(IHEAM:CH12) I HAVE AN ETERNITY AHEAD OF ME: CHAPTER 12 HUMILITY A ROADMAP TO TRUTH AND ABUNDANT LIFE

I HAVE AN ETERNITY AHEAD OF ME 

CHAPTER 12

HUMILITY A ROADMAP TO TRUTH AND ABUNDANT LIFE 

ROAD SIGNS AND EXPLANATIONS

John 21:15 (KJV)

So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

• Jesus cared if Peter loved Him, because, He intended for their relationship to be fruitful to help others, also. We must remember that everything we do affects those around us. Our relationships affect more than just one or two people. 

• Jesus wants us to know within our heart, not just who He is, but, who we are in Him, so that like Him, we will love and be accountable to one another and GOD. Likewise, by letting our Light shine it MATTERS what others THINK about us so that we can lead them to follow Christ!

• Now, Jesus could have said, I don't care what others think about me, or, if they don't care about me, I don't have to prove myself to anybody and the only one I'm accountable to, or, have to prove myself to is, God. But, not so with my Lord. He told His Disciples to love one another as He had loved them. Therefore, they were accountable to one another as One, answerable to one another as One, knowing that if one part of the Body was injured, hurt, or, in need of ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY LOVE AND TRUTH, it affected the entire Body. We must answer for those whom we lead astray, especially children, thus, it matters how people perceive us and how we present ourselves to others.

• Dare we talk about how someone dresses or their lifestyle, or what we perceive through our shallowness, ignorance, or perversion as their immorality, when the wagging of our tongue and influencing others has caused us and others to sin? It matters how people perceive us and how we present ourselves in front of others.

• Therefore, we cannot preach separatism and selfishness, believing we are only accountable to God; for we are our brothers keeper, as he is ours. God said if you cannot love your brother than you do not love Him. And, yes, that love includes how we perceive one another for it speaks of the condition of our heart and what kind of love we have for our brother.

Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

• Therefore, we must come into AGREEMENT, united as One, having shed self and pride that causes us to shun, ridicule and turn a deaf ear to our brother.

• When, we drop our pride, our HEARING improves. We can hear what God is trying to tell us through OTHERS, because we ARE NOT the only one who knows what needs to be corrected within us. That type of belief is covered in darkness and pride, defying all reason and knowledge of education, equipping the Saints (Ephesians 4), and the necessity of God's Holy Spirit as our teacher. God sends people into our lives as He did with Paul and Timothy to edify and exhort, revealing what needs to be done to bring fruitfulness and come into holiness and righteousness.

• Darkness will tell the PROUD to say, "You're not GOOD ENOUGH to correct me, and I'm going to expose you as not good enough." We want to pick and choose who we will listen to, but, God will send that which or those who offend our PRIDE to break us, so that He can mold us.

• There are many things God wants to share with us, but, first, He has to HUMBLE us! He doesn't do it as an act of vindictiveness, punishment, or to embarrass, belittle, or to be critical of us. He does it because He LOVES US!

• It took me a long time to figure this out in the way that God was using me. Why did I have to keep my distance? But, God knows who is ready to listen and who has to be humbled.

• And YES, LOVE IS AN EMOTION! It is multifaceted as God is, for God is LOVE.  The emotion of Love is what God felt for us to sacrifice His Son. One cannot love without emotion from the spirit, the heart. Emotion is not a weakness, but a necessary part of love to evoke empathy and compassion, to teach us and protect us and express who we are; things that could not exist without the emotional and unconditional love of God. Through emotion, God has compassion upon man giving him Grace and Mercy. Yet, to be PERFECTED in love, producing Good Spiritual Fruit, that love which is manifested from God's Holy Spirit, we must be attached to The Vine.

BIBLE STUDY 

• If one allows others to interact in study of the Bible, questioning and commenting, instead of creating an authoritative monologue in a performance environment of one voice, which prevents the coming together of minds to reason together, interpreting to gain better understanding, edification and exhortation, then Truth finds its way into hearts and souls. There must be variety and diversity to stir the heart and mind and become relative, creating fertile ground to plant a seed. The Holy Spirit joins us in fellowship to walk in the Light and show us THE WAY. It helps others to become bold in their knowledge of the Word. However, pride can corrupt learning and cause an individual to use it as a platform for self to gain attention and praise for their knowledge. 

• Is it any wonder why some people leave church and can't remember what the sermon was about? Perhaps, they haven't been motivated, stimulated, immersed and involved in the learning process to allow the Word to adhere to and touch their heart. That is why Bible Study is an opportunity to go beyond the pulpit sermon or lecture and create a relationship to the Word of God!

