Jesus said, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going, so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” When spiritual life is imparted and consciousness of the kingdom is granted, it is mysterious, not controlled by any church or religious organization. It is a definite activity of the divine Spirit; as one’s spiritual senses are developed he becomes more aware of the realities of the kingdom and the resources within it. Jesus was saying it happens as mysteriously as the blowing of the wind. We cannot fully comprehend it.

How confused we would become if we tried to truly track the wind. It stirs in one place and is then silent; it rises in another place and shifts to yet another. It rushes and swirls and rises and subsides and is sometimes barely perceptible. But the one thing about the wind that we all can agree upon, is that it is everywhere. I believe that comparing the Spirit to the wind was Jesus way of saying no one can contain or control it; it is everywhere around us. Like the air we breathe, we also breathe the Spirit’s presence; it brings new life, the consciousness of another dimension and realm of life. John, in his revelation said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” We are living in the era of the Spirit. This is why so many people are experiencing so many wonderful things when they reach for the higher consciousness. It only makes sense that if the kingdom was first at hand, then was said to be within us and connected to the Spirit, which is like the wind blowing everywhere, it must be within the reach of men and women all over the world.

The kingdom is a realm of good and not of evil; from it flows grace and power and joy and health and wisdom and blessing. The fact that its effects are felt and known by spiritually-inclined people everywhere should cause us to glorify God! He has set no limits on the influence of the kingdom or the ways of the Spirit among men. Some groups think they are the only ones who know God and because they feel they have their doctrines right, God surely cannot operate outside their domain. We might say they issue their own denominational or spiritual credentials that supposedly guarantee entrance into heaven and access to all the blessings.

God said something through the Prophet Jeremiah that should rein in our spiritual pride in assuming we control the kingdom and knowledge of God. He said, “They shall teach no more every man his neighbor saying know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquities.” Let’s hear that statement again. God said, “They shall all know Me.” It is God Himself who causes men to know Him. It is God who does not hold their wrongdoings against them to deprive them access to Him and the kingdom. That is why Jesus, in referring to the Spirit and the kingdom, declared that the Spirit, like the wind, goes where it wants and brings spiritual life and consciousness of the kingdom to whomsoever it will. There is such a diversity of experience among those who believe. Some have a dynamic change in their lives almost instantly. Sometimes they feel shaken to their foundations. Others become increasingly conscious of an inward change unfolding within their deepest self. Still others just know that God has touched them somehow, revealing a definite new spiritual direction. Most have had some connection with some religious bodies or groups, enough contact with them to have some basic thoughts regarding God, the Spirit and Jesus. But most of their experiences with the realm of the Spirit has not been dictated or designed by any religious authority; it happened in their own quest for spirituality.

It will always remain true that as the wind blows where it will, the Spirit also moves where it will and upon and within whom it wills. And the gifts it releases into the lives of men and women are various. For it is also written that “there are diversities of gifts.” It is important to note here that no basically evil person can consistently express good things. So it stands to reason that those who express spiritual gifts are channels for good and their intentions are the same. They are known not so much for their doctrine but rather their deeds. Jesus said, “By their fruits shall ye know them.” If someone brings healing to another, or reveals a definite message from the Spirit, regardless of where this person comes from or his doctrinal position on a multitude of subjects, the results of his apparent gifts should be acknowledged.

We must always keep in mind that the kingdom of God has grown or expanded in so many ways since the original announcements of its presence upon earth. Jesus indicated that this would happen. He said the kingdom of God is like unto a seed planted in the ground, “It groweth up and shoots out great branches.” I believe there are many branches that have come forth from within the kingdom and these branches are everywhere. He compared it to the growth and expansion of a mustard seed into a great tree, far exceeding its original size and revealing the wonder of what was in it. So is the kingdom of God through the wind of the Spirit, shooting out untold branches in many directions.

Let me emphasize for a few moments that the branches shooting out come from the same tree. The roots of the various religious groups and spiritual entities have their origin in the same tree. Some give attention to one aspect of the kingdom, others point to other aspects of it. Some are strong on baptism, others on repentance, still others on the crucifixion or resurrection. Many speak much of faith, hope and love and stress miracles and healings through the power of the Spirit. Some are fiercely dogmatic on a particular teaching or scripture and make it the criteria for belonging to their group, and in their opinion, being in the kingdom of God. It should become clearer to us because of the multitude of denominations, and there are thousands of them, that their emphasis on this scripture or that scripture, or this interpretation or that interpretation, is what separates them and sets them apart from others who also believe.

There indeed are thousands of scriptures that throw light on various subjects and ways of thought allowing us to reflect on God, man, the Spirit, life, and the life to come. The needs of some people are better met through a particular focus as it relates to the kingdom of God and the realm of the Spirit. So they are inclined to seek out a particular kind of spiritual group where this focus is maintained. For them it is life and health and spiritual well being. Some people don’t want to be preached at, or rebuked all the time. They don’t want to be brought down and made to feel as a worm of the earth. Their needs are best met by being lifted up and encouraged to recall the scriptures that reassure them of God’s love and grace toward them, to carry them through any failure, and strengthen them once again.

Perhaps someone reading these words may ask the question, “Are you saying we should not recognize the reality of sin?” No, that is not what I am saying. What I am saying is there is a huge amount of emphasis on sin in many congregations, weighing the people down with the thought, the feeling and the shame of it. The recipients of this constant barrage on their minds and conscience are constantly cast down and fearful. They are almost afraid to breathe or think; life is not really enjoyed or sincerely appreciated; it is only endured. The gospel of the kingdom is good news, not bad news. In fact, that is the real meaning of the word gospel. The kingdom is full of good news and good things flowing from the presence of the Spirit and entering our lives and consciousness.

We must remember the words of Jesus when He said, “ I am come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” It appears our focus should be more on the richness of life He came to bring us. But someone may say, “But what about sin, are we just to forget it?” In truth, most sane people are conscious when they have done wrong. Most are not inclined to continue in a path that is obviously harmful to themselves or others. God, who sees all I am sure, is aware of this. I mentioned in a prior scripture God’s promise to forgive our sins. You don’t keep talking about the disease when the remedy has already been found. One more scripture on this subject should suffice to turn our focus from the morbid attention on this matter of sin, to “the glorious liberty of the children of God.” Before I state the scripture, a little background in the Jewish religion should be of help to us.

The Jewish people and their relationship with God were maintained through a system of sacrifice. Without going into much detail, we know that animal sacrifice for sins was a part of their practice in approach to God, both at the tabernacle in the wilderness, and the temple in Jerusalem. The Jewish people still hold sacred the Day of Atonement. Obviously, there were untold millions of sacrifices for sin. But in the New Testament we are told, “There is one sacrifice for sin forever.” When we celebrate Easter, we recall the sacrifice of Jesus when He was crucified. If we believe the scriptures and the meaning of Easter, the matter of sin has been fully and completely addressed. Somehow, among those who believe in God, there is a rising consciousness that it is time to move on into the realities of the kingdom and enjoy God’s grace. And in the midst of this quest, we have seen more and more spiritual congregations and groups arise, as people seek out new truth and meanings from the scriptures that bring faith and freedom into their lives. Whether we are talking about new thought congregations or religious groupings of other descriptions, they are all reaching out for more of the realities of the kingdom and the works of the Spirit in their lives. In practically all of their searching, there is some scripture that has given impetus to their thought. It may not be quoted exactly; it may even be a hybrid of truth, or a conclusion drawn from a variety of statements within the sacred record. The significant point is that the many branches of the tree of the kingdom have their source in the same seed, though they spread out in many different directions of thought and emphasis. Some may not teach everything point for point or detail for detail as more traditional religious groups might prefer that they did. They may not touch on every aspect of a doctrine or emphasize a verse of scripture to suit the preference of a more dogmatic Bible interpreter, but what they do teach has a beneficial effect in the hearts and minds of those who hear them. We must never forget these words of Jesus, “Fear not, it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Many believing ones are receiving the wonders of the kingdom, even though they share many diverse views. We will touch more on these ideas, as we continue looking at old things in new ways. Both the old and the new are interconnected and the influences from them have enriching effects according to the way they are presented.

Chapter Six

Outside the Ranks

One of the most important milestones to reach in acquiring and experiencing a satisfying spirituality is to learn to appreciate the God-given right of spiritual independence. Our gifts differ, but the giver is the same God. When we learn to respect the divergent paths of others in their spiritual quest to interpret the presence and power of God in their lives, we will have arrived at a pleasant place in our minds and hearts. We will have come to the place where we realize it is God who is at work in this person or that person’s life.

There is an interesting account of an unknown person outside the ranks of the regular group of disciples who was performing miracles in the name of Jesus. He was freely, and with great confidence, using the authority and power that Jesus had declared was available. It came as a surprise to John and the other disciples, so John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name and we forbade him because he followed not us.” What a shock to the spiritual nervous system of these regular and identifiable disciples of Jesus. They could not fathom the possibility of someone expressing the same power and authority that they were being taught to use, especially when he was unknown to them. As John also said, “He follows not us.” How often the charge against those outside the ranks of certain denominations or religious groups is framed in the same way; they don’t follow us, how dare they exercise spiritual power or authority? How can they so freely use the Lord’s name or His power when they are not a part of our accepted followers? We know the Lord; we listen to His words we follow Him, and we don’t know these people or where they came from. How can they use the Lord’s words and thoughts and have such great success? Surely something is wrong; there must be some sort of deception.

Some traditional religious authorities are quick to try to discredit the successes of those outside their ranks. It is inconceivable to them that the Lord just might honor someone whose faith and spiritual practices are outside the mainstream teachings or a bit different in emphasis. Here I think is the stumbling block, a matter of spiritual emphasis. This one outside the ranks was exercising spiritual authority in one particular dimension. He was driving out evil forces and bringing relief to the afflicted. He was never seen at any of the disciples’ gatherings with Jesus or any of the regular events they were a part of. You might say he was not a properlyvetted disciple of Jesus, at least in their eyes. Let's continue with the words of John regarding this one who, as he said, “follows not us.” John said, “We forbade him, because he follows not us.” John said he and the other disciples told this stranger, this one they could not account for, to stop. They wanted him to stop using the power that was helping people. This is the crux of the matter—the people who are being helped, delivered, blessed. When we try to stop those who may be unidentifiable to us as disciples of the Lord, we stop the power and faith they had to use in reaching His people.

We as individuals, or as religious groups set in our particular dogma or doctrines, cannot be everywhere. The people with needs of every description are everywhere. They are not looking for liturgy, or even theological correctness; they are looking for power. Some of those outside the ranks have reached the power and are displaying it. Now John and the other disciples assumed that Jesus would have agreed with their assessment to forbid the stranger to continue his spiritual venture using the Lord’s power. But the response of Jesus was not what they expected. He said, “Forbid him not.” Jesus told them not to stop this unknown and outsidethe-ranks person from the work he was doing. Whether they understood why this was being allowed and honored by God was not their business. Jesus then explained to them, “There is no man who can do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me.” When the words of Jesus are used by someone to produce something beneficial to people, we must be very careful not to condemn them. If some expression of truth that originally came from the words of Jesus brings forth miracles, we should be grateful to God. We must remember the fact that anyone using the authority of Christ cannot speak evil of Him.

Jesus went on to say, “ He that is not against us is on our part.” The time spent by someone outside the ranks in pursuit of helping people is the ultimate goal of the kingdom. They don’t normally spend their time fighting the churches and certainly not defaming the Christ. They are trying to reach the people with words of faith, touches of power and assurance of the mercies of God. They may not emphasize the same religious points we may feel is an adequate representation of the gospel, but nevertheless, what they do emphasize is effective, and carries the blessing of God with it. Perhaps it is a good thing to remember that the gospel of the kingdom is multidimensional. Everything cannot be emphasized all the time in a nice systematic way. Some declare aspects of the kingdom in ways that others never touch upon. Others hammer away at some particular element of truth that they feel at all cost must not be neglected. As we follow these patterns we tend to judge those who do not follow us. With a multitude of denominations and views of the kingdom, it should have long ago become obvious that everyone will not follow God in exactly the same manner.

Now lest someone misinterpret my meaning, following God in its basic meaning is seeking to do good. Jesus, in summing up the commandments, said, “Love the Lord your God... and love thy neighbor as thyself.” If the principle behind these thoughts is being followed by any religious group or fellowship, they are not far from the mark. Now a variety of interpretations of and approaches to the scriptures is evident and certainly undeniable. If history teaches us anything, it is that the minds of men are different, and their perceptions vary because they see things in a different light and from different perspectives. Jesus presented Himself as “the good shepherd.” His followers are spoken of as sheep. He once said to the disciples, “Other sheep have I which are not of this fold.” It appears He was trying to prepare them to understand that everyone who would respond to His voice would not be like the current group, or even look like them. The other sheep would come from not only believers in His word from among the Jews, but later from among the nations of the Gentiles. The thought of other sheep is a suggestion of differences from the original flock. If we can come to terms with the reality of other sheep who hear His voice in ways perhaps that we do not, we will have come a long way in the maturing of our faith. When Martin Luther appeared and the Reformation began, a great divergence took place from the accepted norm of what the kingdom was, and where ultimate spiritual authority comes from. Not only was there suddenly a new flock differing from the previous fold, but many new sheep with new spiritual leadership outside the ranks.

There are many forms of the one faith that appear all over the world. The central figure, whether by the use of His words, or emphasis on his works, or his accomplishment for mankind in what we call redemption, is Jesus the Christ. Some speak of Him in one way and others in another way, yet He is in the picture somewhere, and He is never spoken ill of. Although there are many under shepherds, Jesus is called “that great shepherd of the sheep.” With this thought, we might consider the fact that sheep may feed in many different pastures according to the leading of the shepherd. We will always come across some who follow not us; they are not to follow us anyway, they may not be of our fold. But they could definitely be hearing the voice of the great shepherd. And they that are not against us are on our part, share our basic interest and are identified with the Christ, and acknowledge the dominion of God. We should, as Jesus said, “forbid them not.” Don’t rebuke them, don’t judge them, don’t condemn them; they are trying to get things done for the glory of God and the needs of the people.

Now you will notice that I did not say agree with everything someone says who may be representing the kingdom. We may differ in our interpretations or have a different approach to a subject of truth. This in itself is not wrong and should not be cause for great concern. The problem comes when it is our way of truth or none at all. We may at times be very right in some of the truth we speak, and yet very wrong in the way we apply it. This is especially so when we are using truth to harshly judge another. We all remember the story of Job, a very righteous man who lost his wealth, his children and his health. As he sat upon an ash heap with oozing boils and sores all over his body, his three friends came to comfort him. This was a most unusual trio of persons. We can appreciate the fact that they came with the intent to comfort Job. It is also remarkable that they remained in silence for seven days and said not a word. They saw his grief was great and they felt his pain. After seven days they began to speak one by one. They spoke at length on many spiritual subjects and delved into wonderful discourses on God and His majesty, and the assumption that Job was surely guilty of something, for how else could his horrible experiences be explained?

It is spiritually uplifting and enlightening to read the words of Job’s friends, for what they said was true; yet the application to Job and his condition was all wrong. Job sought to counter their many implications in their discourses by stating many truths as he saw them. He also maintained his innocence. Finally, he said, “No doubt ye are the people and wisdom shall die with you.” Here is certainly an Achilles heel for many churches and their established religious authorities. As traditional religious groups, we are always in danger of thinking we have the whole truth. We tend to feel with all our Bible knowledge, and ability to reference the scriptures on practically any subject, surely our wisdom is superior. This ‘know-it-all-about-God’ attitude can be such a stumbling block to us. Actually, as Job sarcastically and rightfully inferred, his spiritual friends did not really have a corner on wisdom. When they died, wisdom would certainly not cease. They were not the only ones who knew things about God and life and truth. Job became exasperated with their spiritual arrogance and their ‘know it all’ attitude. He later said, “Miserable comforters are ye all.” It is difficult to comfort and severely criticize at the same time. This is a problem in many churches today, they are constantly criticizing or rebuking their followers, and yet trying to comfort or uplift them at the same time. They keep the people on a spiritual merry-go-round.

