The Blistered Man (Part 3): The Lens of the Spirit

If you have not yet read part 1 or 2 of this series, I recommend checking those preceding articles before continuing on with this present post.


This is a Sermon that my brother and I listened to just the other day. It is by Pastor Alan Redpath, and it is titled "Chosen to be Holy". To have a greater understanding of this post, it would be necessary for you to listen to this message, as much of what is said here will be borrowed from Redpath's message, and placed into the context of the Blistered Man. I have posted the 1st part of 5 parts.

 The Telescopic View of Christ

**Keep in mind now, this is simply a metaphor for the journey a Christian takes towards salvation. It does not mean this is how it is for every Christian; it was not this way for me even in every aspect, but it is an illustration of the steps we take towards salvation in Jesus Christ. 

In the last post, the Lord led me to the metaphor of the magnifying glass, and its particular characteristic of concentrating light into one area, long enough for it to burn. At this point, I wish to talk about another aspect of the magnifying glass, which is the most obvious characteristic of the tool itself, which is its ability to magnify. Now, keeping the magnifying glass in mind, I want to turn your attention another tool that has a similar capability: the telescope. A telescope magnifies a large object, which is far away. To our eyes it is small, but in reality it is incredibly large. The telescope brings the object closer to us, and allows us to see it in a more detailed way. From the perspective of the world, Jesus Christ may seem far, far away, but the Holy Spirit acts as a telescope for the Church, and brings that very object, the object of our Holiness, who dwells at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, directly into our line of vision.
Paul prays for the church of Ephesus in the same manner, that they may receive the Spirit:
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:17-13, NIV)

So this telescopic view of Jesus Christ at first, is then made more intimate when we see and recognize ourselves as being apart of His body through the lens of the Spirit.  Is this not what Paul was speaking of to the Corinthians? He mysteriously states:

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12, KJV)
Before we are convicted by the Spirit to come unto the cross and Christ, and even for a short period of time after for many (if not most), we recognize the distance between He and us. This chasm between the Lord and His creation is caused by Sin. We are looking through the armor of darkness, the flesh, unto Christ, and without the light of the Spirit, the armor of light, we can have no knowledge of our position with Him. 

Already There

Now I pray the Lord allows you to recognize this and understand it with spiritual eyes. When the Lord Jesus is brought into a closer view, a revelation must occur for every believer, and that revelation is this:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30, KJV)

As the Spirit shows us Christ through the lens of the telescope, we are led to the discovery that we are apart of His body. In a literal sense, we were always there! The journey of a Christian is simply the journey back to the One who created him. Sinful nature separated us from the body, or rather, we experienced an amnesiac effect with the knowledge of being apart of the body at one time. By the death and resurrection of Christ, we are brought to the state of glorification, in His body.

To illustrate the ability for God to predestine those whom he has chosen I refer you to a few verses: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5, KJV)

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:4-6, KJV)

We were chosen in Christ, before the foundations of the world were laid. Imagine that for just a second, and think hard on it for a long moment. So when Christ was formed in the womb, we, spiritually speaking, were formed with Him. When Christ died, His body was put to death, meaning we, who are His body, were put to death with Him. When His body was laid in the tomb, we being His body, were put into the tomb. Most importantly, when His body was raised from the grave and ascended into Heaven, we ourselves were resurrected with Him! 

After we have a recognition of being apart of the body from afar, we are then allowed, by the Spirit of God, to examine ourselves in a more stringent, closer way. Once we know we are apart of the body, the next step is allowing the Spirit to reveal to us where we are exactly in the body. By identifying where we are in the body, we are able to understand our purpose in Christ. 

Our purpose is specific, not random. Our purpose is revealed, not left to be undefined. The Spirit is who reveals this purpose to us. Yet, the body of Christ is very large, it is not like our own bodies. It is a spiritual body, which exist simultaneously in the physical and the spiritual realm. So we, being physically small, make up only a small part of the body of Christ, spiritually. In the relation to a blister...is a blister placed onto you, or is it formed from your very body? The skin was already there to be burnt. It is the outside source, the Holy Spirit, that convicts and burns the heart, that which was already there. So we can see that when we are blistered by the Spirit, we are brought to the revelation that we were already apart of the body of Christ long ago!

