I often find myself caught between worlds – suspended between the world I’m born to impact and the one I yearn to know more of. Some might consider this to be a ridiculous notion. Others might find it far fetched and yet others still will identify with these feelings.
It is by no means an issue of other world experiences that I’m writing of (though I’ve had a few) – but of the knowledge that another very real realm exits. A realm you and I came from to inhabit a world that is merely the dark mirror reflection of that dimension. A world we all long to know more of. Our world is a copy, a parallel of something altogether more mysterious, more complex and so supernatural: The world of Spirit.
In this world, we all play out the days of our lives. Commitments and chores, school days and beach holidays, work, play, and love. Sometimes, most times, vacillating between depths of despair and heights of joy. In this world we are who we are. But inside we always seem to have the glimmer that we are more than we seem to be! And from time to time, the veil between worlds shifts as if blown back by Divine breath and we catch a glimpse of not who we are – but who we are meant to be! In that moment – the glimpse of Eternity becomes the view that changes everything we’ve ever known about ourselves. It becomes the tractor beam that gives us no rest in our quest to attain the thing/s we have glimpsed!
“It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”
In Matthew 13, Jesus utters these words.
That remains true. It has been given to us to know the mysterious things of the Altogether Mysterious God who “inhabits” Eternity. That in itself is a misnomer because God cannot “in-habit” anything. He is far too great, far too incomprehensibly vast for that! Everything that exists, has to find its existence in Him! You and I however have the ability and the privilege to understand God in ways the world cannot. More often than not, many of us carry the opinion that we can’t hear God all that well!
Maybe once in a while, you and I might have a dream that seems to be telling us something deeply mysterious or even have some sort of epiphany of divine things – but we’re never really sure. Are we? The mysteries of the Kingdom stuff that Jesus mentioned – well – do we really know anything at all?
Our lack of certainty doesn’t change the truth of what the Lord said: “It has been given to you to know the mysteries…
Which brings me to revelations!
All revelation comes through the Spirit, who “searches all things, yes, the deep things of God”.
Spirit understands the things of God because He is the essence of God, and takes of His manifold wisdom and reveals it to us! The greater the indwelling presence of Holy Spirit within us, the more we will know and the more Spirit can show us – even of things to come! (John 16) But here’s the thing about revelation knowledge: It’s not the same concept as revelation wisdom!
You see knowledge can change! For example – once upon a time we had a level of knowledge about a particular aspect or topic. As we learned more, we acquired greater knowledge. From time to time certain paradigms were discarded because new knowledge was uncovered (that the earth is not flat for example). Knowledge can change. Knowledge can be built upon. Wisdom however is an ultimate revelation.
Paul talks about “the mystery that was made know to him”. He was by no means declaring that he had experienced everything there was to experience or understood all things that were ever to be understood. In truth he was declaring that he was made known to understand mysterious things at a certain level. None of us have an absolute revelation to end all revelations. What we experience is revelation knowledge that God uses to draw us and woo us beyond the veil – onward to greater knowledge and understandings.
We grow in knowledge until we attain wisdom.
It “has been given” to us to understand the mysteries, yet Paul seems to imply that when God – by Grace – allows us to glimpse the realm beyond this one, we are only seeing a mystery at the level of our ability to view without melting our minds! Or stated another way – we are allowed to view from the perspective we can make some sort of sense of. God is sharing with us a very small facet of Himself, a mere shadow of His omniscience, a microcosm of who and what He truly is.
There is always more than what we know: more wisdom and understanding, more might and power, more Light, more God!
The mysteries of the Kingdom are ours, yet all we have in this world is a glimmer of understanding. We are and must be – lifelong apprentices (padawans if you’re a Star Wars fan) of the Ways of God. Woes begin when we (in our arrogance) believe we have graduated or attained a level of mastery! With God, there is always more!!!
As a prophet I am constantly looking, scanning, seeing (or at least trying to) where the Church is headed. I know where we are supposed to be headed. But every now and then we seem to be off on a tangent. A kind of wandering around the mountain for forty years when it could have been a 2-week journey!
We know that the primary reason (God’s) was the unbelief of the people. But why is it that we go off on tangent so often? I believe it has to come back to us hankering and clamouring for signs and wonders and encounters, but never wanting to develop a relationship of intimacy first and foremost!
Don’t get me wrong! There is nothing wrong with a heart that yearns and is zealous for supernatural manifestations and encountering the Living God. How could there be?
Intimacy is not the result of encounter. Encounter is the by-product of intimacy with the Living God.
We are guilty of putting the “cart before the horse.” Moses teaches us a huge lesson in Exodus 33. Here was a man who had, possibly, the most dramatic encounters, seen the most amazing supernatural signs and wonders, and witnesses the most miraculous interventions of God. Having had all that, Moses gets to the place in his life where he realises that all of those things (as wonderful as they are) don’t really bring you into a deep relationship with the Almighty Father.
What was it that Moses then cried out for ? What did he realise the solution was? Moses pleaded, “God! Teach me your ways that I would know You!“
Actually Moses teaches us 3 distinct protocols.
- First learn the ways of God that we would know (have intimate relationship with) Him.
- Desire above all the Presence of God in your life.
- Finally (the last thing to cry out for) ask God for signs and wonders and encounters of His Glory!
Is that what we are teaching in church today?
Hardly! We are running after signs and wonders and encounters thinking (wrongly so) that it will bring us into a greater dimension of His Presence so that we might enter in a deeper level of relationship! It’s a completely reversed format of the authentic spiritual protocol!
I often read this term – “revivalist.” Or the phrase “we are a revivalist church.” Or the slogan “revival at all costs.” Really?? My friend, if the cost of your so called revival is a lack of depth and maturity in the ways of God – then you can go ahead and keep it to yourself.
What is the Key?
A teachable spirit, a humble heart, and zealous soul desirous of learning the ways of God will keep you walking amongst the stars; Soaring to heights of supernatural encounter and depths of spiritual understanding!
And how do we learn the ways of God? By spending time in communion with God through conversation and commitment to the word of God.
Don’t get offended if your church doesn’t emphasise this kind of teaching. It is really time to stop playing church and gain maturity. Pick up a bible and read all about it for yourself. Let’s do this journey together.
In the meanwhile, you’ll find me … Starwalking.