What is interesting and relevant about this encounter of Job with his friends is that they both were looking at truth from different perspectives. His friends thought for sure that Job was wrong in all his arguments, and Job could see they were missing the point of them, and judging him falsely. In a sense, their three-against-one and strength of their arguments appeared to them to make more sense than Job’s defense. Isn’t this so often true when we take to our different positions and many times, are wrong, not in the truth we speak, but in how we apply it to others. We never know the whole story about the other person and the way they are handling certain aspects of truth. We have to see it from their perspective because it is their life that is at the center of it all. Our conclusions may miss the point entirely as to what is going on in their lives and why.

Finally, God stepped into the conversation and told Job’s friends that they had not spoken right concerning God as it related to Job. God then told them that they should offer sacrifice and then go to Job to have him pray for them. When Job prayed for his friends “the Lord turned the captivity of Job.” A marvelous healing took place for Job, and afterward, God gave him twice as much as he had before. Now I know that the above reference is not dealing with someone outside the ranks handling truth, and being criticized for not being a part of the accepted religious group. But the point to notice is that Job’s friends were using truth, and they thought for sure they were right. Job, in the midst of his experiences, knew that he was not wrong in his position. John and the disciples thought they were right when they were wrong.

In Job's case it is also instructive to notice that his friends were in the majority. There were three of them and one of him; surely their combined wisdom should be enough to establish the fact that they were wiser in their arguments than Job was in his. After some time of the back-and-forth discourses between them, God suddenly appeared out of nowhere in a whirlwind and spoke. It was the power and intervention of God that resolved the entire matter. Might I venture to say, that it is also the power and intervention of God in the lives of those outside the ranks that resolves it all. They know what they are experiencing, and the ways that God deals with them.

When the gospel was first preached among the Gentiles most prominently by the apostle Paul, it had somewhat of a basic form and framework of teaching. As the believers increased and the gifts of God began to flow, others began to preach and teach and additional perspectives began to emerge. Other leaders stepped forth and some divisions began to occur among them. Some did not preach in the normal pattern and some had ulterior motives, but it is interesting to hear Paul say on one occasion “Some preach Christ of envy and strife and others of good will” and “whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached and I therein do rejoice.” What a tolerant position Paul took on these matters. Some indeed outside the ranks we associate with may preach Christ, not exactly the way we want to hear it, but we, too, should rejoice. It appears that Paul knew the life-giving influences and the gracious power connected with any presentation of Christ would have the same effect. It does not matter if it is not done perfectly or it comes from some who bear no affiliation with traditional religious organizations. It is the power of the Christ Himself that has it beneficial effects, wherever He or His truth in any form is expressed.

Some may ask, are you saying we should legitimize every group that preaches anything about Christ or the kingdom? Now, there’s the rub. We really can't legitimize anyone, or not legitimize anyone's teaching or preaching any aspect of the kingdom, or using any of Christ’s authority. That point was addressed in the opening page of this chapter and it was addressed by Jesus Himself. We can't forbid them, nor do they get their authority from us. It appears we must be content with the thought that “He that is not against us is for us,” and in the words of Paul, “Christ is preached and we all should rejoice.”

We should be very careful not to think that everything about Christ or the kingdom is in our absolute possession and we are to determine who can have it or access to it. As I am writing this thought, my mind goes back to an incident that happened within a group of believers who practiced closed communion. One of the members of this very closed and strict group brought a friend to a service and when it was time to serve communion, this member offered his friend to partake of the sacraments. One of the elders was horrified and said, “Are you going to let this person partake of the Lord’s Table?” The member who brought his friend to the service said, “Of course, I finally realized, it is the Lord’s Table.” How very true this is, and should be underscored again and again. It is the Lord’s Table that we come to in remembrance of Him; it is the Lord’s authority that we use to work miracles and it is the Lord’s kingdom that we share. There indeed are other sheep not of our fold, and other teachers and ministers of God’s power and truth that don’t follow us, and we may not know from whence they came. But we should wish them Godspeed and give thanks for the works that they do.

But someone may say, “What if we strongly disagree with what some are teaching or preaching?” Well, disagreements are not new among men, even among the most spiritual ones. This is why men go their ways as they feel inclined in their hearts. Paul and Barnabas separated and went different ways because of a disagreement over a young disciple by the name of John Mark. Barnabas wanted to take him with them to spread the gospel; Paul did not agree, and the passage in the book of Acts says, “The contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder one from the other.” Barnabas went his way in continuing the work of the kingdom and Paul went his way. The unfolding of their separate paths indicates that on both accounts, their work was successful.

On another occasion, Paul and Peter got into a strong disagreement and their humanity began to express itself. Paul took one position on the law and liberty among the Gentiles, and Peter took another. Peter dealt much with the Jewish disciples and Paul with the Gentile disciples. They saw God’s truth from different perspectives. They were applying it in not exactly the same way. Finally, it got so heated that Paul said, “When Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed.” The end result was they separated and went their own ways. In effect, Paul said to Peter, “You take the gospel to the Jews in the way you feel led and I will continue ministering among the Gentiles as I feel led.”

The fact is that in both the above references, the ultimate decision was not to fight each other, but to give one another leeway to do God’s work. It is undeniable that they could not stay together because of conflicting approaches, either regarding the suitability of someone for the burden of ministry, or the differences of interpretation regarding the kingdom. We do well to understand that we will not always agree with one another in every respect, but there is a centralizing bond that holds all of us together and that bond is the Christ. I mentioned earlier that in the beginning of preaching the gospel, there were divisions that began to appear as various leaders commanded a following. Some liked the preaching and teaching of Paul; others liked Apollos; still other liked Peter, or as he was sometimes called, “Cephas.” In fact, the groups began to identify themselves as firmly associated with their preferred leader saying, “I am of Paul, and I of Apollos and I of Cephas.” In response to this focus, Paul sought to refocus their attention upon Christ. He pointed out that these men were just ministers to whom the Lord gave certain gracious spiritual talents to reveal the blessings of the gospel.

Gradually, Paul himself had to loosen his hold over the churches and sought more to appeal to their hearts. On one occasion he said, “Not for that we have dominion over your faith but are helpers of your joy, for by faith ye stand.” This is a pretty potent point that Paul sought to make. He was saying we don’t want to control you or how you believe, or the ways that you follow the guidance within your heart. We don’t want to tell you how you must think, or the ways that you should walk with God. He was trying to make it clear that he did not want to control them; he just wanted to contribute to their joy. The whole thing that they were experiencing was a matter of their faith. No one is to dominate another person’s faith or interfere with it, because that is the touchstone of everything. By faith we reach God; by faith we become conscious of God; by faith we get answers from God; by faith our problems are resolved and by faith we realize the kingdom.

Faith is like a spiritual magnet drawing to it the resources of the kingdom of God. Our faith is off limits to everyone but ourselves. We can never make anyone the final authority over our own faith. Our own faith is like a divine gyroscope that gives us our spiritual balance within. As Paul realized and spoke the truth, that by faith they stood. This is why no one group or organized religious authority can fully dictate how we should follow our spiritual paths. Regardless of whether or not we follow this group or another one, in the final analysis we are free to search out our own inheritance in the realm of the Spirit, even though some of us may be in other people’s judgment that are outside the ranks. Chapter Seven

Wise Men from the East

Most of us are familiar with the story of the birth of Jesus in the little town of Bethlehem. We are enchanted each Christmas season when we hear again the story told of that first Christmas night. There are plays in churches and reenactments on television and in movies of how Christ was born. Our attention is captured again and again as we hear the words read from the gospel account of the events leading up to his birth, and the effects of his arrival in the land of Judah in the southern Israel. It would not be an exaggeration to say we never tire of hearing it told again each holiday season.

One of the most interesting and surprising events connected with the birth of Christ is the mention that “There came wise men from the east.” The mention of the wise men has always been a point of much interest and various speculations. We still don’t know who they really were or exactly where in the east they traveled from. We don’t know their origin, background, history, religious positions or teachings. What we do know is they were from the east; how Far East is still open to speculation. Some identify them as coming from perhaps as far to Israel as India; others think they might have come from an even greater distance in the east. We cannot say for sure, but it is significant that they are included in this most marvelous story about the birth of Jesus.

These wise men also challenge our spiritual biases. They were not from the land of Israel; not connected with the so-called righteous of that area; they had no religious authority like that of the prophets, and certainly no share of the privileged status of the priests and the scribes. Yet these men were called “wise men” in this scriptural account of Jesus’ birth. It may be that the account of their experience is given so that we might understand that wise men may come from many places—those that we are not familiar with. I mean, not only wise, but spiritually wise. It is stated in no uncertain terms that they were definitely acknowledged to be wise men, and we are given to understand they were from the east. I think it is good for us to remember that we are told in the scriptures that the most high is “The God of the whole earth.” Whether we speak of the east or the west or the north or the south, He can reach men anywhere and everywhere, and share with them whatever wisdom He chooses to impart.

I think this account is quite enlightening because it brings our attention to the reality of eastern wisdom. We know there have been some most compelling figures that have arisen in the east with spiritual insights that have helped many. To deny these facts would be folly. One thing we know about the men of the east is that they have a high sensitivity to matters that are of a spiritual nature. They have been seekers down through the ages withdrawing from the visible world quite often to meditate and to reach for spiritual knowledge. Am I endorsing all eastern religions? Of course not. But then again, I am not qualified to endorse anyone’s religion, nor is that my desire. On the other hand, wherever there is truth it must be recognized. What I would like to say is that the spiritually-alert and earnest seeker can know things from God that we never would have expected.

We might ponder for the next millennium as to why these wise men were included in this great and holy event. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I might venture to say that it lets us know there were wise men that were far from the center of the greatest spiritual activities of the ages, the land of Israel. And that for some reason unknown to us, they were in touch with God and the kingdom of heaven in a way that most of the population of that time was not. You might say to use a phrase of today, “They were in the loop.” They were hearing and seeing things that others were not a party to. The entire nation of Israel, with all their spiritual insights, were not aware of the fact that the greatest event to ever affect the world had already happened in their midst. These wise men knew this fact, were certain of it and asked the question, “Where is he that is born king of the Jews?” This was a stunning question that had vast political and religious implications. There was already a king in the land of the Jews, his name was Herod. Also, the religious leaders of that area had no knowledge of the coming of the promised one in their time. And here are these strange men from the east saying, “We are come to worship him.” They were bringing earth-shaking news; their interpretation of the royalty of this new-born king was astonishing. They had come not to respect, or simply honor, but to worship Him. This news of their coming, and the words they spoke concerning this child, had repercussions throughout the land.

King Herod heard of their inquiries and mission and asked them to come before him to explain their visit personally. The wise men gave their account that through revelation, and the appearance of a special star that they were assured of the fact that He was born. They said, “We have seen his star in the east.” After hearing this, King Herod was furious. He sought to conceal his anger and asked that the wise men let him know when they had found the child, so that he too might worship Him. After they left King Herod, the star appeared again and guided them to the birthplace of Christ. We know of their gifts to Him cited in the Christmas story. Once the wise men presented their gifts and they had worshiped the young child, they were warned by an angel not to return to Herod but to leave the land by another route. When Herod found out that they were gone his fury knew no bounds. He ordered that all the children in Bethlehem and the surrounding coasts, less than two years of age, to be killed. But Jesus had already been taken out of Israel and into Egypt, because an angel told Joseph and Mary of Herod’s intent and thus, Jesus escaped the purge.

This is a short version of the story, to give an overview of the events without going into all the details and their implications. The wise men’s experience is where we have focused our attention. They were from a far away eastern land, yet they were spiritually wise and most sensitive to the influences of the heavenly powers. We don’t know when they first became aware of the fact that this special One was to be born. Their emphasis seems to be primarily their sense that He was to be born the king of the Jews. There is no theology in their discourse, no in-depth postulations regarding the promised One, the Christ, the redeemer. The main point of their visit was to find Him who had been born king of the Jews.

Whether they knew anything about the Hebrew scriptures or the many words of the prophets concerning Christ, we are given no hint. They knew what they knew, and what they knew was that one had been born the king of the Jews. He was of a holy nature and was worthy of worship. How often we err when we think someone needs a thorough indoctrination of all the truth before they can become a messenger, handle divine knowledge or receive revelations. What these wise men knew for certain through revelation was enough to cause them to take the long journey from their land to Israel in search of this heavenly-appointed one. There was no doubt in their minds that they had heard from God and were following His guidance.

Now the mention of “the star” has been a problem for some because it suggests astrology. They feel that this is not a path for the true believer to follow. Might I say without any intention to discuss astrology, or to let it become a scapegoat in our discussion of divine guidance, God may guide as He pleases. The account of the star being a guiding factor in their finding the young child seems to justify our assuming that these men studied the heavens. They apparently received some illumination in their spiritual quest from certain signs in the heavenly bodies. Now I know very little about astrology, and it is not a practice of mine to study the heavens. But for these men, apparently their attention to the heavens was in divine order.

Personally, I don’t feel it is to our advantage to question the ways that revelation reaches us. It is we who want to know certain things beyond the reach of our normal perceptions. It is God who determines how to get our attention in such a way that it confirms the source to be divine. God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush. The fact that the bush was burning but not being consumed caught his attention; when God had his attention He began to speak to Moses. Apparently, searching the heavens for signs of supernatural indications of divine activity was an inclination of these wise men. God caught their attention by either creating a new star never seen before, or supercharging and illuminating a former star to make it stand out to them in a special way, and then impressing upon them that this was “His star,” referring to the child Jesus. This was their revelation for their journey to the land of Israel and the finding of the Christ child.

The subject of revelations is a fascinating one. It has happened down through biblical history and in the lives of many privileged individuals through the ages. To receive an answer to a most complex problem can often be a revelation, especially if the search has been almost endless and the answer so elusive. When the right answer comes that perfectly clarifies the situation and resolves all the previous conflicts, it seems like a revelation, because we could never see it that way before. The answer comes out of nowhere and it perfectly fits the situation at hand. In these instances we know it was not us that solved the problem. We had exhausted all our mental and emotional energies and still had no inkling of how to bring about a satisfactory solution; then suddenly, the answer reached our consciousness. Sometimes it may be an external object that triggers a new train of thought or quickens the imagination in a different direction. Sometimes it may be a sudden hunch or feeling to do a certain thing in a certain way and it makes all the difference in the world.

One thing we can say with certainty is that revelations have not ceased, and will not cease for the spiritually inclined until the end of the world. We will always have questions, perplexities, confusions and the need for divine intervention. God will always have the ultimate answers to all things that we need to know. It should be obvious to us by now that the scriptures alone can't answer all of our questions in the midst of our varied experiences and needs. Some answers must come to us by revelation. Much that is in the scriptures deal with revelations from God to men for specific purposes. They sometimes came because of a divine intention to perform certain things, or to alert someone that certain things were being brought to pass, as in the case of the wise men from the east. Other times, the revelations come because of an urgent need or request from some individual who desperately has to know something that only God could reveal.

When we get down to the level of our individual lives and relationships and circumstances, no one verse of scripture or passage from the biblical record can fit all things or answer every pressing circumstance we may face. Only personal revelations can meet these needs. You will remember that I said in a previous part of this book, that the world did not begin with scripture. It began with God and man and a relationship that evolved through a vast number of experiences between God and man. Some of these experiences were recorded, and we have that record in the scriptures.