The Magnification of the Spirit

The next step in the Spirit's work is to then take the  telescopic viewpoint we had of Christ, and make it a magnified viewpoint. By taking the magnifying glass, the Lord reveals to us our specific place in Him. Before we only saw Him from a distance, now we see ourselves dwelling in Him, and He in us. What a change in perspective this is! This is what the Spirit reveals to those who are truly apart of His body. When looking through the telescopic lens, you then see yourself in Christ, which in turn means the Father sees Christ in you. Thus, now instead of seeing Christ Himself from afar off, you are now recognizably apart of that very body, allowing for a closer examination and more intimacy with God. 

What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? (Job 7:18-19)

What is this great mystery? Certainly man is blessed amongst all created things! But it is not enough to simply look unto Christ, and see Him as being God though. The Holy Spirit, speaking through James is clear on this matter:

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19, KJV)

What then is the remedy for this predicament mankind finds himself in? The demons see Jesus, and know His standing in the universe. We, as believers, also see this same position that Christ has taken. Where is the difference between mankind and the fallen ones (demons)? Through the crucifixion of the flesh, we are made new by the Spirit. The demons have no flesh to be crucified, they are spiritual beings in themselves, therefore, they have no opportunity to be renewed. They have made an eternal choice. We have been gifted with the choice to die with Christ, or to live with Satan. To die with Christ means to live eternally; to live with Satan means to die forever. So therefore, the demons are only allowed a viewpoint of Christ from a distance. We are afforded the blessing, through His death and resurrection, to become apart of Christ Himself! (Someday I will post on the possible origin of Demons, but that will be for another day).  Once we see ourselves in Him, we will then say with Job, "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him?" Yet, the Lord does magnify those who are found in His Son. What a humbling thought this is, to have our purpose revealed to us, not as strangers, but as intimate Sons and Daughters of the Most High God. 

There are many implications that follow this revelation and I wish to dwell on a few of them for a moment.

Magnified to Burn

When the Lord magnifies us in His body through His spirit, we are then brought to a viewpoint which allows us to know ourselves better in Him. We see this by the Spirit, our place in the Body that is, but we are then led towards the burning aspect of the blister. When we discover our designated place on the body, the Holy Spirit than burns us with the light and life of He who saved us, Jesus Christ. This relates to the "reality of perception" and the "paradox of the light" spoken of in the previous post. One is brought to a place where they dwell completely in the light and glory of God, and we are then burnt with conviction, by the concentration of that glory through the magnification lens of the Spirit of God. In a way, we found ourselves to be "in the right place, at the right time".  But that would imply that we did something on our part...this is not true. We did nothing. He did everything. It is He, by His Spirit, who reveals all, and accomplishes all. He shows us our sin; then He uncovers the mystery of our position in the body of Christ by the death, burial and resurrection of our God; and then He convicts us to be baptized in order to take our position in that very body. Only through baptism can we be functional in the body of Christ. For we are born into that body, spiritually speaking. Only through conviction can we be lead to baptism though. Again, the conviction of the Holy Spirit is what leads to the blistering of the flesh, and the blistering of the flesh is what leads to the breaking of the old skin, and the manifestation of the new skin (the spirit) on the outside, all which is accomplished through baptism. I post the entire 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians so that we can measure all this with the Word of God. 

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:1-31, KJV)

An Active Member

Now we truly discover the truth about what a true Christian is. It is not just recognizing your position in Christ, but recognizing and becoming an active member of the body itself. 

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:20-26, KJV)

What else does a blister do, but irritate, and in more ways than one, simply cause distraction and discomfort for the entire body? As Paul, by the Spirit said, one part of the body effects the entire body itself.  If there is a blister on your finger, will you not use caution when using your entire hand, so as to not hurt the blister? 

Let us apply this to the body of Christ on two levels. First, we must be careful not to harm new believers. Those yet to be born must be cared for in different sense in comparison to a baby who must be nurtured. A baby must literally be nurtured and raised from its birth (and that happens after baptism, or the breaking of the blister). One who has simply been convicted, but has not been baptized, is like a baby still in the womb. We must be careful to not harm that baby. These are delicate fetus's we are dealing with. Knowing that the new believers are to be born, we must be sure that we do not cause a miscarriage. Moreover, we must be sure that we do not abort any of these unborn babies, for the warning is stern for those who cause them to fall away from the Lord. He states this concerning them:

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matthew 18:6, NIV)

Secondly, we must say this concerning those unborn babies, or those unbroken blisters: you were meant to be born; you were meant to be broken. There is no doubt that the sinful flesh is cause for irritation, which is why all those who are a burden to the body of Christ, by still dwelling in the flesh, must throw off the armor of darkness, and put on the armor of light in its stead. By staying in the womb, and not being born into the body, you will become a still-born baby, instead of a new-born baby. If you are on the cusp of being baptized, or you feel that you are being convicted to commit your life to Jesus Christ, I urge you to commit your life now, this very moment. Time is to short. The body must be ready for combat! Do not hinder the body any longer. Be born. Be saved! 

