“The lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.” (Proverbs 30:28, ESV)
Devotional:
The lizard is small and vulnerable, yet it finds its way into the palace. This is the secret of appropriation – taking hold of what God has given by faith. Ephesians 3:1-12 tells us we are “blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
We must not wait passively, but reach out and take hold of God’s promises. “Where there is no need, there is no anointing.” Every locked door is an invitation to push through by faith.
Appropriate what God has set before you. Take hold of His Word, His promises, and His presence.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for every blessing in Christ. Give me the courage to take hold of Your promises and to walk by faith, even when I face obstacles. Amen.
“The locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank.” (Proverbs 30:27, ESV)
Locusts, though without a king, move together as one. Their unity makes them invincible. In the body of Christ, unity is not about formal organization, but about being led by the Spirit. “One puts a thousand to flight, two put ten thousand to flight” (Deuteronomy 32:30).
We need a basic loyalty to what God is doing – to the Spirit, not just to tradition or structure. Like the tools in a carpenter’s hand, each of us has a unique role, but together we build God’s temple.
Let us be inseparable, moving forward in synergistic action. In diversity, we go together.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, unite us as Your people. Help us to value each other’s gifts and to move forward as one body. Let us be loyal to Your leading above all else. Amen.
“The rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs.” (Proverbs 30:26, ESV)
The rock badger (or coney) is feeble, yet it knows where to find safety – in the rocks. Likewise, Isaiah, when he saw the Lord, cried, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips…” (Isaiah 6:5). True strength is found not in ourselves, but in God.
Paul wrote, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Our awareness of our own inadequacy drives us to depend on the grace of God. Exodus 33:21 speaks of standing on the rock – a picture of Christ, our refuge.
When threats come, run to the cleft of the Rock. In Him, you are as strong as the mountain you hide in. Our feebleness is an invitation to live in God’s strength.
Prayer:
Lord, I confess my weakness. Teach me to hide in You, to find my strength in Your grace. Be my Rock and my refuge today. Amen.
On one of my first excursions, having left my secular employment, I travelled to Scotland, visiting Edinburgh and several bookshops there. In one particular bookshop, I was handed the first book to enable my long journey in this Christ-like Walk—a value or a notion that would become a challenge to my walk even today.
The book’s title: – ‘Progress of Doctrine in the New Testament.’ A compilation of lectures from the 1890s. This book challenges the notion of a static revelation, it has been instrumental in shaping my understanding of progressive revelation. Suggesting that the idea of a progressive revelation is not heretical, as some may argue, but rather a continuous unfolding of God’s nature and purpose. Even when Paul, the apostle writes, we can read and see the development of his stance in his thinking and writing.
Although I would firmly uphold the statement found in Hebrews 1 that in these last days, God has spoken in the Son, this being the full explanation of God and must always be upheld as the primary thought. Yet, we can see the progressive disclosure of God continuing down through history and even to this day. God in wisdom is self-revealing and continuously restores and reveals all about God’s nature and ways. We would become those who ‘know God’s ways’ as against only God’s deeds, as was said of Moses and the people of God, also understanding that to ‘know God is eternal life.’ (John 17:3).
If we have any thought of continuing in the prophetic advance of God’s purpose, we are those who uphold and believe in, ‘Progressive Revelation’, the onward unfolding of God and God’s purpose as set before the beginning of time.
We accept the progressive nature of understanding and, therefore, doctrine within the Old Testament and the New Testament, for some their understanding comes to an abrupt end, with Revelation 22:21. At the same time, I believe in the canon of scripture and see the onward continual revealing of God’s self throughout history and through my decades of Christ’s walk.
The scriptures undeniably characterize the various stages of the revelations of God throughout the Old and New Testaments.
We seem to accept Christ as the great revealer of God yet do not consider the Holy Spirit the continuing revealer; maybe the full revelation in Christ was not seen until after his death, resurrection, and ascension. – particularly along with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Even Jesus told us of onward revelation, progressive, not a stated ‘that is the end of it, no more” Did Jesus not say, “I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” the coming of the Holy Spirit was that these “many things” should not be lost. Firstly, disclosed in Acts, Epistles contain the beginning of these things, and if we are to be those read by all men, it also continues in our lives. The Holy Spirit ensures step correctness when these things are being revealed.