I also mentioned that the scriptures can teach us much about men and their relationships with God that should encourage us in our relationships with Him. But the bottom line is not what others experienced with God, but what we experience with God. When the prophets stopped writing, men kept living. When the New Testament was completed, men kept living and their individual lives and personal experiences with God still had take place. It is a very personal and private thing. Your revelation is not my revelation because yours meets your need and mine meets mine. Your answer may mean nothing to me because it was not intended to address my question. What I am trying to encourage is a new reach for God and for new revelations to meet these needs. The days of the prophets passed; the days of the apostles have passed. I might further state that the days of the early churches have also passed. We live in a new era; we need new revelations and new answers to meet new needs.

In reference to the early churches and the matter of their spiritual experiences, we see that they were rich in spiritual gifts and the consciousness of higher powers. There were gifts of healing, words of knowledge and revelations, all coming from the Spirit. They were vibrant with these powers and exhibited them in an exuberant way. We must capture some of this spiritual enthusiasm and reach beyond the veil for the things we need in the hour that we live. However, I do feel that in doing this we must be careful of not trying to revert to the early church in the context of their time period and experiences in life. We read ourselves into their words and expressions, when we need our own ones to reflect the experiences of our lives and times. They have too often become a blueprint for us rather than simply a suggestion of the wonders that are also available to us. When the early church began, they were not patterning themselves after any former congregations, for there were none. Their experiences were fresh, relevant to their times, their needs and their circumstances. I believe they had an excitement, a thirst for the supernatural and sensitivity to the divine Spirit. As they reached for it, they found it and as we reach for it, we will find it. We don’t have to look backward to them and their time; we must look at where we are now and towards the possibilities that are here among us.

Solomon made an important statement about looking back. He said, “Say not the former days were better than these.” He seemed to infer that there is a danger of looking back to the past, rather than realizing the value of the present. After all, it is the same God who is still the source of all spiritual realities and the power behind all the good things in life. Years ago there was a foolish declaration that said “God is Dead.” Obviously, this is a form of attempted negation of God based on someone’s lack of spiritual perception and good common sense. If God were dead, none of us could live, for He is the giver and supporter of our lives. The person who came up with this statement was dead in his heart and spiritual senses. If we are spiritually alive and sensitive toward the higher realities and the realm of the Spirit, we would also realize the error of thinking that the former days were better than these. We would understand that the earlier church’s former days were simply a period of time where many manifestations of the Spirit came forth, because they were sought out. And that the same God who gave them then, can give them now.

There is no depletion of God’s power, availability or revelations. Paul spoke of the “abundance of the revelations” he had. He also said that he knew of one who was “caught up into the third heaven,” and heard “unspeakable words.” The possibilities apparently are endless as far as the realm of the Spirit and the wonder of revelations is concerned. Jesus taught His disciples many things, and still said to them on one occasion, “I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now…when the Spirit of truth is come he will teach you all things.” The ongoing teaching of the Spirit is what revelation is all about. Other generations have passed with their prominent persons. The early church is no longer with us, but the divine Spirit remains.

The churches of today should not only experience many of the gifts and powers of these past congregations but so much more. Human history is one of progress. We don’t build the past, we build upon it, and in the present, we produce the greater things of the future. The world has not stood still since the days of the apostles and early believers; it has exploded with knowledge and innovation. Technology is being developed in almost unlimited ways and applications for new uses of the many inventions of the day are increasing in every corner of the world. It should not be wrong for us to expect to see greater advances in our experiences in the realm of the Spirit. It is unthinkable that what happened in the past among the spiritually minded is unavailable to the spiritually minded of today. Were they holier? If we are to believe the letters written to the churches, apparently they were not. In spite of their shortcomings and sometimes gross failures, they were still experiencing many wonderful things.

Not only is it logical to believe that the experiences of the past are possible for us today, but even greater experiences should be expected. There is not to be regression but progression; not backward movement but forward movement. The things of the kingdom cannot become irrelevant when the world at large is experiencing so many new and wonderful discoveries. We must find ways to tap into the next wave of divine revelation.

We began this chapter talking about the wise men from the east and their remarkable guidance to Bethlehem, to see Him who was born king of the Jews. They were allowed a share of the knowledge of God’s plan toward the earth through the incarnation of the one who would be called the Prince of Peace. It appears that they were spiritually-minded men, whose hearts and minds were fertile ground for revelations and divine guidance. If our minds and hearts are similar for divine revelations, as were the minds and hearts of the wise men from the east, we too are candidates for the knowledge of things we never knew. We also can be in a position to be guided into the understanding of some of the wonders of God’s plans and workings in the earth today. May God grant it. Chapter Eight

Wonderful!

So many things have been said about Jesus. He has commanded center stage in the thoughts of men for countless generations. There has been no one to compare with Him. He stands head and shoulders above the greatest figures of all ages. The prophets spoke of Him before He was given the name He became known by. There were references to one who would be the messiah, the deliverer of Israel, the redeemer and the restorer of all things. One of the prophets said, “His name shall be called Wonderful.” What a suggestive word, “wonderful.” It is a word to attempt to describe an experience or a thing that is difficult to put into words. It tends to capture a feeling or a sense of the effect of a thing or experience we may be referring to when at a loss for words. The only description that comes to mind is “wonderful.” I think it is appropriate that we spend a little time considering this person we now know as Jesus.

We talked about the Christmas story and the account of the birth of this heavenly-endorsed person. Angels seemed to be everywhere, speaking to the wise men, speaking to the father of John the Baptist, speaking to Joseph and Mary and speaking to the shepherds. The birth of Christ was accompanied by a lot of supernatural activity. The message of the angel to the shepherds is especially significant in that the angel said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior.” The birth of Christ was the beginning of good tidings, or good news for the human race. Might I say at this point that there is no other gospel? If it is not one of good news that brings great joy, it is not truly the essence of the gospel. The coming of Christ was not to bring sadness, guilt and fear, but to bring gladness, joy and peace, for the angel continued by saying, “On earth peace, good will toward men.”

The gospel is a message of peace to men from God and a clear statement of His good will toward them. Any other emphasis is missing the point entirely if it fails to center on these basic elements of God’s original intent and purpose. Now, back to the prophet’s words regarding “His name shall be called wonderful.” The effect of the influence of Jesus’ life on the people of His day, and thereafter, can only be described as wonderful. From the beginning of His earthly ministry until the day of His crucifixion and later the resurrection, we can, without hesitation, say He was wonderful. We are told that when Jesus began His public ministry, He went to a synagogue on the Sabbath and read from the book of the Prophet Isaiah the words, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me for He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” The account goes on to say that all the people’s eyes in the synagogue that day were fastened on Him. He held them spellbound. Then He said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

What excitement and expectation Jesus generated when He spoke those words. The passage goes on to say, “They wondered at the gracious words that came out of his mouth.” Later in the town of Capernaum, it is written, “That they were astonished at his doctrine.” They said, “His word was with power.” What He was saying came with an energy and influence that carried with it recognizable power. Everything He said was intended to meet the various needs of the people, both spiritual and physical. The proclamations of the prophets were being restated by Jesus with the promise of immediate fulfillment. What He said had wonderful effects upon the hearts and minds of the people. From this point forward the works of Christ began to show themselves, and experiences of deliverance and release from every sickness and disease started to manifest. If we can just stop for a moment to consider what was happening then, and how it began and increased into miracles everywhere, we can appreciate the prophet’s words that “His name shall be called wonderful.” Suddenly, because of Him, the blind could see, the lepers were cleansed, the deaf could hear, the cripples could walk, the possessed were set free and even the dead were raised.

With what other word can you use to describe Him but “wonderful?” Of course we do use other words and titles to speak of Him, but the word wonderful seems to capture the effect of who He was in a simple but understandable way. He was wonderful when He defended the woman caught in adultery; He was wonderful when He fed the five thousand; He was wonderful when He sat a child upon his knee and said, “of such is the kingdom of heaven;” He was wonderful when He wept at the burial place of Lazarus and raised him from the dead and He was wonderful when He stopped the torment of an insane man and sent him back to his home to recapture his life. In so many ways we must acknowledge that the name “wonderful” gives us a perspective on Jesus that truly reflects his life and ministry.

Now the same prophet that spoke of His name being called wonderful also said He would be called, “Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” These other names seem to infer the mystery of the nature of Jesus. We can easily understand the meaning of the name Counselor, for Jesus spoke with such wisdom and had such profound answers to complex questions. He even knew the thoughts of men without them saying a word. The people said of Him, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.” For He spoke as one having authority who knew everything He was talking about, hence, He was the great Counselor. But when we come to the names “the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,” we get into deep theological waters. Some groups say that Jesus was God, although He never said it Himself in such a definitive way. What He did say was, “I am the son of God;” and He also said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the father;” and even more clearly in the statement, “I am in the father and the father is in me.” These words seem to point to the divine connection, but not usurping the Godhead.

Before the crucifixion when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane He prayed to the Father, and again on the cross He prayed to the Father. Obviously, He was not praying to Himself. I think a satisfying answer that gives us insight can be found in the words of the Apostle Paul when he said, “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself.” When we read the gospels, at what point are we dealing with the humanity of Jesus and at what point are we dealing with the His divinity? It may be difficult to tell. But if we take the view that God was in Christ, then we see the mighty God within Him in all His activities on the earth. The same thing can be said regarding the name, “The Everlasting Father.” But when we come to the name the Prince of Peace, we are back to another dimension, dealing with His purpose to bring peace on earth and good will toward men. I believe the words of the prophet regarding His name being manifold, were to foretell the many aspects of who He was in a multi-dimensional way. In essence, He would be many things to many people and they would call Him by many names. How true this has become. We know that some people see Him in one way; others see Him in another way.

The unfolding of Jesus’ ministry and the continuation of it through the disciples and into the various churches, has left a variety of impressions upon the minds of men regarding who Jesus was and to many, who He still is. Some see Him as the elder brother others as the great teacher. Still others, as the way shower, and to vast numbers of believers, He is seen simply as the savior. But there is another name that He has been called, which He Himself laid claim to—“the son of man.” No matter how high and magnificent His other titles may be, this is one that He never shied away from. If we are to truly appreciate Jesus, we must see Him as He would have us to, as being one of us. On many occasions He called Himself the son of man. He will forever be identified with us. He did not come from beyond us, He came from among us. There are many mysteries about this person we call Jesus, but He made it clear that He is one of us.

The scriptures say, “ The child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him.” He grew up from the baby Jesus to the man Jesus the Christ. He experienced all the human aspects of growth and development. He could be hungry, tired, even exasperated, as when He drove the money changers out of the temple. On the other hand, He showed a wonderful meekness about Him, which He expressed in many ways. On one occasion He knelt to wash his disciples’ feet. He did not ride in chariots; He walked the dusty roads of Israel like any average person. When He did ride, it was on a donkey. There was so much humanity expressed in Jesus that we can clearly see Him as “the son of man.”

He was a sharer of all our human experiences, even our temptations. We are told that, “He was in all points tempted like as we are.” The story of Christ’s temptation is written in the gospels; it was fierce. The temptation of Christ covered a period of 40 days where He was tempted in every way a person can be. Yet there was no breakdown anywhere within Him; He is said to have been without sin. Because of this experience, we are told that He is able to help those who are being tempted. He knows what it is like; He knows how it feels; He understands the many directions where it can come from and its many deceptions. He is truly the son of man. And since He has come from among us, having flesh and blood, knowing all that we encounter, in His heavenly position He is now said to be, “A great high priest, who ever lives to make intercession for us.” As we can see, the names and dimensions of the person of Jesus and his effects upon the human race are manifold. This is why it is so difficult to explain Him in a simple way or from only one perspective. He means many things to many people. And this is the way it should be. We still don’t know what form He may take in someone’s life or experience, and we sometimes fail to recognize Him when He appears.

After the resurrection Jesus was not always recognized at first sight. When Mary came to the tomb, He spoke to her and she thought this person was a stranger, so she explained her grief saying, someone had taken away the body of her Lord and asked the person if He had done it. Jesus then simply said, “Mary” and suddenly she recognized that this stranger was Christ. There seems to be a hint that He may not always look the same, but the way He speaks to someone allows them to know that it is He. There is an account in one of the gospel records that says He appeared to two of the disciples “in another form.” He walked and talked with them and even later ate with them. As He talked and explained the scriptures to them, suddenly they recognized Him and then He vanished. They did not immediately recognize Him; like so many of us we may not know who He is at first glance. The mention of His appearance in another form may indicate that He comes to us in different ways, and we must not discount new revelations of Him. If we set our eyes only upon the way He looked in the past, we may miss how He could appear in the present or in the future.

Paul the apostle said, “ Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” To interpret Christ simply by the accounts in the gospel would miss the greater significance of who He really is. We cannot restrict Him to a single form of expression or a standard way of describing Him. He will come in many different ways and in perhaps forms we never expected. It is our spiritual perception that gives us the best interpretation of Him; because that is the way He appears to us. He appears to us in ways that we can understand and that has meaning uniquely to us.

There is a story of a down-and-out derelict in a large city that lived on the streets, and slept in alleys and parks. Every day at noon He would go into a church open daily for worshipers to come in and pray. This man would come every day and go to the altar, kneel down and say simply, “Jesus, it’s Jim,” then he would wait awhile and return to the streets. One day his health entirely gave way and he was hospitalized in critical condition. His doctor stopped by on his regular visit to assess Jim’s grave condition. The doctor asked him if he had yet had any visitors. Jim said that he had; in fact, he had a special visitor every day. The doctor was puzzled because he was not aware of anyone having come to the hospital to visit him. Then Jim told the story of his daily visits to the altar at the downtown church and his manner of prayer. He said to the doctor, everyday at noon Jesus comes into my room and stands at the foot of my bed and says, “Jim, it’s Jesus.” If it was a vision or some sort of elevated consciousness, we will never know, but it was sufficient for him. He recognized that this was Jesus returning the daily visits in a way that he would understand. Some might consider this farfetched, but to Jim it was life sustaining.

Many thousands of people have said they have seen Jesus in some form or another in the most critical times of their lives. Whether these were visions or some higher forms of consciousness may be hard for us to discern. But the important thing for us to note is that these experiences came with some definite sense of assurance that remarkably changed the nature of their circumstances.

As we further consider the life of this one called wonderful, we must come to grips with the absolutely undeniable effect of His coming to the nations of the world. Jesus’ life and teachings have permeated the consciousness of the entire world. There are very few places upon earth where people have not heard about Jesus in some form or another. He raised the consciousness of God to a level not known before and put His reality within our reach. What He taught about God and the kingdom is the foundation of what we express as our faith today. He said of His message, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world.” Today it is perfectly normal for us to consider God as our Father. Today we almost, without a second thought, use the Jewish scriptures as if they were our own. We claim the promises as belonging personally to us. We lay hold of the prophets’ words and expectations they generate in our hearts easily, and with confidence in their meaning and fulfillment. Might I remind the reader that none of this would ever have happened without the appearance of Jesus?

A brief summary of religious history may help to enlighten us here. In the time of Jesus, and even before His time, the nations of the world had their own concepts of God. These concepts were diverse and many times found expressions in graven images that took many different forms. Some of the nations believed in many gods, not just one God. Even the philosophical Greeks entertained the notion of many gods. There had been many changes in the concept of God since the time of Adam and his early lineage. The purity about God’s truth found its expression in a few men here and there, but for the most part it had broken up into many degraded and fragmented teachings. It was through the line of the Jews, with the appearance of Abraham and Moses and the prophets that a truly coherent and clear understanding of God emerged. Even a casual reading of the Psalms can reveal much to us of the nature of God and the fact of a personal consciousness and experience of Him.