More to come in the next post, God willing!

Blessings in Christ Jesus

The Blistered Man (Part 2): The Paradox of the Light

A Mega-Shift in the Church?

I woke up this morning to an article emailed to me by my Dad, which I saw last night, but did not read for some reason. This is the link to the article:

 http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=245201

I saw the book, Mega Shift, about 3 or 4 years ago, and my Mom has actually read it. It deals with the shift the Body of Christ is experiencing this very moment. That shift being a fast and dramatic drift from modern, Mega-Church Christianity, to pure-bred, biblical, apostolic, book of Acts, Christianity. Don't see it? You believe that it is only happening in Eastern countries like China, and larger portions of Africa? If you think that, and do not believe it is also happening here in America, than you are sorely mistaken. Or perhaps you just don't know what I am talking about. Allow me to explain my families personal experience concerning this matter.

My Dad's Words With the Spirit

For a long while my family and I went to what can be considered now as being a Mega-Church. No names need to be mentioned, but we went to this building for 10 years of my life every Sunday. So when I speak of the Mega-Church mentality, I know what I am talking about, I lived in it. I was a part of it.

One Sunday, a Sunday I suppose that will live on eternally in my families eyes, my Dad received a word from the Lord. Now my Dad, that humble man, says he does not hear from the Holy Spirit much, and whether he does or not does not matter in this case, because he just happened to hear Him this day, and what he heard changed our lives forever.

As the Pastor was speaking, he started mentioning the events of his past weekend. He said that he had a wonderful time gardening with a brother in the Church, and appreciates the fellowship he had with him, more or less. At this, my Dad said to the Lord, "Lord, why don't I have a relationship with my Pastor like that?" The Holy Spirit replied to him in a small, still voice, "What do you need him for?" My Dad responded in a shocked way, "Well what do you mean Lord, he is my Pastor, Am I not supposed to have a relationship with him?" The Spirit of the Lord said, "You don't need him, you need me." My Dad was heart struck at this moment, but it was the next word from the Lord that changed our lives. The Lord simply said out of nowhere it seems, "Meet in your home." Dad then asked, "Well what do we do Lord?" In a profound way, the Lord ended his words with my Dad by saying, "Just show up...and I will show up."

Back to the Home

At this point, my family and some friends from that particular church began to gather in the home. There is something funny about the home, and I quote one of my favorite authors, G.K. Chesterton:

"Of all modern notions, the worst is this: that domesticity is dull. Inside the home, they say, is dead decorum and routine; outside is adventure and variety. But the truth is that the home is the only place of liberty, the only spot on earth where a man can alter arrangements suddenly, make an experiment or indulge in a whim. The home is not the one tame place in a world of adventure; it is the one wild place in a world of rules and set tasks."

Why would the Holy Spirit wish for us to go where there is no worldly rules or regulations? If there is one thing I have learned about the Lord in the past 2 years it is this: if you try to set boundaries, structures or limitations with Him (which simply means staying within your own comfort zone) He will test you to see if you are willing to go outside those boundaries for Him (which means stepping out in Faith). What I mean is that in the home, there is liberty for the Lord to move uninhibited, in comparison to the structured "sunday church" setting that will usually allow for nothing outside of the structured routine. Now don't misunderstand me, I believe the Lord has His purpose for larger churches, who am I to say He does not? I am simply saying that this is what the Lord brought our family to, and this is why I believe He brought us to that specific place. He brought us here (or there depending on where you are at in comparison to me ;) so that He could move freely. He brought us into the home so that we could know each other more intimately, instead of standing up 2 minutes before service starts and greeting your neighbor awkwardly. Most people hate that part, but I believe the Lord wants that to be the main aspect of His Church. The Lord wants awkward moments! He wants us to feel uncomfortable for His sake. Do we truly believe the apostles were comfortable in their torture? No, of course not! But they took it anyways for the sake of the Lord. In the home, you face the prospect of having to reveal your true face, which is a terrifying prospect indeed. For what else do we do when we wake up for "church", but put on our best faces (some in a literal sense with makeup) and say everything is okay? In the home you do not have this luxury. I have always thought it strange that humans tend to treat their family members more harshly than they treat strangers. I am extremely guilty of this. Why is that? Perhaps it is because our families know who we truly are, and we frankly do not like that. Thus, when we meet new people, it gives us the opportunity to start afresh with whatever image we wish to be seen as in the eyes of our new acquaintance. But when we return home and see our families, we are still the same people, with the same sinful nature, and the same faults that the new person simply has not seen yet.

