Saturday, May 28, 2016

School Of The Spirit


Matthew 4:18-20

"And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him."

We are living in a time where the bible is the best-selling book of all time, the scriptures are quoted, studied, memorized, expounded, and preached on, but still misunderstood by many and not applied to the lives of those who claim to be ministers of God and followers of Jesus Christ.

Did you know there is not one scripture in the New Testament, where you find any disciple of Jesus going to a seminary school or bible college to become a minister or servant of God. On the contrary, what we read in scripture is Jesus personally calling His disciples, teaching them and training them over a period of three and a half years. Once they were taught, trained, and cleaned by the Lord then they were empowered by the Spirit of God and the words that Jesus spoke were fulfilled.  

Jesus said "Follow ME, and I will make you fishers of men". Today Jesus is not here physically in bodily form to go out and choose His disciples, but we have the Holy Spirit of God who is Christ in us the hope of glory, another Counselor to be with us, teach us, train us, and help us to become like Jesus.

There are so many deep spiritual truths and revelations of God that no man can teach. Paul the apostle, received his revelation of Jesus through the Spirit, look at Galatians 1:11-12

"But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ."

How many of those who call themselves ministers and pastors (who oversee hundreds and thousands of souls) would receive a man who said nobody taught him the gospel and that he received it by revelation? How many today would give him the right hand of fellowship and accept Paul into their congregation?

It's very likely they would look at him as if he were out of his mind and escort him to the door!

Yes dear soul, it's the school of the Holy Spirit that we need to attend, it's the school of tests, trials, temptations, sufferings and afflictions that we need to pass. They don't teach that in seminary, and you can't exegete a test of your faith in the face of evil and opposition when you witness Christ to an unbeliever.

John 4:15-18

"If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."

Isn't that an amazing truth! Once we are converted to Christ by being baptized in water and the Holy Spirit, we are literally indwelt by God! The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit enters the heart of our soul and makes their home within us. All glory be to God!

In Jesus Name,
Tyrone