When we read the Old Testament our understanding of God is greatly enhanced and the specifics of mercy, love, compassion, redemption and promises begin to fill our minds. We must remember this knowledge was not always within the reach of the nations of the world. The Europe of today was not the Europe of the time of the prophets, nor of the time of Jesus. Nor was the religious world of the past the same as we know it today. What we know now and speak of now was contained within the confines of the nation of Israel. Here and there, there were proselytes to the Jewish faith, but by in large there was a definite distinction between what we call the “Jews and the Gentiles.” In fact, the term heathen was applied to those outside the Jewish community. And there was no open access to the Jewish scriptures for the Gentiles. The Gentiles, or nations of the world, were not looking for a messiah nor were they aware of the Ten Commandments or even words of the prophets. Those realizations came later when the birth of the one who was to come, came. We are obliged to see that it all started with Jesus, who gave us the connection to God as He was seen by the Jews and the prophets. It was Jesus who introduced us to our share in this whole divine plan. When He said “I am the way” He was stating a revolutionary fact. He was the way that we found our path of understanding to God. Take Him out of the spiritual equation and there is a definite missing link.

Without the coming of Jesus, the nations of the world would not have had a direct sense of their connection to the scriptures, the prophets or the kingdom, for they would have known nothing of these things. We speak freely of the kingdom of God and of its presence here, rather than somewhere far off. It was Jesus who said it is within us and it is there we are encouraged to look for it. He said it is revealed through a regeneration of the heart through the mysterious workings of the Spirit. We have come to realize that there is something within us that makes us aware of God’s presence. If Jesus had not said it, we would not now know it, nor be inclined to search for it or believe in it. We call God Father. Yet it was Jesus who established that realization in our minds. He is not just the most high, or the almighty; He has become most personal and intimate toward us since the coming of Jesus. It was He who taught us to say, “Our Father.” He prepared men’s minds for greater expectancy of divine interventions within their lives. He is the one who encouraged us to look for the unusual; to believe for the impossible.

The things that Jesus said were revolutionary at the time. They introduced an entire new spiritual era into the world and among all nations. He established more certainties about God and His responsiveness to us than any other person in history. It was He who said, “Everyone that asks receives.” He was leaving no one out of this assurance that from His time onward to the end of the age, all men can ask and all men can receive. These thoughts, and similar ones from Jesus’ lips, have been driving the movement of faith down through the centuries. There is not a religious group of any kind that has had any amount of real success in the realm of faith that does not find its roots somewhere in the words and teachings of Jesus. They may not use all of His words, and may use some of His words in different ways or in different contexts. But be assured they are using some of the truths He stated in much of their forward thinking in the dimension of the Spirit. If you look carefully at what they are saying, some aspect of His divine message or authority will become evident.

You see, we really cannot get away from Jesus in our religious journey even if we wanted to. Take away what He said and declared to be true from any of our teachings and our success would crumble. All we know about access to God and spiritual power originated with Jesus. The fact that we are permitted to go in so many directions with His truth is a testimony to the abundant goodness of God. There is so much to be said, and the fact that it can be said in so many different ways and yet be effectual, is one of the greatest marvels in human experience.

And further on this point, we are given to understand that the mystery to all these happenings is a continued connection through faith with the Christ Himself. He said on one occasion, “I am the vine, ye are the branches.” He was making it plain that He is an integral part of all our spiritual success. We use His words, His encouragements in faith, His concept of the Father, and trust for authority in what He has told us, and the fruit shows up all the time. Even as Jesus said, “The Son can do nothing of himself, and that, the Father within me, he doeth the works.” We also must say it is not us that make these divine things happen, it is because of the Christ within.

Now this is an important emphasis, Christ within. Many religious groups use this thought in their teachings, sometimes interchangeably with the kingdom within. It is to identify the source of the spiritual happenings that come forth in their lives. They consciously or unconsciously depend on unseen powers from within them to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Of course this takes us back to the words of Jesus when He said, “Without me you can do nothing.” Certainly He meant in the realm of the Spirit we are helpless without His assistance. Many things we can do on our own. We can get an education, learn a new language or fly an airplane. But in bringing things from the unseen into the visible to accomplish some high purpose, we can only do it because of Him.

Jesus made the promise before He left the earth: “ You shall know that I am in my Father and ye in me and I in you.” In other words, the divine connection would become apparent. I know with handling of these very deep statements and their meanings, things can get a bit esoteric. We are dealing with some of the greatest mysteries of the kingdom. I would venture to say that some of the greatest thinkers in religious circles would have to admit that they cannot explain in detail all the significance of these statements. To the spiritual mind there is given a consciousness of some divine realities that others may not be aware of. One of these is the awareness of what has been called the “indwelling Christ,” or the “Christ within.” The Apostle Paul put it this way, “Christ in you, the hope of Glory.” He was speaking to some very imperfect and often earthly-minded believers. They were far from spiritual maturity and had many failings that the apostle had to address. Yet he clearly declared that Christ was within them and that He was their hope of glory.

Now when Jesus spoke of the divine connection, He sought to make clear that the works He was able to do was possible due to the Father living within Him (i.e. doing these works). He stated more than once that He was in the Father and the Father was in Him. He also said the Father would be in the disciples. I don’t believe He meant that either He or the disciples were like robots. They were just aware of another dimension and consciousness that power was coming through them, but not always entirely from them.

If we can but realize more often that whatever spiritual success we have is not because we suddenly have a corner on the power of God, or a certain knack in the use of this thing called faith; it is because of the one whose name is called Wonderful. Without Him we would know nothing about the Spirit’s realm or the possibilities of the use of faith. We would have no authoritative statements to back up our claim to power, nor even know about the kingdom. Everything we have in spiritual power or credentials has come from and through Him. He deserves to be called “Wonderful.” Chapter Nine

Eating and Drinking

The most central part of the human race’s experience is eating and drinking. This is a part of every culture in the world. It is the key focus of all our social festivities, from birthday celebrations, to weddings, to family gatherings. It occupies a significant part of our daily activities and is anticipated with joy. One of the elements of eating and drinking has been the time-honored tradition of wine with meals, as well as in the general activities of many social events. This fact has been a sticky subject among the religious minded. To some, drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverage is considered to be taboo, and whoever indulges in it is somehow violating a spiritual law. I personally don’t believe this to be the case. There is no commandment against drinking wine or any other form of alcoholic beverage. To be fair, the over indulgence in wine or any drink of that sort has brought to many people great heartache and sometimes great shame. It is obvious that excess in the consumption of any strong drink can have detrimental effects. I am reminded of Noah, one of the greatest figures in the Old Testament, who drank to excess and was found lying naked in a drunken stupor by one of his sons. The story tells of the lack of respect from one son and the great tenderness and care of the other two as they covered his nakedness. If the account tells us anything, it is the danger of excess.

As with most things in life that we are free to partake of, excess must be avoided and good common sense must be applied. But nowhere is drinking wine itself said to be forbidden to the human family at large. The only exceptions were Samson, the Nazarites, and certain other individuals for whom the restriction to avoid drinking wine was a requirement for a divine purpose. It appears to have been a selective restriction for some individuals only, and was not a blanket command for everyone to follow. Individual freedom is still the basic truth of the teachings of scripture.

Jesus appears to often protect the freedom of the individual and not to bind them with a multitude of laws and demands. He once became so frustrated with the strict demands upon the people made by the religious leaders of His day that He said of them, “They bind heavy burdens grievous to be borne and lay them on men’s shoulders.” Their entire religious practice seemed to have been to judge and to condemn. They were always looking for something to criticize and would find some scripture to apply in a harsh and condemning way. In particular, they loved to emphasize the sanctity of the Sabbath and find all kinds of demands to place upon the people in relation to it. On one occasion, Jesus said something very profound that stunned them: “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” True religion and beneficial religious practice should not bring men into bondage and fear. Man is not to be made a slave even to supposedly-religious observances. Man is God’s chief concern and God’s will is man’s freedom to enjoy life and acknowledge that its benefits have come from Him. Reverence for God and holy things is accepted by all as normal, and worthy of our attention. But when these obligations are heavily loaded with a multitude of restrictions and burdens, it tends to sap one’s spiritual energy.

When Jesus appeared, He came with such power and authority that He shook up the religious establishment. He was doing so many things in so many new ways that the leaders of that time put their spiritual magnifying glasses on to look more closely at Him. They criticized Him from every angle that they could find where they thought He was in violation of the law, or against some of their foregone conclusions as to what was right in the sight of God. Some of them even went so far as to say of Jesus, “This man is not of God.” He was not in their camp and did not follow their rules. Again and again He was the object of their wrath and severe criticism. But it is written, “That the common people heard him gladly.” This further annoyed the religious leaders of His day. For it was among the common people that Jesus spent most of His time. He healed their sick, fed their hungry, comforted their broken hearted and set their oppressed free.

Jesus went from village to village and taught the people many things. He also was very social with them, eating in many of their homes and enjoying their meals and drinking their wine. This startled His critics even more. He was not off somewhere in the desert or mountains, only appearing from time to time to prophesy and then disappear back into the wild. Jesus was not aloof; nor was He a recluse. Surely He spent much time in private communion with the Father, but that did not absorb all of His time. He still had much time to spend with the people. His spirituality was not threatened by being with them and sharing normal human activities. We must not forget that He said He was the son of man, and in many ways He proved it. This practice of Jesus being social with the people irritated some of the religious authorities to no end. The fact that Jesus freely drank wine and was obviously enjoying the meals He was being offered did not set well with them. It was unconscionable to them that He was actually enjoying Himself and His close contact with the people. Jesus gave a strong illustration of the fact that spirituality need not be restrictive, nor should it stop the spiritually minded from partaking freely of the good things of life.

Now I know that this emphasis and perspective may trouble some who have been raised in a religious atmosphere that forbids drinking any alcoholic beverage. Some may even feel that their salvation is dependent upon whether or not they take a drink. There always must be respect for the conscience of others as it relates to their personal convictions. Writing this chapter is not an attempt to violate the conscience of any one or to interfere with their path of abstinence. It is, however; intended to throw light upon a more realistic approach to this sensitive subject, “eating and drinking.” I am sure that some have wrestled with the question, “to drink or not to drink.” I believe it should be a matter of choice based on people’s personal sense of what should be allowed in their lives, taking into consideration how they really feel in their hearts about their capacity for moderation and self control.

Here is the real crux of the matter—moderation and self control. Without it you cross a threshold that leads to danger and a lot of embarrassing regrets. Take anything to excess and you have given up control of yourself and the situation at hand. As I mentioned before, drinking wine was forbidden only to certain individuals such as Samson and the Nazarites. Their spiritual purpose and separation from the population at large placed them in a special category for a divine purpose. But we must also note the fact that not everyone was Samson; nor was everyone a Nazarite. When we take the case of a few and apply all their restrictions to the many, we violate the freedom of the many for the convenience of a few. I feel, to a great extent, this has been the case regarding the demand for total abstinence by everyone who is considered a Christian, and, to use that requirement as a spiritual badge or credential to validate their separation from the world. To say a true Christian cannot drink wine is to overstep the teachings of the scriptures. I believe Jesus gave the best response to this issue in His statement to the religious-minded and the critically-inclined observers of His life and ministry.

Jesus said to these critics, “ Where unto shall I liken the men of this generation?” He was saying in effect, ‘How can I describe you, you are so hard to please; you will always try to find something wrong with whatever I do.’ Then He likened them to children who were trying to entertain each other in the marketplace saying, “We have piped unto you and you have not danced, we have mourned unto you and you have not wept.” No matter what we do, it’s difficult to satisfy you. Then He compared Himself to John the Baptist. He said, “For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine and ye said he hath a devil; the son of man is come eating and drinking and ye say behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.” He was saying, John came one way and you criticized him; I come another way and you criticize me. We both are messengers and selected by God for a divine purpose. John lived a restricted life; I live a free and unrestricted life. John ate sparingly and drank no wine; I eat freely and drink wine. It can be done either way. John’s life and behavior did not dictate Jesus’ life and behavior; they were both righteous.

Here is a most important consideration: Jesus, though raised in Nazareth, which some associate with the Nazarites who during the period of their vow of consecration did not drink wine. Yet Jesus, who was called a Nazarene, did drink wine. Perhaps Jesus was making a strong statement that the time to emphasize freedom had come. Now, not only did Jesus freely partake of wine as He ate with the people, but obviously not timidly or hesitantly. His critics called Him a winebibber and even insinuated that He was a glutton. I am sure we can categorize these charges as simply vicious exaggerations. Jesus would never, in my opinion, drink to excess or gorge himself with food. The fact of His free indulgence lets us see His humanity, and should lay to rest the tendency to judge someone’s spirituality by whether or not he or she will take a drink.

In the story of a wedding in the village of Cana, there is a further illustration of Jesus being comfortable with His open approach toward drinking wine. The account goes like this, “There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there.” We are told that Jesus and His disciples were also invited and were present for the marriage celebration. Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no wine.” She seemed to imply that Jesus should do something about it, because He said, “Woman, what have I to do with thee, mine hour is not yet come.” We might assume that Mary believed her son had the power to do something about the current need. Mary went on to say to the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” His mother seemed quite expectant that Jesus would do something miraculous. Jesus then took command of the situation and told the servants to bring six large water pots of stone and fill them with water. We are told, “They filled them up to the brim.” Jesus then told them to “draw out now and bear to the governor of the feast.”

When the governor of the feast tasted the water that Jesus had turned into wine, he called the bridegroom and said, “Thou hast kept the good wine until now.” Apparently, the wine Jesus made was exceptional and made a great impression upon all of the guests. We are further told that “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him.” This account of turning water into wine is quite suggestive. First, having wine at a wedding was nothing new and certainly nothing to be thought of as wrong or nonspiritual. And we see that Jesus blessed the event with His presence and crowned it with a display of His power. The fact that this was the beginning of miracles by Jesus is quite significant. In effect, He was giving His blessing upon the event and upon the wine that He miraculously provided.

Now I know we live many centuries from the time of Jesus and our interpretations of spirituality, and the will of God, have gone through various changes. With some points of doctrine being emphasized in particular ways to the neglect of others, we have a tendency to label certain things wrong or sinful, when in reality, they may not be. But from some of our perspectives, and the teachings of the group we have belonged to all our lives, we can only see certain things in certain ways. This was the main problem with the Pharisees, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. To them, He did not fit the prophet’s profile. He was too social, too free and to accessible to the general public. And He certainly did not emphasize the law and the Sabbath the way they did. I might add here, that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day did not have a ban on drinking wine. They accepted it as normal for their society. They just felt that Jesus was too public and free with His eating and drinking, and they expected Him to be more ascetic.

With that being said, let us consider the Jewish position on drinking wine and some of the scriptural references to its use and place in their society, both social and spiritual. As we continue looking at this neglected subject, we must keep in mind the premise that I believe is all important: drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverage should not be labeled as wrong or sinful. If this was so, Jesus would never have drunk wine or accepted its use.

In the Old Testament we are told of a battle that Abraham had with the king of Elam to save his nephew Lot from captivity. After the fierceness of that battle, which Abraham won, we are told that, “Melchizedek, King of Salem, brought forth bread and wine and he was the priest of the Most High God.” This significant passage focuses on one who is called the priest of the Most High God meeting Abraham and bringing him bread and wine. I think we can all agree that Abraham was a righteous man and certainly this priest of the Most High God was, too; the refreshments He brought to Abraham included wine. We are also told that he blessed him and the Most High God.

When Isaac blessed his son Jacob he said, “ God give thee of the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine.” It was considered one of the blessings of God to have plenty to eat and plenty of wine to drink. The point here is that in Jewish culture, drinking wine was not a taboo. Having wine to drink was considered a blessing. Although drinking wine is considered a blessing, for it is written, “Wine maketh glad the heart of man,” it can also be a mocker and a deceiver, if over indulged in. The same scriptures that speak of the blessing of plenty of wine, also warn of the pitfalls of excess. The person who lacks self control, and has no sense of moderation, needs perhaps to follow the path of abstinence. We should know when to stop or when to say no. We also should know whether we should allow this freedom at all.