Our Experience in the Home

When we first came into the home, the older generations who joined us immediately sought to find the strictest form of structure. Questions arose like, "Is this a Bible study?" or "Does the church know about this, and is the Pastor okay with it?" These questions were to be expected. But when people begin to say, "Be careful of doctrines of Demons," that is when you are truly tested. Yet, if the Lord tells you to do something, do you just stop doing it because people get uncomfortable? No. You press on to the goal, and you bless those who curse you, and pray for them all the more. And truly, you must do that, because the Spirit of the evil one will try to come in and bring resentment and unforgiveness at any time the opportunity presents itself. He will try to bring in that sectarian spirit which says that we are better than someone else because we do it this way, and you don't. But that is wrong.

The Lord has brought us through trials and tests in the home and we are still there. He is continually shaping us into who He wants us to be in His eternal plan, and who are we to stop Him? The home, we have seen, gives us the ability to grow in His sight together. That is because of a certain mentality though, a certain spiritual "perception" that one must have in order to grow in that type of environment spiritually. By meeting in the home, and allowing the Spirit to live and breathe in that atmosphere freely, you open yourself up to a lot of discomfort and heat. You allow your soul to be magnified and examined in the Light of Christ. I would now like to tie this into another idea that the Lord gave me a while back.

The Reality of Perception

    The Lord revealed to me the idea of the "Reality of Perception". What I mean by that is the truth that light reveals depth through perception, and darkness hides it. The darker things are, the more skewered the image is, and the brighter things are the clearer the image is. In a world of darkness and shadows, it is very possible that things are not as they always seem, due to the fact that the "reality of perception" is not always there. What happens is imagination takes over, and one begins to imagine what is in the dark, and creates images in ones mind as to what is exactly in the dark, when in "reality" nothing is even there to begin with, or if there is something, its not as big as it seems.  As the light reveals the true state of the world by blotting out the darkness, the enemy loses grip on the world, because the reality of perception returns. What I mean by this is a shadow can cause a tree to look 10 times larger than what it really is, and when the light enters, it can reveal the tree in its true form. The darkness manipulates the image through the perception of the mind, and the light sets the object back to its former, real, or absolute self.

      

 The Paradox of the Light

The Lord revealed an interesting concept to me while I was playing with a flash light once... I find it strangely paradoxical that the further light is from something, the wider it becomes, and the dimmer that light is as well; on the other hand, the closer it is to an object the more confined it is, but it also becomes a brighter and stronger light. So even though it may be wide spread, it is weak, but when it is confined to a smaller area, it is strong.  It is like the concentration of light which burns through a leaf, due to the heat of the sun, magnified through an object. It could also be said that it is the concentration of the love of God, which is magnified in the reflection of himself, through Jesus, that reveals the true light that burns through the hearts of man. I also believe that this concept can be applied to the state of the Church today; sure many may see the light, but it so wide spread in a way, that it is contradictory to the scripture that says the path is narrow. The smaller the Church is, the more powerful the Church will become; and if the Church acquires this power, which it must, then that power will widen the narrow gap of salvation, and then the Church will truly grow.  What allows the light through the magnifying glass to burn the leaf, is the source of the light itself, the sun. In order to burn the seal of God onto the hearts of men, a man must first have the magnifying glass or the reflector of that light, Jesus, and must also know where that power comes from in the first place, our Father-God. It is the concentration of the light of God in one's own heart that brings the brightness needed for all the world to see. 

   

To tie that idea in with the idea of the "reality of perception"...When the sun is at its highest point in the sky, and its strongest point of concentrated light,  what happens? Shadows disappear. When it is high noon the shadow is gone. When the light of the sun is concentrated directly on top of us, and is confined to that specific path or direction, it destroys the perception of shadows. All is revealed at high noon, and the reality of perception is in full effect. All can be seen that is not hidden, yet at this point, even that which is in hiding finds it hard to escape the light, which bares upon it directly from above.

