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| Brian, Collette, and Ryan (Click on photo to enlarge.) |
The visit here three days ago from Brian, Ryan, and
Collette, again showed me the importance of gathering in intimate groups and
talking things through. When questions are asked in person, and answered the
same way, energy is sent and received. I am not saying spiritual power cannot
be sent by other means, but I think personal contact brings many things home
that may be lost in other translations (electronic, print, voice only, and so
forth). This is why Paul traveled so much.
The discussion here was: Should we walk by perception, or by
faith? That was the gist of it. Many people look for signs and miracles to the
point that their faith depends on these things. I am not speaking of our
visitors—though they had many questions concerning this—but of many in the
so-called Pentecostal realms. Apparently, there are kingdom-type ministries
going on in Africa , but I do not like to hear that the Africans
are learning to rely on miracles, and to base their joy on seeing things.
This “show me a sign” mentality is an Israel
thing, pertaining to that earthly kingdom, which is on hold right now. I’m into
Paul, and the heavenly realm, where such things don’t apply. They keynote of Paul’s message is grace, not
performance; it’s faith, not perception. These are Paul’s words:
“For by faith are we walking, not by perception” (2
Corinthians 5:7).
If our walk, or our happiness in Christ, is based on perception, then it’s not based
on faith. Simple enough. Seeing things requires no faith at all. Do we really
want to recommend faithlessness? This is what we do when we depend, rely, and
promote physical (that is, “seen”) manifestations of the spirit.
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| Just tell her about Paul, dude, and she'll be good to go. |
I would rather take the Africans the message of Paul. The
message of Paul is not a message requiring miracles. It is not a program where
people learn to depend on miracles, or base their joy on seeing marvels. The
message of Paul is not an insistence on being delivered from hardship. Concerning
these things, here is the message of Paul, from Romans 8:35-37:
What
shall be separating us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? Affliction, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? According
as it is written that “On Thy account we are being put to death the whole day,
We are reckoned as sheep for slaughter.” Nay! IN all these we are more than
conquering through Him Who loves us.
Paul does not tell us how to be delivered out of affliction,
distress, persecution, famine, or these other things. Rather, he tells us we are more than conquering in them. This is the key word of the passage:
the “in” of the second-to-last line. Where deliverance ministries would measure
conquering by how many of these things a person can get out of, Paul measures
it exactly the opposite way. It says much about our confidence and faith in God
when, in spite of these things, we still love, believe, and serve Him.
What is the greatest field for the manifestation of spiritual
power today? Physical miracles? Nope. Rather, faith in the face of infirmity.
“Whenever I may be weak, then I am powerful” (2 Corinthians 12:10 ).
I enjoyed watching the realization of this truth dawning on the faces of our three visitors. The truth is that true power today is manifested in the spiritual
fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22).
Not a single mention of raising the dead.
© 2013 by Martin Zender