Before leaving our thoughts about wine in the Jewish culture and their religion, if you want a full view of its place in the lives of the Hebrews, both socially and religiously, search out the word “wine” in the scriptures. You will see how much a part of their lives was associated with drinking wine, whether in celebration or in their sacrifices or religious observances. It was enjoyed freely and without any sense of guilt.

I mentioned earlier the Nazarites and their vow of abstinence. Like Samson, they grew their hair long, abstained from wine and followed a restrictive diet. They also observed other rules to avoid anything that would imply uncleanness. The interesting fact about the Nazarite vow was that it was not always for life. It was for a period of time; after that predetermined time had ended, the person who made his vow could then shave his hair, offer a sacrifice and resume his place back into the broader society. The restrictions he was formerly under would no longer apply, for the scripture says after the time of the vow ended, “the Nazarite may drink wine.” Perhaps this aspect of the Nazarites’ return to normal life was a foreshadowing of the thought of freedom or liberty in one’s religious life. That which he had abstained from would now be permitted, and he could enjoy it without guilt or condemnation.

Now I know that some who feel keenly about abstinence in many other areas than just wine, have for so long maintained a particular frame of mind regarding to their need to be separate in all aspects from the ways of the world. Even the thought of a glass of wine is abhorrent to them. This is understandable and must be respected. But it should be equally respected that those believers who choose to exercise their personal freedom should be allowed to do so without being judged or condemned.

And here is where the problem comes in. Most religious-minded people who strictly follow abstinence can't find it in their hearts to accept the reality that there are many people who know God and follow His will in their lives, could drink with moderation and be at peace with Him in doing so. When not drinking is included with the message of salvation we box in a certain group of believers and box out another one. We have added a requirement that God never intended in His expectations of men. When we use the concept of prohibition, or you can't do this or you can't do that and be a follower of God, we miss the point that God looks at the heart and knows its intent. To rejoice and enjoy life is a basic need for all men, and freedom to do this is everyone’s right.

The early church had its conflicts over matters of liberty and freedom in serving God. We saw in a previous chapter that Paul and Peter had a serious clash regarding that freedom. Paul spoke of certain believers coming down from Jerusalem, “To spy out our liberty that we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage.” Different aspects of the law and its requirements, as well as the Jewish demands being placed upon the Gentile believers reached such a heated pitch that Paul refused to give ground; he stood up to Peter and defended the freedom in faith and lifestyle of liberty that the Gentile believers were enjoying. Paul saw that central to everything, was the fact of faith in Christ. Things not evil in themselves were taken off the table. We may never come to a full agreement in some areas of what is appropriate and acceptable in living out the meaning of our faith, because they never reached full agreement in Paul’s day. So one group went one way in the practice of their faith and the other group went another, in the practice of theirs. In the matter of the freedom to drink wine, one group of believers will take a stand one way and another group will take a stand in another manner. I do think that the freedom to take a stand is all important. We should not dictate what someone's religious convictions should be. Nor should we judge them and declare them as outside the kingdom if their convictions are different than ours.

Before concluding this chapter regarding eating and drinking, I would like to say that both the Old and New Testament positions on drinking are pretty much the same. Just as there were rebukes in the former writings against drunkenness, these same rebukes are again seen the New Testament scriptures. We are told, “Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess.” The only way to become drunk is through excess. This is where moderation and self control are appealed to. We are never told not to drink; we are only told not to be drunk.

It was obvious that drunkenness had to be addressed in the early church. Even in the observance of the Lord’s Supper there arose some problems. The Lord’s Supper, or what some call the Holy Sacrament, had its origin in the Jewish observance of Passover. This was the celebration angel of death passing over the houses of the Jews and striking only the first born in the houses of the Egyptians. This event was vividly depicted in the 1956 film, The Ten Commandments. It happened before the exodus and journey to the Promised Land. The Jews were told to sacrifice a lamb for a household and smear the blood of the lamb on the door posts of their homes. God had said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Because of this event, the nation of Israel, from that time forward, would keep the feast of Passover to eat the sacred meal and drink the wine in remembrance of their deliverance. The feast of Passover was a joyous time, yet also a hallowed time; it was not to be a party time, but more of a spiritual time. When Jesus shared the Passover supper with His disciples, He applied the sacrifice of the Passover lamb to Himself, and used the bread and wine as symbols of His flesh and blood.

In the Corinthian church, the observance of the Lord's Supper had gotten out of hand and some were gorging themselves and drinking heavily. Paul rebuked them for their lack of self-control and failure to respect the sacredness of the event. His words concerning this matter were, “When ye come together therefore in one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper, for in eating, everyone taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry and another is drunken, what? Have ye not houses to eat and drink in?” So the early church had its problems and needed to be rebuked for over indulgence. But on another occasion, the same apostle told his young assistant Timothy to “Take a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thy often infirmities.” So again we see that the position of the early church was never abstinence, only moderation. It is our choice, whether total abstinence or simply moderation. We may choose either, but whatever choice we make, we must respect the other person’s freedom to make a choice without condemnation.

Chapter Ten

Step out of the Boat

Jesus did many miraculous things. Some of them we have already referred to in a somewhat collective sense. We know He healed, raised the dead, turned water into wine, multiplied loaves and fishes and showed his power in a number of ways that left the people in awe. All of His works revealed the presence of a source of infinite energy that adapted itself to whatever demand He placed upon it. If anyone ever revealed the presence of absolute power in a sustained and definite way, it was Jesus. It appears from reading the gospels that something new and astounding was happening practically every day wherever Jesus went.

There is a most incredible event recorded in the gospels about Jesus walking on water. It follows His feeding the five thousand; Jesus then sent the disciples away in their boat to meet Him on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He then went up into a mountain alone to pray. While He was there praying, night had fallen; the disciples were in the midst of the sea when a fierce storm arose, and the boat was tossed about by the winds and the waves. They were in great danger of capsizing and losing their lives. We are told that Jesus went to them, “Walking on the sea.” As He appeared in the distance walking toward them, the disciples were scared to death. They thought He was a spirit and, “they cried out for fear.” This certainly is a normal human reaction, seeing what appeared to be a supernatural entity, ghost or apparition walking on the water. Jesus called out to them and said, “Be of good cheer it is I; be not afraid.” What a consolation it was to hear His voice and to know He was coming to take command of the situation. There is so much spiritual encouragement in this account.

We are never out of range of Jesus’ attention or His ability to reach us; He can come to us in ways we never could expect. For most of us, the story ends with Jesus reaching the boat, getting into it and the wind and waves subsiding. But there is more to the story than we usually hear. Before Jesus reached the boat Peter said, “Lord if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water.” This is a most significant inclusion for our consideration. We must remember that Jesus walking on the water at first terrified the disciples. They cried out in fear; they knew that people don’t walk on water, it is impossible. But Jesus was again doing the impossible. Now suddenly, Peter is inspired and wants to walk on the water also. He wanted to do the impossible like Jesus was doing. This is a glimpse for us into the mind of Peter and his reach for a greater experience in the realm of the supernatural. None of the other disciples even thought of such a thing. They were content to just wait for Jesus to reach the boat and make it safely to the other side of the sea. They were content with the prospect of safety; Peter wanted to know the wonder of a new and unparalleled experience. This was a chance of a lifetime and He did not want to let it pass without trying to do it.

We have to admit that Peter stood head and shoulders above the other disciples in his spiritual aspirations. He wanted to actually walk on the water just like Jesus. His faith to ask for the privilege of doing this, and his willingness to trust in the power of the invisible, will always place Him among the spiritually adventurous. He was ready to try the impossible. There will always be a few people here and there who want to reach another dimension in their spiritual lives, who don’t want to play it safe or accept certain limitations. They are not concerned with what others think or want to do. They set their sights on what to some seems impossible, but to them it is achievable if they can just get some encouragement from the unseen powers to “go for it.” Jesus gave that encouragement to Peter and said simply, “Come.” That is the crucial part of the whole account, whether Peter would actually step out of the boat and onto the water. There is a point of engagement with the powers beyond our sight when we step out from whatever supports we are accustomed to, depend upon and trust the unseen to express itself. Now I know this is a huge challenge—it is what separates some who believe from others. There are those who want to have certain experiences that others would never entertain in their wildest imaginations. Some people want to have their special request, their unique miracle or their desire fulfilled.

Back to Peter’s story. The other disciples stayed in the boat and the scripture says, “And when Peter was come down out of the boat he walked on the water to go to Jesus.” We can only imagine the exhilaration, excitement and sense of dominion that Peter felt when he stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water. He was miles away in his consciousness from where the other disciples were. This is why it is so difficult to explain a miraculous experience that one has had to someone who may not be able to appreciate what that person has seen, felt or come to know. I would like to be able to tell you that Peter had no complications in his walk-on-water experience, but I can't. It was not all smooth walking. We are told as he was walking on the water, “When he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried saying, ‘Lord save me.’” It appears that the force of the wind and reality of walking on the water in the middle of the night diverted his consciousness from the realm of the Spirit, back to the realm of the natural, and he became afraid. It is a fact that fear is a circuit breaker in the dimension of the Spirit. That’s why we are told again and again to “fear not.” When Peter became afraid he interrupted the invisible laws that were working to keep Him on the water. He started to sink and cried out to Jesus to save him. Jesus, standing firmly on the water, “immediately stretched out his hand and caught him, and said unto him, ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’”

If this passage tells us anything, it tells us of the power of Peter's own faith. Jesus gave him the right to come to him on the water and Peter came believing that he could do this because Jesus said so. The fact that he was distracted by the adverse influences upon his physical and mental senses is clear. When he became afraid, he began to sink. Jesus put the blame back on his shoulders by asking him why he doubted. In effect, Jesus was saying, “You were doing fine. Why did you stop believing?”

This account should speak volumes to us about the freedom to ask for the impossible and to ask for the ability to do the impossible. It also tells us of the danger of being distracted and becoming afraid in the midst of our emerging success. We certainly can't blame Peter too much because at least he stepped out of the boat and began his adventure. He staked his claim, left his familiar ground and went where no one else had ever gone but Christ Himself. He passed a very high barrier in his own mind and actually did the thing he wanted to do. No one would ever be able to tell him he could not walk on water. He now knew that he could; he also learned that he must not be distracted and become afraid when using his faith and the unseen powers that assisted him.

I believe these same principles apply to us today in using the laws of faith and doing what some people think is impossible. Jesus said, “With God all things are possible.” Peter must have absorbed the truth of that statement when he walked on the water. It is not enough to just hear about what someone else has done or even to see someone else do the impossible. At some point, the desire to have our own supernatural experience must stir us to prove it for ourselves. Our admiration for Peter should know no bounds, for not only did he try to do the impossible, he actually did it. Although his achievement was interrupted when he became afraid, his measure of success has never been duplicated. When venturing into the realm of the higher powers, at first we are in uncharted territory. As we continue on in this atmosphere of faith, we become more accustomed about what to anticipate and how to maintain our spiritual balance. Like a child first learning to walk it’s all new to us, but we get the hang of it after a few jolting falls. The important thing is to get up and keep trying until we are at ease with our new sense of navigation. Along this same line of thought, no one else can walk for us; we must do it on our own if we are ever to master it. We must become comfortable with what it feels like and how to control our movements. In the realm of faith no one can believe for us; we must do our own believing and have our own experiences through our own faith.

One of the things that often appears within the scriptures, and more so the gospels, are the two sides of faith. One side is faith in God for something we have asked for. The other side is our faith in something we expect to happen because of our own decree or stepping out in confidence to see what we stated become a realized fact. Once Peter stepped out of the boat, he was using his faith in the area he wanted to experience--to walk on water. Jesus could not do it for him. It was his faith and his walk. When he faltered, Jesus said to him, “Why did you doubt?” Peter's faith had given him the power to do the impossible and Jesus wanted him to understand that fact. He was always trying to teach the disciples the power of their own faith. On another occasion He said to them, “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed ye shall say to this sycamore tree, be thou rooted up and be thou planted in the sea; it would obey you.” Here He squarely places the use of faith and its awesome possibilities within their hands. The words, “Ye shall say and it would obey you,” do not refer to God responding to a request; it is us making a demand. There is this sense of control and expectancy that Jesus wants to bring to our attention. It starts in us; we can make things happen if we believe we can. The only thing that we need to remember is that the power itself comes from God. Our faith is the trigger that sets in motion the unseen powers that must respond. These powers, like the air we breathe, are all around us and sensitive to the frequency of our faith. It is God who has decreed that our faith will be effective. But obviously, we must learn to use it and expect to see results. Whether we ask for a thing or command that something will be, we must believe for a response to show itself in accordance with our expectations. We know that sometimes our faith may be small, but it can also grow as we experience more and more of its amazing properties.

In the gospels we read of a woman who had an “ issue of blood.” The flow could not be stopped even though she had been to many physicians. This condition had plagued her for 12 years. The physicians applied every remedy they had available to them and yet she was no better after all their treatments. Not only was this a dreadful sickness, it was also a degrading illness because by Jewish law, she was to stay isolated from people and certainly was not to be out in public. She was considered unclean as long as this condition persisted. Yet Jesus’ fame had spread throughout the land and had given her hope. As Jesus was passing through her area great crowds surrounded Him. This woman slipped into the crowd to work her way near Jesus, for she said within herself, “If I do but touch but his clothes I shall be whole.” This faith originated in her own mind and heart. None had ever done this before so there was no precedent, and she had told no one of her plan. She came up behind him and touched the border of his garment, and immediately she felt she was healed of that plague. Jesus, knowing that power was released from Him, turned around and said, “Who touched my clothes?” The disciples said, “There are throngs all around pressing up against you, and you ask who touched you?” Touching Jesus’ garment had a very special meaning to the woman with the issue of blood; that touch registered with Him and a spiritual transaction took place. The woman believed that Jesus had power and if she could touch even His clothes, power from the contact would enter her body, and heal her of the disease. When Jesus looked around after asking who had touched Him, the woman fell to her knees. She told the story of her long-standing sickness, the many physicians who could not help her and of her decision to touch His garment for healing. Jesus said to her, “Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole.” He focused on the efficacy of her faith; it was her faith that made her whole. There was no verbal request, no words from Jesus, no laying on of hands or discussion of her problem; just a simple but determined touch of faith. His garment was the point of contact; her faith was the magnet that brought the power from Him into her.

Now it is noteworthy to see two different dimensions of how one may apply personal faith. With Peter it was a matter of aspiration; for the woman with the issue of blood it was a matter of desperation. The very thought of living with her sickness any longer drove her to reach for a miracle. She carried this plague all those years with no real relief. In fact, the scriptures are more specific about her experiences with the physicians, for it is written, “She suffered many things of many physicians and had spent all that she had and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.” With all due respect to physicians, they have done some wonderful things, but so often they cannot help us. Their various treatments can many times cause more suffering things and to get worse. We sometimes have spent all our funds without any recovery and are in poorer condition than when we started seeing the physicians. Is this always the case? Of course not. But so often it is the experience of many people. The journey of this woman with her affliction over so many years heard of the miracles associated with Jesus’ presence. She thought, if I can just touch the hem of his garment, I believe I will be made whole. In her state of desperation she imagined that healing power would come from Him to her. It was her last and only hope. Her faith was wonderfully rewarded. In her imagination she created what she expected to happen, and it did. Peter asked to be able to walk on water, and he did. We might say one reached for it, the other stepped for it. Peter had to touch the water; the woman had to touch the garment.