   

The conceptual idea of the reality of perception and the paradox of the light, in order to be a practicable, or rather a realized truth, must be deduced to the individualistic mentality. As said before, in order to have a full realization of the reality of perception, one must have an entire illumination of the object which is being viewed; this being provided by the light.  The symbolization within the first chapter of Genesis concerning light in the day and and light in the darkness is dramatically pertinent to this idea:

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth." (Genesis 1:14-17, KJV)

The symbolization lies within verse 16:

And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. (Genesis 1:16, KJV)

The light of the sun is a greater light than that of the moon. Yet the moon receives its light from the sun. The sun is a symbol of the Son of God Himself, Jesus Christ. The moon is a symbol of the Bride of Christ, His Church. In order for the moon to shine fully, it must be in a direct position to receive complete light from the sun. In order for the Church to shine fully, it must in direct position, spiritually, to receive life, or light, from Christ through His Spirit. An ironic fact about the moon that I find incredible is that only one side shines, and the other side is eternally dark. The moon has a face, and its face is  always looking towards the light, and away from darkness. That is the perfect picture of what the Bride is to do! We are always to be looking unto our source of light, Christ, and we must always turn our face from the darkness that dwells in and around us. One last note on the moon; it is above the earth, meaning it takes a higher perspective than the world does, and sees things in a different way, much like Christians take a different view on the events of the world, and the world itself, than those of the world would. Jesus comments on the state of His Bride:

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. (John 17:14-15)

Now, delving further into the example of the leaf; in order for the light that is reflected from the sun to burn the leaf, it must have a longer concentration of light on the object, which in turn creates heat. The light is what causes the heat to burn the leaf, and change its chemical, and physical composition; it is turned to ash. It is, therefore, transformed.

    

Applying this to the individuals, whom make up the body of Christ, or the Church, is simple. The reality of perception, in order to be complete reality, must have complete light shed upon it, and no shadows can be present to manipulate the image. The light of the sun, which destroys darkness, reveals true images through the magnitude and power of its rays. The power of those rays that shoot and spew out from that large star, is what burns the leaf.  If a shadow were to pass in front of the magnifying glass, while one was trying to burn the leaf, the light would lose its effect, because the intensity of that light is lessened by the shadow. The glory of God is the light which is reflected from the individual, just as it was the light which was reflected from Christ here on Earth. Christ lived in the light of the high noon sun, and the full glory of God pressed down directly upon him. He did not mince the light by living partly in the shade to find comfort from the heat on his brow, rather he lived consistently in the direct heat of His Father's glory. He looked upon the world with no shadows to manipulate his vision...he saw it in its true form.

    

Christ saw the separation of the realm of light and the realm of shadow. He had a full realization of the reality of perception. The light of God was directly on his heart, with no shadow to lessen its glorifying effect. The individuals who call themselves Christians are meant to take after the example of Christ, as being a reflector of God the Father's light, which is in turn life. Jesus Christ allowed himself (his soul and flesh) to be burnt in the glory of God. He himself was the blistered man for our sakes.

   

 Living in the Concentrated Light of God

Living a life in the concentrated glory of God has a few implications; first: concentration means, by definition, a boundary, translated therefore, into a life with boundaries. If one is to step out of the concentration of the light, one is stepping out of the power of God, and into the realm of shadows. By living a life mixed with light and shadow, one loses the full effect of the power. Remember that the concentration of light is what causes the heat, and the heat is what causes transformation. This could also be stated as, living a life with boundaries is what brings the power of God, and the power of God is what transforms the heart. But one shadow can cause the light to break and the heat to cease, and one sin can cause the power of God to lose its purpose in your life.

    

Secondly, the concentrated glory of God implies discomfort, and also transformability. A blacksmith needs his metal to be at a high temperature in order to mold it into the shape he imagines it is going to be. In order for the the Christian to transform, he or she needs to be directly in the light of God. The more concentrated the light is on that person, the more heat, or power that person will receive. The more heat, or power that individual has, the more malleable he or she will become. If God is the blacksmith, then He will shape us into what he wills us to be, but only if we choose to stand in the concentration of the glory, to become hot enough for us to be molded into a specific shape. This also means God holds the hammer. He tosses and turns us, slams and pounds us, molds and shapes us; the discomfort of living in the light. Yet, once the blacksmith is finished, He has a beautiful, sharp, double-edged sword, which can cut through the darkness, and reveal the true light and glory of the creator. And the Armor of Light has been molded and placed onto you to fit your exact needs.