The onward revelation of God is advancing communication and the ability to know God more fully. It certainly is not to give individuals ‘special anointing’, titles or positions but is more about the expansion of the nature of God, the ever becoming, the dynamic becoming God (YHWH). This dynamic becoming of God, constantly revealing more of His nature and purpose, should inspire us and fill us with awe and wonder.
All Progressive Revelation sits within the frame of Hebrews 1:1-4, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,” that all speak of the Son who only speaks of the Father and Holy Spirit.
In the same way we are told that at the death of Jesus, the vail was torn in two, Jesus is and was the open veil constantly, there was no hiding, no two worlds, but he came and was the way, was the torn veil making union between heaven and earth, so too progressive revelation stands the same.
In John 17:8, Jesus, in the Lord’s prayer, says, “The words which You gave Me I have given to them”, realising for us this is the Jesus way. Onward and continually giving God words – REVELATION, I suggest that this is the onward nature of the Christ, the way of Christ, the self-emptying of nature, a character that we might know God. Progressive Revelation.
When I teach in our Bible school, I begin with the doctrine of God; although we unpack what has been established historically, we must hold on to this, if that is God, however if God is only what has already been revealed, God is tiny, in a way. We must be open to more of God being revealed in our day and in the future. If we can fit God into our Doctrine, how small is our God?
Therefore, there is still so much more within God to be revealed in all revealed truth to date.
Our core values are to disclose and establish restoration, kingdom, and covenant in people’s lives; as I often say, God has a purpose and goal, a vehicle to bring it along with a necessary relationship. With that in mind, we know there is a progressive revelation on Restoration, Kingdom, and Covenant still to be folded
Therefore, there is a continuing advancement happening, and I believe a wholesome definition of a God move is one that enlarges and transforms our view of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. At the same time, its impact is a necessary construct adjustment (practice, form, structural). Changing due to revelation, what and how we live and demonstrate or explain that is dawning.
For example, in the ’60s and ’70s, what was coined as the ‘house church’ movement at that time was born from a revelation of Kingdom breaking upon men and women that brought about the restoration of the church, ekklesia. It aimed at transforming the church life with the New Testament church’s values from Act 2:42 to see the embodiment of a living, breathing relational community of God. This also brought about the restoration of Eph 4:11 apostles, prophets, pastor-teachers, and evangelists as necessary functions given by the ascended Christ and then followed the restoration of the individual in view, which brought a focus on the restoration of society, having a voice and holding our world.
As part of the onward progressive revelation of restoration today, we see the fresh discovery of the restoration of creation. Witnessing the introduction of an escapist mentality of leaving the earth to be destroyed as become popular through writings in the 1890’s.
These insights more and more bring an understanding of our relationship with the non-human creation along with our God-given responsibility for creation. Somehow, we have ignored God’s covenant with creation, animals, plants (Gen. 9) and our intrinsic weaving to the soil over the years. Are we not encouraged “if my people” (2 Chr. 7:14) God will heal the LAND?
We have not realised there is a threesome, God, People and Land (creation) always in God’s restorative and redemptive view. Humanity in its first creation is magnificent displaying heaven and Earth in union – breath of God and clay of creation. A model of God’s aim in a union of all things. It’s another way of saying “Christ Filling all in all”, everything back to a union with God. Another article is necessary to cover this.
I aim to establish with you that God moves in a progressive revelation of God’s self to humanity, bringing about an ever-enlarging revelation of God’s self while causing changes, ‘new things’ as God’s nature is a ‘new thing’ so-called. We are subject to this progressive revelation and must hold an established understanding of this.