There is a touch point somewhere in the use of faith. Perhaps it is what we say and how we say it when we express our faith. Other times, it may be what we do and how we do it. The fact of the matter is that a connection is made somehow with the unseen powers that assist us. There appears to be unlimited responses available to us based on what we expect to happen. For instance, there is the story of Joshua telling the sun to stand still and the moon not to move, and they obeyed him. He was at the latter part of a fierce battle against his enemies in the Promised Land. The armies of his foes were retreating and the sun was going down. Joshua wanted to complete the battle, and in the high atmosphere of excitement and faith, he boldly issued the command, “Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou moon in the valley of Ajalon.” How audacious a command this was, yet we are told, “The sun stood still and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.” The wonder of this event was the high sense of possibility that Joshua was immersed in. He took it upon himself to command elements in the visible heaven and they obeyed him. I know this is an awesome account and raises questions in our mind. Can we just take over God’s jurisdiction and start commanding things to happen? Apparently in some cases and under some circumstances, we can, if we have faith that it is possible.

There is a passage in the Bible that is not often quoted. God said, “Concerning the work of my hands command ye me.” The invitation is a staggering one, yet it is in keeping with many of Jesus’ suggestions. When Jesus spoke of commanding a mountain to be removed, He was suggesting that it could be done. He prefaced this suggestion by saying even faith as a grain of mustard seed could get the mountain to move. I don’t think most of us have any interest in moving physical mountains from place to place. But we would like to move some things or situations out of our way so that we may move forward. Time and again we are encouraged to explore the possibilities. There are many passages in the scriptures that are placed there to challenge our faith and to raise our level of expectancy. One of these statements is, “I am the Lord… is there anything too hard for me?” Sometimes, what we want or what we desperately need may seem to be very hard to achieve. Words of encouragement such as these are given to relieve the tension, for we are to rely upon the highest power there is. Whether it is an aspiration or a desperation that motivates us to expect the seemingly impossible, we are to realize that there is no limitation to what is possible with God. We are to see the big picture of what we want and leave the details to the unseen powers.

The story of the Prophet Elijah and his servant, Elisha, who would eventually succeed him, is quite informative along these lines of thought. You may recall that Elijah expressed great power. He called down fire from heaven, he raised the dead, he brought forth rain in the midst of drought and even multiplied meal and oil to meet a widow’s need. He would take his cloak and smite the river and it would part for him to pass through on dry ground, and when He left this earth, He was taken into heaven on a chariot of fire to the astonishment of the people of Israel. Before Elijah left earth, Elisha, who was to take his place as God’s next major prophet, asked for something very unusual. Most people would think it to be presumptuous and even audacious. He said to Elijah, “I pray thee let a double portion of thy Spirit be upon me.” Elisha knew that the power that Elijah was using came from the Spirit; he wanted twice as much of the same Spirit to be upon him. Elijah’s response is enlightening. He said to Elisha, “You ask a hard thing.” If you read carefully the story of Elijah’s life, his spiritual authority and the power he expressed, you will see that Elisha’s request was indeed a hard one to grant. But Elijah said, “Nevertheless, it shall be so unto thee.” The account of Elijah’s ascension and Elisha’s reception of the double portion of the Spirit is inspiring. Although what he asked was a hard thing, it was granted. We see again the possibilities of the realm of faith.

What we may sometimes ask for may to some seem to be overstepping the line. It may appear to them that we are asking for too much. But we have a standing invitation to step out of the boat, to reach for what we want or need and we are given assurance that responses will come. No one is to be discouraged. It is our faith that brings forth the responses. The words ask, seek and knock are ones that encourage a serious reach for the supernatural. We must be in earnest when we approach the higher dimensions. We are reaching beyond the natural into the supernatural, so we must expect something to happen when we reach out. Even if something appears to be a hard thing to believe in because we can see no visible way for it to emerge, we must hold steady until we see the results we are looking for.

I will close this chapter with one more incident from the life of the Prophet Elijah. There had been a dearth in the land and no rain for a long time. It had left a devastating effect upon the people’s crops and there was much heartache. Elijah appeared and declared that it would rain and then he went up to the top of a mountain to pray. As he prayed he told his servant to, “Look toward the sea.” The servant did as he was told and returned with the answer that there was nothing to be seen, no rain anywhere. Then the prophet said to him, “Go again seven times.” Now there is so much that is informative here about prayer and faith. The prophet prayed and told his servant to look. We are to look for the answer to come and if it does not come immediately, we are to look again. This shows we expect something to happen. We are told that as the servant looked again for the seventh time, he saw “A little cloud out of the sea like a man‘s hand.” That was enough for Elijah; he said it’s time to get out of here before the rain stops us from going. He expected it and it came. Like Peter, the woman with the issue of blood and Elisha wanting a double portion of the Spirit, each looked for something to happen; they expected to make contact with the higher powers and to receive the thing they sought for, and so must we.

Chapter Eleven

The Mind

The mind of man has been the subject of many books and articles in recent times. A greater realization of its place in all that comes forth in our human experiences has been the beneficial result. Not that this truth has been unknown in the past, for many wise and thoughtful men have focused on the truth of the power of the mind. The difference today is there has been a concerted effort to understand the workings of the mind in its various functions to better utilize its powers, and accomplish much more than before. There is an ongoing effort toward what we have termed “selfrealization,” a looking within to determine our potentials and how we can draw upon them in our own unique way. We want to become aware of how we think as individuals, and how certain things are brought into being through our ways of thought.

For too long our attention has been on outward results rather than on inner causes. The new approach is to attempt to understand how we think as individuals, and how those processes of thought have created all our experiences in life. These considerations have focused on the “conscious and the subconscious mind,” which is really an attempt to describe the mind’s mental sensitivities and functions in terms of the levels of awareness. Our perceptions and thought processes differ from one level to the next. Some speak of deeper levels of mind in referring to the subconscious, which is there so contact with the superior powers of the mind is made. It is from there that certainties come forth and the sense of knowing, rather than just thinking, is established. And it is from there that amazing things reach our conscious state of mind. Some consider the subconscious level of mind the point of contact with the Almighty.

We may never be able to plumb the depths of the full knowledge of these matters of mind, but many continue to design ways of training it to awaken the dormant forces of man's mental equipment to do more than just surface thinking. Some refer to impressing the subconscious mind with different requests, depending on the aspiration of the individual. Many wonderful testimonies have been recorded regarding the success of certain ways of impressing the mind at its deeper levels to bring forth these unusual results. This is especially true in the area of mental healing. The approach is that all is mind, our mind and God's mind, and that there is a connection with the divine in the deeper levels of our mind. Mental science is the process of using the mind in such ways to obtain only the desired results. It involves retaining thoughts and images we want to see happen, and rejection or elimination of those we don't want to see materialize. It is in the final analysis, a way of exercising faith for specific purposes. Or perhaps put another way, it is mind control.

In actuality, we are reaching for spiritual resources that are deeper than the level of the conscious mind, which requires the use of it to reach them. If we think a thing and hold that thought in consciousness with faith, it will reach the deeper consciousness, and will respond with the idea or desire expressed in the thought. Some people call this “autosuggestion.” If we suggest to ourselves in a positive way a concept or action that we desire, latent forces deeper than the conscious mind respond, and the thing desired is somehow brought into our reality. This brings us back to that key word “thought,” which is a product of the thinking mind.

You may recall the statement by King Solomon, speaking of man, “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Thoughts that come from the deeper part of the mind, “the heart,” have a greater effect, because of their feelings and intensity. They are the potent powers of the minds of men.

Solomon also said, “ Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.” He was saying that everything centers in the heart. This is not an appeal to surface thinking; it is an appeal to the deeper sensitivities of the mind where feelings are the governing factors. So much of today’ literature has mined the treasures of this truth and codified it to the point where we now say with greater understanding that “thoughts are things.” Many of us know from personal experience, they can be very powerful things. The thoughts of great men have produced great things; the thoughts of small men have produced small things, and the thoughts of evil men have produced evil things.

There is a creative chemistry of the mind that can produce almost anything if one’s imagination and emotions are involved. Some men know how to use words in such a way that they reach the emotions and imaginations of their hearers and have phenomenal effects upon those people. Words are spiritual things; they are invisible unless you put them in written form. But when we hear or read super-charged words or thoughts, a response is elicited almost automatically from within us. This leads us to the Jesus’ ministry and the way He brought forth healing. The healing works of Jesus reveal patterns of engaging the person in need in such a way that he or she would actually participate in the forth-coming miracle. This appears to be the reason why He said on numerous occasions, “Your faith has made you whole.” This brings us to the subject of what we call the power of suggestion. We have learned through the years how certain suggestions affect the mind, and influence people’s actions and behaviors. The mind is the catalyst; sometimes the right suggestion can change a person in most remarkable ways. It can generate the most amazing responses in people and bring out the best within them. However, we also know that the wrong suggestions can have the opposite effect and end with terrible results.

The mind of man is a wonder in its complexity. Learned men have studied the mind and its qualities, from its memory, to its analytical power, to its imagination, to its intuition. In tandem with these qualities of mind are the various emotions triggered by a myriad of thought processes. As mentioned before, some have divided the mind into the conscious and the subconscious. Others have simply said the mind has different aspects of consciousness that come forth when the demand is present for their expression. So, when an impression is made upon the mind through some suggestion, it touches deeper sensitivities of a person’s mentality, bringing out the appropriate response. There are many things about the human mind that are open to speculation and new theories of its makeup will continue to be expressed. But for our purposes, the mind is a center of consciousness that entertains what enters its sphere and responds in a variety of ways.

Man is more than mind; he also has a body—the two are intertwined in their processes and functions. The mind affects the body and the body affects the mind. It has been said that the mind can make you sick or well, depending on how you use it. When a person is ill or infirm, in some way it is a part of his mental and emotional consciousness, not just the physical feelings. Sickness or disease has become a part of his being. We say almost without a second thought, “He or she is sick,” then we define in what way the person is ill. In other words, the whole person is sick, not just a part of his body. This could be the reason why the scriptures use the expression an individual was “made every whit whole.” It is impossible to be sick only in one place; it is felt and experienced throughout the person’s consciousness—physical, mental and even spiritual. This is how Jesus focused His attention to reach the mind, and through it bring forth the beneficial effects of healing.

Some people may say, “But Jesus was reaching the faith of the individual and bringing forth a response to His authority and power.” That is true, but faith exists in the mind, and unless you can a person’s mind, you will never bring forth his faith. Faith is a mental and spiritual quality that exists within the human mind; it is a response of expectation to the right stimuli or suggestion. It requires a point of focus and engagement; this is what Jesus did again and again. He engaged the people’s the mind and attention to expect a definite change in their condition and return to a normal state of health.

There is the story of a man who was healed at the pool of Bethesda that of emphasizes this point. The story offers the account of a sacred pool where people with all kinds of infirmities were gathered, waiting for what was termed, “The moving of the water.” It is said that “An angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water; whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.” The man who is the subject of our consideration had been infirm for 38 years. Jesus came to the pool, saw him lying there and knew that he had been in that condition for a long time. He then asked, “Wilt thou be made whole?” The man explained his predicament saying, that “Whenever the water was troubled at the moment of the divine visitation, he had no one to help him get into the pool; there was always someone who got there before him.” He was saying in effect, if he could only make it into the pool at the right moment he believed he would be healed. Now that Jesus had his attention and heard his answer He said to the man, “Rise take up thy bed and walk.” Jesus engaged the man in the miraculous healing that was about to come forth. He told the man to get up and walk. This was the very thing that he could not do for 38 years. The suggestion that he could walk and the command to do so, engaged his imagination and expectation. Apparently the man attempted to do what he physically could not do; from his mind to his body, the effort to rise up and walk took effect for we are told that “Immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked.” Jesus’ suggestion that he could walk, and the command to do so, brought a response from the man and an engagement of his mind and faith. Indeed, it was his faith that made him whole. If he had failed to respond in expectation and action he would have remained lying by the pool of Bethesda.

There was a similar healing of this nature performed by the Apostle Peter at the gate to the temple in Jerusalem. We are told there was a crippled beggar who lay at the temple gate so he could ask for alms. Here he was daily, seeking the generosity of people for his livelihood. Jesus had returned to the Father and the disciples were spreading news of God’s great kingdom. As Peter approached the temple, the man asked him for alms. Peter said to him, “Silver and gold have I none but such as I have I give thee.” Then Peter told him to “Rise up and walk in the name of Jesus of Nazareth and took him by the hand and lifted him up.” Again, there was engagement of the man's mind and expectancy to do what he could not do. We are told that when Peter lifted him up, “Immediately his ankle bones and feet received strength and he stood and walked.” He continued with them into the temple, “walking and leaping and praising God.” The point to be made is that it started in his mind and reached his legs, feet and ankle bones. Peter's suggestion that he could walk, and encouragement to do so by lifting him up, engaged his mind and faith. He entered into the experience of a divine healing; rising up and doing what he could not do before. How much more can we do that we don't know about? What miracles could come forth with the right stimuli reaching our minds and activating our faith? What are the triggers that can open up new health, new freedom and new abilities to achieve new things? Obviously, we must have the right suggestions, respond with the right actions and believe that what could not be done before is now altogether possible.

There is another account of a healing of engagement when Jesus brought the mind and faith of an individual into this process. Jesus entered into a synagogue on the Sabbath day. In this synagogue, there was a man with a withered hand. Jesus’ religious critics were there watching to see if He would do a work of healing on the Sabbath. Anything that appeared like work of any kind was to them a desecration of the Sabbath. So, they watched Him intently, ready with criticisms if He performed a healing. Jesus became angry with them and how they criticized His ministry to the people. So He told the man with the withered hand to stand up. He then asked His critics this question, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days or to do evil? To save life or to kill? But they held their peace.” When they refused comment He said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch forth thine hand and he stretched it out and his hand was restored whole as the other.” The man with the withered hand was engaged by Jesus in healing work that took place. His hand was withered and abnormal and he had never been able to stretch it out; even the thought of it becoming like the other hand had probably never entered his mind. But Jesus’ suggestion that he could do it and the command to attempt to do it resonated in his mind; he stretched out the hand and it responded to what his mind was signaling. The fact is that Jesus was not doing it for him; He was doing it with the man’s participation. The man was engaged in his own healing by attempting to do the impossible.

There are many accounts of this nature in the gospel narratives. But I will use just one more to show the sequence again. In the town of Bethsaida they brought a blind man to Jesus that He might heal him. Jesus did something entirely different to engage this man’s mind and faith. We are told that He took him by the hand and led him out of town and spit on the man's eyes. This was certainly unexpected and even appears a bit unsanitary. However strange it might appear, I believe we are to conclude this unusual action on Jesus’ part was to get the man's attention and raise his expectancy level. Then He put his hands on the man and asked him if he saw anything. The man said he saw “Men as trees walking.” There was progress, but not real clarity. Then Jesus touched his eyes again and, “made him look up.” At that moment, he saw all men clearly. It appears that Jesus engaged this man's mind and faith in stages. The shock of having spit strike his eyes truly got his attention and must have raised his level of expectancy. He was then asked by Jesus what he saw. He did see something, but not clearly. Another touch and more pronounced action by Jesus made the man look up to expect to see clearly. We are told at this point, “He was restored and saw every man clearly.” Again, we see Jesus not so much doing it for the man, but doing it with him by degrees, according to the progression of his faith.

We can safely say that no one has ever reached the minds of men like Jesus. His words had power and affected tremendous changes in the minds and bodies of multitudes of people. He was saying new things and unheard of possibilities. It struck cords of expectancy within their minds, which is the catalyst for the miraculous. Nothing could have been done without His words and equally nothing could have been done without their response to His words. Jesus introduced a grand new era to the world. His thoughts and encouragements have inspired the pioneering spirit within us. As with the incidents of healing we have discussed, in effect, He challenged people to reach for it. His words and revelations of great possibilities have kept some of us engaged for centuries in reaching for the impossible. We cannot overlook the fact that our reach for the supernatural has its roots in His teaching and His works. He has left us the legacy of the miraculous. He brought to our attention the reality of a higher consciousness; that there is something out there that will respond to our faith, whether it is by request or by our demand. What we say holds power if we say it in faith. If we have faith as a grain of mustard seed we are encouraged to use it and there will be results. This is an individual thing; we reach for it in our own way and experience for ourselves what Jesus spoke about.

