Fellowship Over Formula

In Proverbs 3:1-8 and Proverbs 4:20-23 where it talks about healing and health, it doesn’t say anything specifically about SPEAKING the Word of God bringing life or health to our bodies. Of course, speaking His Word is a good thing, if it comes from your heart.

Speaking something that is not in your heart is false fruit. It is hypocrisy and even lying (See Matthew 12:33-37).

Of course, we are to speak the Word of God, but even in Joshua 1:8 where the Lord told him not to let the book of the law depart out of his mouth, (in other words, to keep His Word in his mouth—to keep speaking it), He said to meditate on it day and night so he would be careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then he would make his way prosperous and have success.

Proverbs 3 talks about not forgetting His teaching, keeping His commandments, not letting kindness and truth leave you, bind them around your neck, write them on your heart, trust in the Lord, do not lean on your own understanding, acknowledge Him, do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord, turn away from evil…

THAT is what will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones. It doesn’t even mention speaking. Though speaking, of course, would be a part of this.

Proverbs 4 talks about giving attention to His words, inclining your ear to His sayings, not letting them depart from your sight, keeping them in your heart…

For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body.

When we emphasize all of these things we are to do with the Word of God, rather than just speaking it like a formula to get a result, it will bring the life to us we are looking for. Remember what Jesus said,

“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words." (Matthew 6:7). Speaking the Word of God is absolutely important to do, and effective, when it's from a right heart.

Moses

Look what happened when God told Moses to strike the rock to get water for the people (Exodus 17:1-6). It worked. But then when they needed water again, God told him to speak to the rock, yet Moses didn’t, he did what he did before when he struck the rock. God provided the water, but was angry at Moses for doing what he did before, instead of what He told him to do this time. As a result, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. (Numbers 20:1-12). It’s not about a formula.

David

When the Philistines came against David after he was made king of Israel, He inquired of the Lord whether he should go after them. The Lord said yes, and they defeated the Philistines. But then, when the Philistines came after him again—same place, same people—David didn’t assume he should go after them, he inquired of the Lord again. The Lord told him to go, but gave him instructions for a different method of attack. Because David didn’t assume, but went to the Lord again, He got victory. (2 Samuel 5:17-25).

Remember what Jesus said after He cast a demon out of a boy which the disciples couldn’t. They asked Him why they couldn’t, (because they had done it before), and He said, “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21).

Prayer and fasting take time. Spending time with Him, seeking Him, meditating on His Word, treasuring them and doing what they say, will bring us the results we need.

David wrote:
Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. (Psalm 32:6).

Spending time with the Lord before the great flood of waters come, will be of great benefit to us. Yet it’s not just about results.

It’s not simply about getting through our troubling situations or overcoming our enemies, which of course is important, and which God loves to do for us. But beyond that, the Lord wants FELLOWSHIP with us. He doesn’t just want us to go to Him in crisis to get through our tough times. He wants us to enjoy His company as He does ours (Revelation. 3:20).

After David's victory over the Philistines, David began to move the ark of God back to Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 6). He wanted the presence of God near all the time. He enjoyed the presence of the Lord, not just in times of crisis.  

There is much to be gained by fellowshipping with the Lord, yet the oneness in love and unity with Him is the greatest gain of all.

Knowing Jesus: The Word Made Flesh

As I wrote in my blog, "Knowing Jesus: The Six Groups," the apostle John knew Jesus well. He began His gospel writing of Jesus from a unique perspective--as the Word of God who was in the beginning with God, creating the world with God because He was (and is) God.

In Genesis 1, we read that God spoke--words--and the world was created. We read the details about how all of creation responded to the Word of God. It did what He said to do. When He said, "Let there be light," there was light. We might ask, how did light, or any other part of creation, know what to do? 

God, in creating the world, turned on Light first. What does light do? It illuminates and gives energy. Psalm 119:130 says, "The entrance of Your Words gives light." (NKJV). John said, "In Him (the Word of God) was life, and the life was the Light of men." (John 1:4). 

There is life in the words of God. And this life is Light to us. It illuminates us by giving us understanding. Through this Light we know what He intends for us, what His words mean so we may understand them and know what to do with our life. The Light of God's words energize us, empowering us to do what He says. The Word of God contains within itself both understanding and power which enables the hearer to do what He says--and respond to Him as we ought. His words empower us to overcome the darkness and live in the victory He has intended for us all along as both our Creator God and loving Father. 

John wrote that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14). He is the human manifestation of God's Word, sent to give us the understanding and power necessary to obey God and live as He has purposed for us to.

All of creation knows how to respond to the words of God. All of creation knows what to do in response to His words because His words give the understanding of what to do and the power to do it. As His creation, we respond to His Word which accomplishes what He sends it to do (Isaiah 55:11).

John went on to say, "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." (John 1:18). Jesus is the "Only begotten God." As the Word of God made flesh, He is the Son of God. He came from God the Father. When Jesus came to earth and lived among mankind, He explained--revealed--God to us. He taught the people, healed, and did miracles, doing and saying what He heard and saw the Father doing (John 12:49, John 5:19). And He did so as a light overcoming darkness. He was filled with and anointed by the Holy Spirit and went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38, John 1:32-33). 

Then He carried the penalty for all of our sin on Himself, died, was resurrected from the grave, seen by many, and ascended into heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father. He sent the Holy Spirit to fill and anoint us, as He was, so we can do the works of God in the earth as He intended for us all along.

We must know Him--the Word of God--in order to fulfill our purpose in this life and the life after. Eternal life is knowing God and His Word--His Son, Jesus Christ (John 17:3). 

Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him." (John 14:23). We can only love God once we receive His love for us (1 John 4:19). Love doesn't initiate within us, but within God. And He sent His love to us in the form of Jesus Christ so we could know and believe His love for us (John 3:16, 1 John 4:16). 

So, when we love Jesus, in response to His love for us, we are willing and able to keep His Word. Understanding His love reveals not only His intention for us, but our purpose in life. They are one and the same. His intentions = our purpose. 

His commands are His empowerment for us to perform our purpose--His will. This brings His love to us to such an extent that the Father and Son will abide in us--remain in us. What an honor to have the source of life, love, and truth living in us forever!

What does He command? To love one another as He has loved us (John 15:12). To shine as a light--His light--to one another. To impart the same Word of God we receive that enlightens and empowers us, to others. So they too can fulfill their purpose and destiny in Christ.

Our destiny is to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), who is the One who always did as the Father revealed--always submitted His will to the Father.

Read His Word--the Bible. Keep and treasure it in your heart. Hear His heart. Receive the understanding and empowerment that comes from His instruction, and you will know and experience His love and intentions for you personally.

If we do not receive His words, we are being conformed to the image of the one who opposes God, who betrayed Him, who tries to destroy all that God loves, the one who lives in darkness, turmoil, and torment, trying to capture whoever he can into the same darkness.

Thank God for His Light, and His life, as revealed in His Word--sent to us in human form, so we can know and love Him for who He is, fulfilling His kind intentions toward us--our purpose in life.