    

God's Glory in Comparison to Man's Glory

 It is the reality of perception and the paradox of the light that culminates the reality of the state of the Church and the individual parts of the body of Christ. Living in the light and in the shadow ultimately means living in two different realms, and serving two different masters. If the greater light rules the day, and the lesser light rules the night, where does the false light of Satan dwell? Perhaps his light is the light we believe we created ourselves. His light is our own glory, which translates into his glory. Our glory is not God's glory. When man glorifies himself, he shines no brighter than the new moon. But when man lets the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ, by His spirit glorify him, that man shines like the Full moon.  The Armor of Light will look like the sun to those who only see darkness. If the "Christian" chooses to live in both the Father's glorious light and man's false light (which is simply Satan's), then imagination distorts perception, and the truth is nothing more than a con. To live within the boundaries of the narrow light of salvation is to know the truth. Staying within the light of God or stepping out from under it into the shadow is the ultimatum the entire Church faces, and if we choose to mix shadow and light, the only reality in the end, is death. Remember, the light, which is Jesus, is a gift:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17, KJV)

In Relation to the Blistered Man  

To tie this in with the concept of the Blistered Man is quite simple. Jesus Christ allowed himself (his soul and flesh) to be burnt in the glory of God. He himself was the Blistered Man for our sakes. He dwelt within the full light, with no shadow being present, which led to an intense concentration of God's love and Spirit to be manifested within him. The paradox of the light in relation to Christ is that the light of the world was within One man, not in several. It was concentrated in a small area, His flesh, which allowed for that light to burn all the brighter. Then the light spread rapidly in small pockets from home to home, town to town, country to country. The early church lived within the full glory of God, because of Christ's gift to the world, The Helper. But what happened was the merger between the true light and the false light. Enemies got into the Church and tried to structure it, and create a hierarchical system, where man's glory reigns instead of The Father's through His Son Jesus. The light became, in a way, too wide spread, and became more feint, and less powerful. Blistered men, truly burnt by the Spirit of God, were found, yet rarely. One would have assumed that the true light of Christ disappeared altogether, yet in the homes of true believers, that flame was still burning. Does this flame still burn bright today, as it did throughout the history of the Church? I believe it does. I pray it does.

More to follow in the next post, God willing.

Blessings in Christ Jesus. 

The Blistered Man (Part 1)

After confirmation from a dear brother in Christ (Art, that was a major confirmation indeed, thank you my friend) that this blog is the next step in the journey the Lord has foreordained me to walk down, I feel compelled to share this spiritual knowledge that the Lord revealed to me a few months ago. I have an urgency in my spirit to write this post to all who read it right now, for the trend of the world is continuously moving towards a deeper state of darkness.

The Modern Christian's Ignorance 

I always find it to be a sadly ironic thing when I hear professed Christian's in daily life say that they "do not think Christ is going to return for another 100 years, or at least not in my lifetime". Or even worse, if the very mention of His return is brought up in conversation, most say: "Let's hope he does not" or "I hope he does not come back in my lifetime". These are statements I myself have heard, and not just a few times, but numerous times from a number of different people. And such statements are not coming from non-believers, but so called Christians! Now I can understand the fear it must strike in many hearts and minds at the very thought of His return, but then again, maybe I can't. What do people expect to happen? Truly, what utopian society do they have in mind when they reject the only source of perfection? All I see from this type of talk is ignorance; ignorance of what hope there is in Christ, and ignorance to the evil that the world truly represents. Without Jesus, there is no hope, and without His return there is neither blessing nor hope.

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:13, KJV)


The world is an evil place and we should not wish to dwell here longer than we must. We should always be looking up and not focusing on the matters of this world, i.e: political, economic, social issues. We should rather be focusing on higher things, not on lower things. How much lower can a man's mind go than looking at himself and at the world? John the Apostle is clear on this matter: 


Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15, KJV)


What then shall we make of this rejection of Christ's return and the willingness to stay in the world, rather than let Christ deliver us from it? Does it not point to a love for the world? Many will say, "No, I simply wish to live my life. I want to have kids, and raise a family and enjoy life, and not have to worry about these things." To this I will let Christ himself answer: 


The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25, NIV)


Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God the Father's Love here on earth. If we love the world, then the Love of the Father (Christ) is not found within us. (Stick with me now, this is going somewhere I promise)

The Purpose of Baptism

Baptism is much deeper than a simple symbolic act of outward devotion. The "church" has failed, in recent times, to emphasize the importance of the event itself in every believer's life. Jesus knew it to be a necessity for the salvation of the soul:

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16, KJV)

Baptism follows belief. One must believe on Christ and then must be baptized, in that order (a definitive argument against infantile baptism). I do not wish to argue about doctrinal matters here though, but I do however want to talk about the miraculous nature of baptism, spiritually speaking. 