There is an atmosphere full of spiritual resources that surrounds us. Since the time of Jesus it has responded in a thousand different ways to our demands upon it. This atmosphere is not subject to a set of religious rules; it is open to all and is reached through our own minds and hearts. These resources respond to the chemistry of our individual thoughts and imaginations. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within us.” Perhaps this is even a greater explanation of the deeper levels of mind than what we call the subconscious. Could it be that our deeper thoughts and sensitivities reach the resources not only of the subconscious mind, but the kingdom of God itself? If indeed the kingdom is within us then that is a more complete explanation for the miraculous things that happen when we reach for them.

Jesus’ mind was full of absolutes. We have already noted that He said such things as, “With God nothing shall be impossible;” “have faith in God,” and “nothing shall be impossible unto you.” He was full of certainties; He had a consciousness of divine realities that He was trying to get others to see and accept. What He saw and knew He wanted the people to see and know. His was a much higher consciousness than theirs, but He brought them into the experience of the unseen and connected them to powers of the supernatural while He was here on earth.

There is an interesting story in the Old Testament concerning the Prophet Elisha being surrounded by the Syrian army that had come to capture him, because he knew their movements and plans before they could carry them out. His knowledge of their tactics saved the king of Israel numerous times; the Syrians were determined to get the prophet and silence him. The Syrian army came by night and surrounded the city where the prophet was staying. The next morning the servant of Elisha had rose early and saw the army, their chariots and warriors all around the city. He told Elisha and in a panic said, “What are we going to do?” The prophet said to him, “There be more with us than with them.” The young man could not see any visible help and was still in a state of fright. Then the prophet prayed to the Lord, “Open his eyes that he may see.” Then we are told, “The Lord opened the young man's eyes and he saw.” He saw the mountains were full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha. There was an unseen army ready to defend the prophet; he was aware of this fact even though no one else could see them. I bring this passage into our discussion because it illustrates two levels of consciousness—the normal and the higher level. There are some things that don't touch the everyday consciousness; they are only realized in the higher consciousness, or spiritual realm, of men. We need to have our spiritual eyes opened and higher sensitivities quickened to realize the truth that there is much more to life than what meets the eye.

Easy to say, but how do we do it? The answer seems to be in the state of mind we are in when we reach for the unseen. Jesus said we need to, “Become as little children,” when it relates to matters of the kingdom. What is a little child’s state of mind? Is it arrogant, insensitive, unteachable? The mind of a child is open, receptive, eager to discover new things and above all, trusting. We cannot be little children; we are not to revert back to the third grade in our mentality. We simply must adopt an attitude like a child to learn new things and chart new territories. It is much easier to lead a child than a full-grown adult. An adult is obviously so much further advanced in knowledge and wisdom than a child, and this can be a stumbling block to him. So he must keep in mind that his knowledge and wisdom is not all encompassing. In the knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom, he has his deficiencies. He knows much about the world before his eyes, but so often too little about the world within him or the unseen powers around him. So on this level he has to start from scratch, gain knowledge and understanding as a little child would do and have a sense of dependency on those who have superior knowledge him. I am not speaking of searching for a mentor or some esoteric guide, but relying on the inner guidance of what we refer to as the Spirit. Reading books and personal spiritual practices are always in order, as well as receiving wisdom of some great teacher. But in the final analysis, this is an inside job. It is our mind, our thoughts and our imaginations that provide the catalyst for the supernatural.

There are some indications of the childlike approach by people who interpret the benevolent source surrounding us as simply “the universe.” To them it is an all-encompassing phrase to describe an all providing, all knowing and all powerful source of help—one that is available to us at all times, for all things, with no limitations. The term “the universe” is impersonal, yet its activities on our behalf are infinitely personal. When people state, “trust the universe,” or “the universe will provide,” they assume it knows us, has our best interests at heart and will respond to our individual needs. Some people choose to call this benevolent source God. But good theology is not the point; it is the use of faith. There is a childlike dependence and expectancy inferred in the use of the phrase “the universe.” Since the term universe implies everything in the known system of things and life in general, all bases are covered. For some, this is a comforting way to look at things. And perhaps the words of Jesus, “According to your faith be it unto you,” also applies here.

We may not always be right in our theology but may be right in our faith. An illustration of this fact is seen in the account of Jesus going through the town of Samaria. He felt a divine compulsion to be there at a particular time. The reason unfolded that there was a woman at the well who obviously had a living and vibrant faith that Jesus wanted to honor and encourage. The Samaritans had divergent religious views than the Jews in general, yet Jesus made a special trip to meet this woman and to offer her “living water,” promising her that she would never thirst again. He said this water of life would be within her springing up into eternal life. His words struck the chords of faith in her heart and she ran back into town and brought all the people to see Jesus. Her life was quite complex, she had a lot of affairs and marriages. Jesus knew them all, but still honored her faith.

It is not always about the head and its knowledge; it is more about the heart and its sincerity. We are to approach the unknown things of the Spirit with simplicity and honesty of heart. We are to feel more than we think. When something makes sense to us for perhaps the first time we say, “Now I see.” What do we mean? Obviously it’s not a physical seeing, it is an understanding within. A light goes on inside and a sense of clarity enters the mind. So it is in the matters of the unseen realities of life; we see them with a spiritual sight; we feel their reality within ourselves. It is not always easy to explain, but we are satisfied with the inner knowing we have received. Sometimes we see things that others don't. Sometimes we know things before they happen. Paul put it this way, “We look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal but the things that are not see are eternal.”

What direction are we looking? What eyes are we using? Are we trying to get a glimpse of the eternal or are we stuck on the plane of the visible? We must shift our vision and reach another plain of consciousness. This would be a better and more perfect use of the mind’s senses, to see in more than one direction, to hear from sources of knowledge we have not been aware of and to become acquainted with the things Jesus knew and tried to bring to our attention. Our minds are the catalysts for the most wonderful and unusual experiences of life. Let us use them in more than one dimension and expect to draw from the fountain that never will run dry. There is a promise that says, “In the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert.” We are encouraged to look for the unprecedented, the unanticipated and the unexpected. Of course these things are realized with the spiritual senses, and experienced in the deeper levels of consciousness.

If Jesus was anything, He was direct. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. He was unequivocal about the use of faith and made it absolutely clear that if anything was asked for in faith there would be a response. He emphasized His point by saying that everyone could expect to receive. Now it becomes a matter of who will believe Him, and who will ask, seek, and knock? Someone has and always will. In the history of the world since Jesus’ time, many have considered His words, accepted the invitation and ventured into the unknown by faith. In their minds a light has shined; in their imaginations a fire has sparked and they have accepted His challenge. Might I say that the only way we will find out is to do what He suggested, and see what happens? However, in following through on His words of encouragements we must be serious and earnest in our pursuit. We cannot toy with these matters; they are of the highest value and a sacred nature.

One final look at the words that Jesus used to encourage us in our quest. He encouraged us to take the plunge and “ask.” He did not tell us what to ask for; it is our call. This is the beauty of the invitation. No one can tell us what to ask for; not even Jesus Himself placed any limits or parameters on our asking. Again our minds and imaginations and the mixture of our faith is appealed to in this process of asking. What you may ask is entirely different than what I or someone else may ask. This is what makes all of us special. We each get what we ask for, which originated in our own minds, according to our own needs or desires. We are assured that we will receive. Sometimes the ways that we receive answers may differ from how we thought they would; nevertheless, we do receive if we truly have believed. Now asking and believing is a personal matter; the discussion is between only God and us. When the answer comes, we are able to recognize it because it matches the workings of our own minds. In other words, there are no mistakes; when the answer comes we know it and God knows it. It is a personal and secret matter when we ask, but when the answer comes we will know it, for it will be recognizable in our own minds.

Jesus also said for us to “seek.” What a vast world of possibilities this word suggests. Again, we are not told what to seek. This brings us back to the reach for the supernatural. What do we want to know, what are we trying to find? What has so absorbed our minds and interest that to find it is of the utmost importance to us? If there was ever a green light given to men, this is it. Whatever we are seeking can and will be found. What a great consolation this is, to know that what we are seeking we will eventually find. This seeking is again a personal thing. What we seek may be so unique that no one else may have an interest in it. And what we seek can only find its meaning and significance in our own minds. Seek is a stronger word than ask, for we may ask for a thing and receive it; but when we seek something this implies a desire for a discovery of some sort. It indicates a search for something that cannot be found by the minds of men without the help of higher powers.

Jesus added finally, “ Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” This is a further challenge to our quest to get beyond where we are now. As if there is a door to another realm, atmosphere or dimension. It speaks of something on the other side that we are trying to reach, but something or someone must open it if we are to cross the threshold. We knock on someone's door when we are seeking access. The central implication of a door and the need to knock is that you are trying to gain entrance and waiting for the door to be opened. You will never know what is on the other side until you gain access. I know some may interpret this simply as knocking to get God's attention. We have God's attention when we ask. But when we seek and when knock, it implies something we are trying to get to, a place we are trying to reach or a boundary we are trying to pass to a place beyond what we now see or know. The promise is the door will be opened. This promise is like sustenance to a famished and exhausted man—the door will be opened.

All these encouragements and challenges are intended to reach our minds and generate the excitement of untold possibilities; to spark not only an interest, but a quest on our part to start our own journey in the discovery of things we have never known, and mysteries far beyond our current vision. This quest is personal and involves our minds, our thoughts, our imaginations and our expectations. The catalyst is in our own consciousness. What happens in our minds determines what happens in our lives. We spoke of how Jesus sought to engage the people’s minds He healed by putting them in a state of anticipation and requiring their action for the miracles to occur. He wanted to get them into the frame of mind of believing they had received something before it actually appeared. Many people have taken hold of this concept—they actually have what they asked before it is evident. The thought that it is there before it appears because of faith expressed in the believer’s mind, has been a great encouragement to many who have sought to accept Jesus’ challenge. The concept of faith as spiritual nucleus is a thrilling one. The fact is what they have sought or asked for is in immediate formation, waiting for manifestation. This concept makes sense in their spiritual understanding. Knowledge that something has already been established, and will materialize, is something they can accept.

Much emphasis has been placed on this concept among many of the new-thought believers. It is an understanding they have been comfortable with in their healing practices and in all their quests for things that lie beyond the vision of the natural eyes. They delight in the use of affirmations, which affirm the existence of something they sought for as a reality before it visibly appears. They say in concluding a prayer, “and so it is,” not “so it will be,” or “so it will become,” or “sometime down the road,” but, “it is now.” We have received, whether it is yet seen; it exists on another plane but will show itself in this realm. Obviously, a position of faith has been taken, and a stand that the resolution of the matter already is in existence. They pay no attention to what is seen; they are waiting for the appearance of what is not seen. So these believers make continued affirmations in the face of any contradictions until there is a demonstration of the thing they expected to see. They deny what they currently see or feel in the natural, while they affirm what they believe has happened in the supernatural.

Perhaps an illustration of this kind of assurance can be seen in our human experiences, i.e. when someone has promised to do something for us, like send money to help in a difficult situation. We call them, state the matter’s urgency and our need. They say they will send it to us and our minds are relieved. We don't see it yet, but we have their word and the matter is settled in our minds. As far as we are concerned, it is a done deal; we worry no more and feel that we already have it. And sure enough, we do. Western Union calls, or some mail carrier comes and there the money is. We knew it all along because we trusted in the ability and integrity of that person to do what we asked and to provide what we asked, them to. Saying it another way, we believed that we received even before it appeared.

Along this line of thought, we are told in one of the gospels of a Roman army centurion who came to Jesus on behalf of his servant who was, “sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.” Jesus said to him that He would come to his home and heal the servant. The centurion said something that has resonated with the spiritually minded through the years, “I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only and my servant shall be healed.” He explained to Jesus that he was a man of authority, having soldiers under him and when he said something, it was done. He believed that Jesus had spiritual authority and His word alone was enough to bring forth the healing. When Jesus heard him, He marveled and said He had not seen such great faith in all of Israel. He then told the centurion, “As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.” When the centurion arrived home he found his servant completely healed. He asked when the healing had come and knew it was at the exact time that Jesus had spoken the word. It happened at the moment Jesus spoke, but the results were not seen until the centurion reached home. This was an awesome expression of the power Jesus spoke of and demonstrated again and again.

There were so many ways that He showed the reality of the unseen powers and how to engage them. When we use our faith for something or in the divine power to accomplish it, this is the starting point in our mind. When we speak it or think it, we have activated the unseen forces and it is done even before it is realized.

There is another illustration of this fact in the account of Jesus coming to a fig tree and finding it without fruit. He cursed the fig tree and went on His way with His disciples. The next day when they were passing the same tree they saw that it was completely dead, having withered up from the roots. The disciples were amazed; Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God.” He told them that they could do the same thing if they believed. Although nothing appeared to happen when Jesus spoke to the fig tree the day before, something had definitely taken place in the tree’s roots that completely destroyed it. This event gave Jesus the opportunity to again instruct them concerning the effects of faith. He knew that His words had taken effect and the results would appear. He wanted them to have faith in their own words—believing something would happen when they exercised their faith. Then He told them about moving mountains by the use of their faith.

To make anything happen, we have to work with it and learn how it functions. We have to start somewhere and in some way. It is commendable that so many approaches in the use of faith have been suggested. Some say get the thing you want clearly fixed in your mind, see it, get the feel of it in your consciousness, visualize it and capture the sense of its existence in the now and affirm its present reality. Look for it to take form and shape in your experience, believing you have received and it will appear. Others include gaining a sense of God’s presence and in the quietness of meditation or prayer, affirm the thing sought for is now a reality. Each person must find their own ways of expressing faith. A faith action for one person may not feel right for another one. We have the right to be creative in the way we use our faith. The most important point is that we begin the adventure and see what unfolds each time we reach out in faith.

Surely if we ask God to guide our hearts and minds, the right sense of direction will come to us. We can all start somewhere. Ask yourself what is my greatest need, or my strongest desire, that will require a higher power to fulfill. Or start with something small and keep reaching for higher things until a pattern of responses and guidance appears. One thing for sure, we cannot afford to fail to do what Jesus encouraged us to, “ask, seek, knock.” There is too much at stake and too many things we would forfeit and fail to experience. Paul put it this way, “He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.”

There is a power that works in us and we have a right to use it. It is up to us to accept the challenge. There are vast fields of grace, mercy, wonderful springs of health and blessings, with mountains of power and supplies we have never tapped. It's up to us to explore and engage the powers that are willing to respond to our greatest needs.

Chapter Twelve

New Interpretations

One of the difficulties Jesus encountered was the religious leaders’ resistance to new interpretations of things whose meanings were already settled in their minds. When He burst upon the scene saying many things with unfamiliar implications, it really upset their spiritual balance. His way of speaking and thought processes were so far outside their range of perception that some of them even wanted to kill Him. Now I know that doctrine and truth are very sacred cows and any tampering with accepted dogma can bring fierce retaliation. Yet the reality of changing viewpoints and perspectives on matters of a spiritual nature is a fact of history.

Jesus knew the statements He said were hard for these leaders to accept. He understood that many of the concepts He presented did not fit into their way of thought. On one occasion, in defending Himself and His disciples’ practices, He said, “No man puts new wine into old bottles.” He was likening His teachings and message to new wine. As new wine cannot be put into old bottles (or wineskins) neither could His teachings be put into their old containers of thought. He went further along these lines when He said, “No man having drunk old wine straightway desireth new, for he saith the old is better.” And He said in another place “No man putteth a new cloth on an old garment.” Again and again He was saying the old and the new don’t match and are not to be brought together. They don’t fit and many times are vastly different. He acknowledged the fact that many would prefer the old wine. They believe it is better.

