Q & A: Chapter III

“You know, I can hear you talking; but there are times when I don’t have a clue about what you are really saying.”

“Hence: the reality of speaking in tongues.”

“Have you been speaking Greek?”

“No.”

“An obscure Sumerian dialect: perhaps?”

“Hardly.”

“But I thought speaking in tongues involved a miraculous ability to speak in an unknown language?”

“It can; but it actually has much more to do with what you have been hearing than anything else.”

“Just a bunch of foolish jibber-jabber: huh?”

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

“Was I just insulted?”

“It was not meant to be as such.”

“It sure sounded like an insult!”

“Only if you are refusing to accept what you have been allowed and enabled to.”

“There you go again.”

“To put it more simply: knowledge and understanding are not really the result of personal intelligence, level of education, nor even hours of diligent study. For it all depends upon what our Heavenly Father wants to accomplish in and through someone that determines when, and unto what extent, they are allowed and enabled to come into the knowledge and understanding of His absolute truth.”

“Oh yeah, that cleared it right up.”

“In other words: our Heavenly Father is in full control of what we can know and understand about things; and this includes what is of the physical (or natural) realm, as well as what is of the spiritual realm.”

“OUTRAGEOUS!!! Absolutely outrageous!”

“How can this be? For if our Creator truly is all-powerful: how could He not have everything to do with what we come to know and understand about Himself, and what He has done, is doing, and will do forevermore?”

“No, there has to be more to it than that.”

“Perhaps it would be helpful to hear the entire passage. For it truly is as it is written: My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

“Are you saying that it is a waste of time to go to school?”

“No, not at all. For our educational systems are also a work of His hands; but it should not be thought that a high level of education, whether it be from a formal process or self-teaching, is absolutely necessary for a high level of knowledge and understanding about things. Take the Apostle Peter and the Apostle John for example. For it truly is as it is written: Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and begun to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”

“Surely diligent study of the Bible is a necessity?”

“Familiarity with the contents of our Heavenly Father’s Holy Bible would be most helpful. For His Holy Scriptures were given to serve as written confirmation of what He wants to personally reveal unto each and everyone of us. Nonetheless: our Heavenly Father’s Holy Bible should not be thought of as a book of instruction, certainly not in the same way as a school textbook on science, mathematics, or even history normally would be. For it is truly a book full of spiritual truths that only the spiritually-minded can correctly discern.”

“HERETIC!!! For it is written: But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

“Yes, that was a good point: certainly not one that I would dispute. For the absolute truth of the matter truly is that our Heavenly Father’s Holy Scriptures really are good for all of those things; but here is a counter-point that should make it clear that His Holy Bible is really just a book without the help of His Holy Spirit. For it truly is as it is also written: And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

“BLASPHEMER!!!”

“Surely you know and understand that the previous passage was of and about my own personal Savior: the Lord Jesus Christ, certainly not about me?”

“All I know is that faith comes from hearing the Bible being preached.”

“Yes, that is something that has been widely taught. It is based upon Romans 10:17, which truly is as it is written in the King James 1611 Authorized Version: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. For many have been led to believe that the Word of God is His Holy Bible. Therein lies the confusion. For the true Word of God is actually the Lord Jesus Christ, not the book that He had written about Himself and the righteousness of all of His most awesome ways. Therefore: instead of it being that faith comes from hearing the Bible being preached, the true meaning of Romans 10:17 is that faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the work of the Lord Jesus Christ (albeit in the form of His Holy Spirit).”

“Haven’t you left something out?”

“The part about how can someone hear without a preacher?”

“That would be it.”

“Yes, that is something that needs to be addressed. For many have been led to believe that it is the responsibility of the Christian community to led souls unto Christ, which is a perversion of what is commonly called: The Great Commission. Some even go so far as to believe that it is their duty to actually win souls for Him; and in all fairness: it is indeed true that our Heavenly Father’s children by faith are called upon to testify about Him and the righteousness of all of His most awesome ways unto the extent that they have been allowed and enabled to. Nonetheless: let it be widely known and clearly understood that it is really the sole responsibility of our Heavenly Father’s Holy Spirit to seek and to save the lost and confused. For who can truly save themselves: let alone someone else?”

“What about what you said about turning a sinner from the error of their ways and saving them from a multitude of sins?”

“That goes along with what was just said about our Heavenly Father’s children by faith being called to testify about Him and the righteousness of all of His most awesome ways. Furthermore: they are also called to do other great and wonderful things, just not in their own strength. For the absolute truth of the matter truly is that it is our Heavenly Father who is at work in and through them; and this applies unto us all.”

“Unto us all?”

“Yes, unto us all.”

“The good, the bad, and the ugly?”

“Yes, unto all above: be assured. For our Heavenly Father is well pleased to do His work through those who appear to be unworthy; and through even those who are reluctant to accept their place in His plan. After all: does He not refer unto King Nebuchadnezzar as His servant; and yet: does not the king greatly desire to take full credit for the glory of his kingdom later on?”

“There still has to be more to it than that.”

“Why? For it is not like our Heavenly Father needs any of us to do anything for Him!”

“What about proving ourselves worthy?”