Its been far too long since I wrote my last one, so here it goes…
What a difference you have made…ever had that said to you? What was your response, embarrassed, challenged, humble receipt, did you think it away or deflect it with kind words, or just accept it. I would suggest your response will entirely depend on your make up. The thought that your influence reaches beyond you, more than that, if we could measure the ripple of your contribution how far would it ripple. I would suggest way beyond where you thought even when you think lowly of yourself, whoever you are.
Your impact goes way beyond the immediate…
I would suggest to you your thoughts, words and actions changes and makes a difference positively and negatively. I recall being told once we are only responsible for our words but for the perception we leave as well. The order of impact grows in form, thoughts to words, words to actions then we make a real difference. Hypocrisy is when this threesome departs from one another, our words are matched with difference actions, our actions are not in line with our words which flows from thoughts.
Have we not heard “as a person thinks (reckons, calculates, estimate with your soul) within, so (following, after this) they are” Proverbs 23:7, identity flows from thoughts. Then as you think words are uttered. As an aside the healthy way of dealing with words is to fill your inner being as Luke 6:45 tells us “Out of the good treasure of the heart the good person brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasurebrings forth what is evil; for the mouth speaks from that (abundance) which fills the heart (inner being)”
I love the opening beginnings of Genesis and its wealth of revelatory direction, and instruction about humanity, one profound thought is we, all humanity is created in the form and image of God, wow! Religion has marked us wrongly from here and painted God seated removed from us, far above us, our exitance is to attempt to reach God. But God Father, Son and Holy Spirit did something extraordinary they came and fashioned humanity with image and likeness. For many their lives have become, which it is to be a Christ like person, “explaining God”. For Jesus explained God fully… The challenge is we can describe the effects of God in our lives in our circumstances but it is still difficult to explain God fully, just as we can describe the effects of wind or gravity, but it gets difficult to explain fully.
God can see all, hear all, speak, and communicate, God even painted a picture of Godself in you and me, for example giving us ten fingers, 10 toes to go and touch, walk and action in our world, which corresponds to the ten sayings God spoke in creating our world and beyond. Ten actions from ten sayings that we are expected to walk in and fulfil Gods’ ultimate intention in.
You and I have the ability to be active with our feet and hands, we have a reach so far, try throwing something, yet our ability to speak enables our mouths to reach further than our hands. Your nose can pick up a smell from a distance, the smell of a fire, or perfume often comes from further than your voice may reach. Then our ears pick up sound further than we can sense with our nose, and what about your eyes, your eyes reach way beyond your ears ability, reaching further out. Then we have what a person thinks or decides upon to look at will undoubtedly influence your soul and what you listen to.
As we consider this expanding journey of influence through our human faculties, we realise that the most impactive, one could say potent faculty is our thoughts.
The mind of God, Christ is something we all have Paul the apostle said, “we have the mind of Christ” 1 Cor 2:16, we are to think like God on matters do not think like “mere men”, our thoughts become a creative and powerful source to each of us far reaching beyond ourselves, rippling through lives and circumstances. Have the thoughts of God, the mind of Christ means we understand God’s plan to restore creation to its original splendour, the ultimate intention of God. Having these thoughts means we agree with God.
God enables us to be “partakers of divine nature” 2 Peter 1:4 the Holy Spirit working with us, in bringing all things for life and godliness brought alive to us.
Having the mind of God, the thoughts of God enable us to work, empowering our free choice to think this mind, impacting us and around us with the words and actions from the thoughts that are most profound. What you think and the choices you make with this mind will be profound and will have a powerful effect on your life and the lives around you.
In Hebrew, thought from Zohar, is written “Above deals with below, according to the way below conducts itself”, If the person is happy, full of optimism, above will be happy and optimistic with the person”. It is dealing with the union God has brought about through Christ in you and me, that shockingly as we have the mind of Christ we begin to work in union with God.
Then who we are, our life source is designed as an expression and manifestation of Godliness. Our thoughts are Gods thoughts, and this very origin will flow and follow in our lives. When we recognise this and take on the mind of God, we channel the power of God thinking Godly thoughts you become in union with the most powerful creator and become blessed and a blessing to all around.