How true that statement is. New thoughts or new interpretations are difficult for some to receive because their fixation on the old is so riveted; their sense of its rightness is so established in their minds that they have no interest in any other interpretations of truth. They say in the words of Jesus, “The old is better.” But this is where the problem lies, in the conclusion that the old is really better. The old is old and the new is new. One served a former time, another serves a different time. If all truth stopped with the words and revelations of the Old Testament prophets what a spiritual dearth the world would be in today. Progressive revelation has brought us to where we are now and it will continue to move us forward.

Now just in case someone may think I am saying throw away the old entirely, that is not what I mean, neither was that what Jesus said. He was simply saying they don’t fit together. One has its place and importance and the other has a different priority. What if there had been no New Testament? Think for a moment how dreadful that would be. It would have left the old without the further insights necessary to understand its meaning. In effect, we would still be living in the past instead of the present in our spiritual understanding.

In the scriptures we deal with principles of truth. Although the principles don’t change, the perspectives and implications do. Sometimes the perspectives and emphasis of one period of time is vastly different from that of another, and may give an entirely different meaning to a previous principle of thought. The world and its inhabitants are in a constant state of flux. Changes are everywhere around us and within us. New understandings and new forms of enlightenment are necessary from generation to generation. The man of the 16th century is different in many ways from the 20th. Their thoughts and imaginations are greatly different from one another. One man’s mind is fixated upon the things of his time period and another is occupied with those in his lifetime.

We began our considerations in this book on the very basics of this whole thing called spirituality. It started with God and man and unfolded into experiences between God and man. This interaction required revelation, insight and understanding. It also required the infusion of spiritual power in ways that man can understand and appreciate in the world of his existence. This is why I wrote before that men can know God without knowing the scriptures, because the scriptures are accounts of men who experienced God in various ways and then wrote about it. One man’s experience does not necessarily define another one’s; the unfolding of God's activity among men thus continues unto this day. The need for openness and the willingness to accept new things from God is essential for a fulfilling spiritual life in the time in which we live.

The disciples had to accept a lot of new things from Jesus in their interpretation of the scriptures. We are told, “He taught them many things.” He obviously taught them things they did not know. John said if the things Jesus said and did were all written about, “The world itself could not contain the books that should be written.” The point is there is so much more to be known that is not yet understood and new meanings of spiritual realities that have not reached our consciousness. This is why we cannot camp on the old and close our hearts and minds to the new.

On one occasion, the disciples had a question about the prophesies of Christ and His coming kingdom that was troubling them. The scribes or Bible interpreters of that day said, “Elias (Elijah) must first come.” Jesus answered them, “Elias has indeed come and they have done to him whatever they would.” Then the disciples understood that John the Baptist whom King Herod had beheaded was the personification of Elijah. I mention this passage to show that Jesus gave a new interpretation to the meaning of a scripture that had a different one to the Jews of his day.

Jesus made another reference to John in honoring his memory. He said, “Among them that are born of women there is not a greater than John the Baptist.” This must have surely caught the disciples off guard. What about Abraham, Moses and Elijah? Then Jesus added something even more mind shaking when He said, “And yet he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” What a profound statement. The kingdom was being preached as at hand, and then as being within us. Jesus said that the least of us in the kingdom is greater than John the Baptist. He does not elaborate as to why this is so, He just states it as a fact. What a new interpretation!

Sometimes we may think we know everything we need about the meaning of a particular scripture or subject, and later find out there is another dimension of thought that we are not privy to. We must keep an open mind to new truth and the revelation of new meanings in perhaps old truth. The Apostle John is an example of one receiving a revelation that others had not seen. In his gospel, he diverges from the account of Christ’s birth from a human dimension surrounded by divine attestations, to a divine dimension, far exceeding the other accounts. The other writers begin with how and where Christ was born. John starts with, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God... in him was life and the life was the light of men.” He calls Jesus, “the word.” His emphasis and focus regarding Jesus was entirely different. He further expounds from a consciousness of Christ’s person in ways the others did not. He was absorbed in his vision of Christ from the divine perspective. He saw Christ and the divine life that was being expressed in Him as the light of men. Those rays of light from Him through his teachings and His works have brought new understanding to men everywhere.

The Apostle Paul is another example of one who was a recipient to new revelations in ways that others were not. He was not one of the original 12 apostles. He was never numbered among them and later found it difficult to tailor his views to those of the church in Jerusalem. He tells us of his experience receiving many revelations. Paul’s writings fill most of the pages of the New Testament, and with interpretation after interpretation he threw new light on the meaning of so many Old Testament passages. He appeared on the scene after Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are told it was Jesus Himself who met him on the road to Damascus. It was there that he had his amazing conversion and later went to preach among the Gentiles.

It was among the Gentile churches that new expressions of the Spirit’s presence appeared. There were miracles, revelations, words of knowledge, words of wisdom and many other prominent manifestations of the Spirit’s activity among them. The Spirit is the key to new interpretations; it is the Spirit himself who guides and enlightens. Our privilege is to reach for a higher consciousness of the Spirit to know things we presently have no awareness of. Our faith is to be a living thing, not just something we express through quoting old passages. We cannot stay within our minds back in the former truths we have known; we must be prepared to hear new things for a new period of time. The test for the value of new truth is its significance to the needs of the people. Does it reach their hearts and minds in a beneficial way? Does it enrich their lives and give deeper meaning to the really important things of life.

The real danger for the spiritually minded is to stagnate in a mentality of a previous time, trying to cope with the demands and realities of the present. This is a monumental challenge—to try and move forward without interpreting everything from the thoughts of the past. We can’t entirely forget the old or even set it aside. But what we must do is find new meaning in old things and even discover new things to take the place of the old, in order to live life in a new way. I have covered a lot of scripture in our brief journey in spiritual thought to show the foundation and streams of truth that we have drawn so much knowledge and information for our faith and living our lives. These passages and the accounts of men and women who had experiences with God are encouragements to us as we continue on our path.

Much of what we have seen in the sacred record even today has a place in our spiritual understanding and still motivates us in reaching for the supernatural. But, there is a thirst in the hearts of men that will never be satisfied with the former things that we have known. Something within us stirs to reach for more. If we are spiritually inclined we must ask ourselves, where do we go from here? What do we want to know that we don’t know now? What other kinds of revelations can take us to new heights in our spiritual lives? Is it enough to just recall the old doctrines and quote the familiar texts? Are there new interpretations that we need to receive to help us on our way?

The promise of God echoes from the past, “ Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” The great and mighty things that we know not are the things we need to know today. Even a cursory look at this passage suggests to us that there are realities beyond our current spiritual vision that are so great and mighty that they could revolutionize our lives. There is a hidden treasure of thought and knowledge, rich with meaning and truth, which can wonderfully affect our lives and world. We are encouraged to call unto the author of all things and ask for the knowledge being offered. This knowledge may come in new forms of thought and even with new interpretation of old things. It may not fit our old way of thinking; it may even appear as contradictory at first, but it will prove itself and its value in our personal experiences.

With all the discoveries we have made, evidenced by our advanced technology, it appears the next great step is selfdiscovery. What truly lies within us is much more wonderful than what we see around us, no matter how great these inventions may be. Perhaps a greater realization of Jesus’ words, when He spoke of oneness with the Father, is the one great and mighty thing we need to know above all things. What if an increasing realization that we really and truly are the image of God fills our consciousness and the innate attributes of God begin to express themselves in us in an ever-increasing measure? What if a sense of limitation is replaced with a sense of power to do, create and to make happen, the things we desire in life?

There are many things we know not and when we do know them, our lives will change forever. The words of the prophet, “I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world,” may continue to be fulfilled among us. What are the secrets that have been hidden? To whom will more of them be uttered? What new interpretations will come forth in our time and that to come? One thing is certain; these things will only come to the spiritually inclined.

Notes

Chapter One

1. Ecclesiastes 1:9-14 (King James Version)

2. Acts 17:38 (King James Version)

3. Isaiah 43:19 (King James Version)

4. Revelation 21:5 (King James Version)

5. Hebrews 11:6 (King James Version)

6. Isaiah 30:21 (King James Version)

7. Genesis 1:27 (King James Version)

8. Genesis 2:7 (King James Version)

9. Psalm 139:13 (King James Version)

10. Acts 17:29 (King James Version)

11. Genesis 3:8 (King James Version)

12. Genesis 4:9 (King James Version)

13. Genesis 5:24 (King James Version)

14. Genesis 6:5 (King James Version)

15. Genesis 9:1 (King James Version)

16. Genesis 15:6 (King James Version)

17. Psalm 136 (King James Version)

Chapter Two

1. Genesis 9:1 (King James Version)

2. Genesis 11:5 (King James Version)

3. Genesis 11:6 (King James Version)

4. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (King James Version)

5. Genesis 1:31 (King James Version)

6. Matthew 7:7 (King James Version)

7. Daniel 1:3, 4 (King James Version)

8. Daniel 1:7 (King James Version)

9 .Job 32:8 (King James Version)

10. James 1:5 (King James Version)

11. 1 Kings 4:29 (King James Version)

12. Daniel 12:4 (King James Version)

13. Psalm 82:6 (King James Version)

Chapter Three

1. Isaiah 41:8 (King James Version)

3. Galatians 3:7 (King James Version)

4. Hebrews 11:6 (King James Version)

5. Genesis 12:1-3 (King James Version)

6. Genesis 22:17 (King James Version)

7. Genesis 17:4 (King James Version)

Chapter Four

1. Hebrews 11:1 (King James Version)

2. Romans 12:3 (King James Version)

3. Mark 11:23 (King James Version)

4. Luke 8:50 (King James Version)

5. Matthew 13:58, (King James Version)

6. Mark 6:6 (King James Version)

7. John 14:12 (King James Version)

8. Matthew 17:20 (King James Version)

9. Luke 8:24, 25 (King James Version)

10. Hebrews 11:3 (King James Version)

11. Job 22:28 (King James Version)

12. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (King James Version)

13. Revelation 21:1 (King James Version)

14. Deuteronomy 11:21 (King James Version)

15. Psalm 111:2 (King James Version)

Chapter Five

1. Judges 13:24, 25 (King James Version)

2. 1 Corinthians 12 (King James Version)

3. Psalms 68:18 (King James Version)

4. Joel 2:28 (King James Version)

5. Acts 2:2 (King James Version)

6. Acts 2:4 (American Standard Version)

7. Luke 17:20, 21 (King James Version)

8. John 3:8 (New American Standard Bible)

9. Revelation 1:10 (King James Version)

10. Jeremiah 31:34 (King James Version)

11. 1 Corinthians 12:4 (King James Version)

14. John 10:10 (King James Version)

15. Romans 8:21 (King James Version)

16. Hebrews 10:12 (King James Version)

17. Luke 12:32 (King James Version)

Chapter Six

1. Mark 9:38 (American Standard Version)

2. Mark 9:39, 40 (King James Version)

3. Matthew 22:37-39 (King James Version)

4. John 10:14 (King James Version)

5. John 10:16 (King James Version)

6. Hebrews 13:20 (King James Version)

7. Job 12:2 (King James Version)

8. Job 16:2 (King James Version)

9. Job 42:10 (King James Version)

10. Philippians 1:15 (King James Version)

11. Philippians 1:18 (King James Version)

12. Acts 15:39 (King James Version)

13. Galatians 2:11 (King James Version)

14. 1 Corinthians 1:12 (King James Version)

15. 2 Corinthians 1:24 (King James Version)

Chapter Seven

1. Matthew 2:1 (King James Version)

2. Isaiah 54:5 (King James Version)

3. Matthew 2:2 (King James Version)

4. Ecclesiastes 7:10 (King James Version)

5. 2 Corinthians 12:7 (King James Version)

6. 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4 (King James Version)

7. John 14:12 (King James Version)

Chapter Eight

1. Isaiah 9:6 (King James Version)

2. Luke 2:14 (King James Version)

3. Luke 4:18-22 (King James Version)

4. Luke 4:32 (King James Version)

6. John 10:36 (King James Version)

7. John 14:9 (King James Version)

8. John 10:30 (King James Version)

9. 2 Corinthians 5:19 (King James Version)

10. Luke 2:40 (King James Version)

11. Hebrews 4:15 (King James Version)

12. Mary John 14:14-16 (King James Version)

13. Mark 16:12 (King James Version)

14. 2 Corinthians 5:16 (King James Version)

15. Matthew 24:14 (King James Version)

16. John 14:6 (King James Version)

17. John 15:5 (King James Version)

18. John 14:10 (King James Version)

19. John 5:30 (King James Version)

20. John 14:20 (King James Version)

21. Colossians 1:29 (King James Version)

Chapter Nine

1. Matthew 23:4 (King James Version)

2. Mark 2:27 (King James Version)

3. John 9:16 (King James Version)

4. Mark 12:37 (King James Version)

5. Luke 7:31-34 (King James Version)

6. John 2:1-11 (King James Version)

7. Genesis 14:18 (King James Version)

8. Genesis 27:28 (King James Version)

9. Psalm 104:15 (King James Version)

10. Numbers 6:20 (King James Version)

11. Galatians 2:4 (King James Version)

12. Ephesians 5:18 (King James Version)

13. Exodus 12:13 (King James Version)

14. 1 Corinthians 11:20, 21 (King James Version)

15. 1 Timothy 5:23 (King James Version)

Chapter Ten

1. Matthew 14:22-31 (King James Version)

2. Mark 10:27 (King James Version)

3. Luke 17:6 (King James Version)

4. Mark 5:25-34 (King James Version)

5. Joshua 10:12, 13 (King James Version)

6. Isaiah 45:11 (King James Version)

7. Jeremiah 32:27 (King James Version)

8. 2 Kings 2:9, 10 (King James Version)

9. 1 Kings: 18:43-45 (King James Version)

Chapter Eleven

1. Proverbs 23:7 (King James Version)

2. Proverbs 4:23 (King James Version)

3. John 7:23 (King James Version)

4. John 5:2-9 .

5. Acts 3:2-8 (King James Version)

(King James Version)

6. Mark 3:1-5 (King James Version)

7. Mark 8:22-25 (King James Version)

8. 2 Kings 6:15-17 (King James Version)

9. Matthew 18:3 (King James Version)

10. Matthew 9:29 (King James Version)

11. John 4:10 (King James Version)

12. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (King James Version)

13. Isaiah 35:6 (King James Version)

14. Matthew 7:7 (King James Version)

15. Matthew 8:5-10 (King James Version)

16. Mark 11:22 (King James Version)

17. Ephesians 3:20 (King James Version)

Chapter Twelve

1. Mark 2:22 (King James Version)

2. Luke 5:39 (King James Version)

3. Matthew 9:16 (King James Version)

4. Mark 4:2 (King James Version)

5. John 21:25 (King James Version)

6. Matthew 17:10-13 (King James Version)

7. Luke 7:28 (King James Version)

8. John 1:1-4 (King James Version)

9. Jeremiah 33:3 (King James Version)

10. Matthew 13:35 (King James Version)

About the Author

Thurman Faison is a former pastor and television minister. He graduated from North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a Bachelor’s degree in Bible and obtained his Master's degree in Adult and Continuing Education from National Louis University in Evanston, Illinois. He is currently retired and lives with his wife, Connie, in South Florida. They spend their time enjoying travel between Florida and Jamaica. Between them they have nine children, fourteen grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. It has been Thurman's desire to share some of his thoughts on spirituality with those who also seek the kingdom of God within themselves and its expression in the world around them.

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter One New Thoughts on Old Things

Chapter Two No Limits!

Chapter Three Father Abraham

Chapter Four Faith Is…

Chapter Five The Realm of the Spirit

Chapter Six Outside the Ranks

Chapter Seven Wise Men from the East

Chapter Eight Wonderful!

Chapter Nine Eating and Drinking

Chapter Ten Step out of the Boat

Chapter Eleven The Mind

Chapter Twelve New Interpretations

Notes