“Yes, that is another thing that needs to be addressed. For it has been widely taught that it is expected of us to prove ourselves as being worthy of our Heavenly Father’s favor; and in all fairness: there are passages in His Holy Bible that seem to support such a doctrine. Take 2 Timothy 2:20-21 for example: In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Nonetheless: a close examination of just who our Heavenly Father truly is should make it rather easy to see that whatever someone may have to prove has more to do with providing proof of what our Heavenly Father has done, and is doing, in and through them unto a world deeply steeped in the darkness of spiritual ignorance than it does with putting whatever minuscule part they may have had to play in the process on display. After all: is He not the potter; and are we not the clay?” Besides: how is it possible to prove anything unto the One who already knows everything that there will be to ever know about everyone, anyway?”

“But there is at least something to prove to others: right?”

"Be assured that pride leads unto destruction.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“That it would do us all well not to want to think more highly of ourselves than we should. For there is nothing good about us apart from our Heavenly Father.”

“Perhaps; but I just can’t accept that we are really nothing more than merely puppets on His string.”

“Nor should you. For we do have a certain amount of freewill. For it would not fulfill our Heavenly Father’s purposes to deny us the freedom to choose. It is, however, extremely limited. In fact: it is only in regards unto the choice that we are given to make about whether or not we want to accept our Creator as truly being our Heavenly Father that we can be confident of there not being any divine intervention involved.”

“I thought the choice that we have to make involves the acceptance of Jesus Christ as truly being our own personal Lord and Savior?”

“It is. For no one can accept the Son without accepting the Father. Neither can anyone accept the Father without accepting the Son. Furthermore: all of this also applies unto His Holy Spirit, be assured.”

“Disturbing, most disturbing.”

“Yes, there is much about what I have been given to say that many will find most disturbing: especially amongst the more devoutly religious; but be assured that no one is without recourse.”

“How so?”

“Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it, the Lord is His name, Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

“That was then. This is now.”

“If it is indeed true that our Heavenly Father does not change: how could He not still do things like He always has?”

“Seen any burning bushes lately?”

“No; but I have heard His audible voice on a number of occasions over the years.”

“His audible voice?”

"Out loud: like I am hearing your voice.”

“And whose voice was it?”

“Our Heavenly Father’s.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t an angel?”

“It wouldn’t matter: even if it was an angel. For they would only speak what He had given them to say.”

“Then is it a waste of time to pray to angels?”

“Be assured that it is something far worse: especially when worship is involved. For it truly is as it is written: Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind.”

“And that was in no way a description of yourself: was it?”

“Not even close.”

“Well, it’s a good thing He hasn’t told you to kill anyone yet. He hasn’t: has He?”

“No; and do not expect that He ever will. For what He has given me to say is meant to help clear-up much of the confusion that now exists concerning Him and the righteousness of all of His most awesome ways in order to make it easier for as many as will to want to accept Him as truly being their own Heavenly Father.”

“You’re serious: aren’t you?”

“Very much so.”

“You’ve actually heard a voice coming out of cloud?”

“Much, much closer."

“What did it say?”

“On the first occasion He said: ‘Introduce Me.’”

“What else?”

“Mostly just calling me by name.”

“Over and over again?”

“I have had many doubts.”

“You?”

“Oh yes, there have been times when I have been quite unfaithful. In fact: I have spent most of my born-again life feeling more like a spiritual crash-test dummy than any sort of a conquering hero of the faith.”

“And yet: the Lord God Almighty still speaks to you.”

“His mercy endureth forever.”

“And from that you have come up with all of this stuff?”

“No, some of it has also come from visions that occurred while I was asleep; but the vast majority of it has come to me through my thoughts.”

“Through your thoughts?”

“Yes, it has been the same for me as it has been for everyone else.”

“What?”

“Have you ever wondered where certain thoughts may have came from?”

“Well, yes; but I would never think that they could have come from anywhere other than the inner recesses of my mind.”

“Tragically: you are very much not alone in that. In fact: very few ever give it more than a second thought (let alone: take the time to actually consider the possibility that there is more going on than mere serendipity). Hence: one of the things that I am called to help with.”

"God speaks to us?”

“Yes; and it includes more than just what we would naturally consider to be strictly spiritual matters.”

“No, I don’t even want to go there.”

“Yes, it would do us all well not to take too much for granted. For the devil and his demons are also allowed and enabled to whisper sweet nothings in our ears; but aside from that: be assured that it is entirely possible to have a discussion with our Heavenly Father about something as trivial as what to fix for dinner.”

"A discussion?”

“Unto a certain extent.”

“Doesn’t He have better things to do?”

“No, not really. For we are of the utmost importance unto Him.”

“Surely He is quite selective?”

“That He is. In fact: our Heavenly Father only seeks to communicate with those from amongst us whom He loves.”

"And I suppose that they would be us all?”

“Hey, you are starting to catch-on.”

“What’s next: seizures?”

“No, I do not believe that it would ever get that violent; but if you experience anything like I have: you can expect to tremble (as if sorely afraid).”

“What are you talking about?”

“Truly being in the fear of the Lord.”

“Isn’t that about having a healthy fear of God’s wrath?”

“Alas, that is what has been so widely taught; and in all fairness: there is a semblance of wisdom unto it. For it would do us all well not to take our Heavenly Father’s grace for granted; but the absolute truth of the matter truly is something to behold. For it involves being made acutely aware of just how so very near our Heavenly Father truly is unto us all; and there have been times when I have actually felt Him holding me in His arms.”

“Maybe it would do you well to start being actually afraid of Him after saying such silly things?”

“There is no fear in love; because perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”

“Man, talk about having an active imagination.”

“Yes, I can certainly appreciate your reluctance. For I would have a lot of trouble with these things if I had of not experienced them myself; but be assured that they are very real: not imagined.”

“No, I’m not buying it.”