• To study is to analyze and dissect facts and the truth, which is why men sat at the Temple and Jesus as a young boy, left the sight of His parents to savor and study the Word of God with men who were thinkers and reasoners, learning by absorbing thoughts and experiences from one another. Their talking and discussing the Word amongst each other created a relationship and fellowship with the Word and with one another.

THE POTTER AT WORK

• To HUMBLE us, sometimes GOD has to harden our heart, as He did to Pharaoh. Our destruction or growth depends on what we do after this. We can come to see that this is not about the flesh and God is in charge, thereby, humbling ourselves. Or, we can continue to harden our heart, fight flesh, and try to kick against the goad and box with God.

• It is not only a painful thing to go through, but, a painful thing to watch others go through, when God has perfected your love through Him to love others. However, as God's servants and vessels, we must be obedient to God and follow through on the process.

• Jesus did not hold back when dealing with the Pharisee and Sadducee. It wasn't about being patient or impatient with them. It was about rendering TRUTH. He called them what they were, "a brood of vipers." He corrected their carnal ways of thinking and instructed His Disciples not to do as they did. He stayed away from them and tended to the flock they neglected to properly feed, knowing they were not ready to accept the message He brought from His Father. They had to be HUMBLED! And, today, most still have not accepted Him as The Son of God or heard the News of the Kingdom. Patience? God would provoke the Jews to jealousy of the Gentiles, by offering salvation to the Gentiles. Sometimes God moves past patience for our own good.

Romans 11:10-12 (KJV)
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

SPEAKING TRUTH

Ephesians 4:15,16 (KJV)

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

• The adversary wants to keep us blind and will confound our minds to make fools of us before others. This is extremely hard to watch and can be quite discouraging and disheartening to us. However, we must remain aware that the adversary intends for us to give up and go away.

Ephesians 4:17,18 (KJV)

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

• The adversary will increasingly torment you and use others even more to strike at you, demean you, and try to weaken you, using any means possible, trying to make you act in the flesh. Remember that you are not ALONE and it is God Who works through you.

• Instead of reacting against the things that are said about and against you, or others, the Word of God,  or anything else, it helps to write the things down physically or mentally to turn them into good, rebuking them and replacing them with TRUTH.

• Saints let no one tell you that gifts are not a sign of spirituality, for only the Holy Spirit gives gifts as He pleases and works those gifts. 

• We are spiritual beings. However, the person endowed with the gift(s) can be polluted and corrupted, therefore, possessing a gift is not a sign that the 'person' abides in holiness and righteousness and therefore can grieve the Holy Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 12 (KJV)

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

• To say that prophets cannot see the future is to deny the foundation of the Bible, for Jesus came to fulfill the prophecy of the prophets (that future which had been predicted). The entire book of Revelation is a glimpse of the future God ALLOWED John to see. Therefore, God allows prophets to see the future. Satan will confound the minds of the PROUD! Lord, have mercy upon them.

• Yes, there are people with gifts who do not have the knowledge, maturity or holiness to properly use their gifts. But, to say they think themselves more "spiritual" than others is not to understand spirituality and being a "spiritual being." No one can be more spiritual than someone else. We are ALL spiritual beings descending from God. Just as one can become holy, but not holier, by abiding in Jesus and God's Holy Spirit; For it implies already being holy, just as being more spiritual implies already being spiritual, which makes it redundant.

• There are many reasons why people don't listen. The enemy has many ways to stop up our ears, but, the enemy enters through the door of PRIDE and our refusal to surrender to the Will of God and die to our flesh and be born again.

• Is there a lack of love deafening our ears? Yes, but it is the lack of Perfect Love (unconditional love) which comes from God and BEGINS with our humbling ourselves, repenting, praying, seeking Gods face and allowing Him to HEAL us.

• God seeks True Worshipers who worship in Spirit and in TRUTH. However, He does not FORCE the Truth upon us, but, He cares enough to humble us and point us in the right direction. When we find Truth, we exhibit it by showing our love for God by obeying him and loving one another as He loves us.

• He raises up a broken and contrite spirit, but, rebukes the proud. Let us not have our living be in vain because of pride, repeating the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, but, let us draw nigh to God, accepting HIS TRUTH, HIS WILL AND HIS WAY.

• Brethren, I beseech thee. Be ye HUMBLE and HOLY that we may walk together in the Light of the Lord, ABUNDANTLY, within His Kingdom.

your servant and soldier, united with the One,

mishael

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SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Ephesians 4King James Version (KJV)

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

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1 Corinthians 12King James Version (KJV)

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.