First off, baptism is renewal. It is not rebirth, that would imply reincarnation. It is a brand new life gifted unto all who believe in the name of Jesus. It is a New Birth. In order to accept this new life, a man must reject the old life. This would lead us to John's point of loving not the world and the things which are in it. Guess what? You and I are in the world right now. If you are reading this, you are alive, more or less, in the physical sense, but not all are alive in the spiritual sense. That spiritual life is only acquired through belief and baptism in Christ and His name, Jesus. Only then is Christ born in you by the Spirit. This is the new life. Do you love your old life? If you do not hate your old life and the works you did during it, than you cannot be baptized. 

This leads us to another thing, which is this: that all men must come to the realization through revelation by the Holy Spirit that they themselves are evil men needing to be saved. 

Now this post could go many different directions at this point, but I will focus it around baptism only, centered around  a metaphor the Lord gave me concerning baptism. 

My Blister

About 6 months ago I went golfing with my brother and my cousin during the dead heat of summer. I am a terrible golfer, and I am not ashamed to admit it. It is a sport (or skill) that requires much patience and concentration, and moreover practice, in order to be successful. I lack all three of those things when it comes to golf.  :)

Anyways, I was working on my swing and had a golf glove on my right hand. Suffice to say, I do not have the most perfect swing in the world. An imperfect swing can be caused by a strange or imperfect hand grip on the glove (at least that was my case). To make a long story short, I got a blister on my right thumb.

That blister stayed for about 3 days, and I did not want to pop it for obvious reasons, like not wanting to feel pain. It stayed, and continued to grow fuller and fuller. Then, it broke. The water that was within the blister poured out and I felt pain. A few days later though, my skin was completely healed. 

The Metaphor of the Blister

Now how can this blister be applied spiritually to baptism? The Lord showed me this and it blew my mind. How are many blister's formed? Either through friction, irritation, or perhaps fire? I wish to take this from the perspective of being burnt by fire. When a blister occurs, the old, dead skin is separated from the new, living skin underneath. What is between the two forms of skin but water?  The Holy Spirit is referred to as being like fire in the scriptures (i.e: the burning bush). His fire does not burn physically, but it burns spiritually (of course, there are times when it burns physically as well, but we will not get into that right now). A man, when he believes on Christ has been convicted by the Holy Spirit to believe in Him. This is like a fire singeing the skin of the body. The Spirit comes and burns the heart of a man, and it becomes blistered. The old heart is killed off, and a new heart is waiting to be brought forth. There is a clear separation made between the old man and the new man when the Holy Spirit burns him with His fire. Thus, a man believes on Christ and the first step towards salvation is fulfilled. Now, just as with the blister, when the old skin and the new skin are separated by water, so too, is the old man and the new man separated by water. That water is the water of baptism. With a blister, the only way for the new skin to come forth is for the old skin to be broken; this allows for the water to pass out and for the new skin to be manifested for the world to see on the outside. In the same manner, the only way for the new man to be brought forth, is for the old man to be broken. The beginning of this process is baptism. Baptism is the breaking of the old man! Baptism allows the new man to be manifested on the outside for all the world to see! Before baptism you are simply a filled blister, like my right thumb, waiting to be broken and healed. But after baptism, the water passes through and you are made new.

The Breaking of the Blister

There have been many people who have spoken on the subject of the breaking of the old (outer/flesh) man. Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian in the Early to Middle 20th century, described the process best, outside of the Bible (I recommend his work). So I will not dwell to long on the subject, but it must be understood that our old life cannot continue the way it has after the ceremony and act of baptism has passed. Once the blister has been broken, the skin will come forth no matter what. Most of the time this is a painful process, especially when it is broken too soon. But if the Holy Spirit is allowed to move in His own way freely, the gift of joy and perseverance will be granted to those who allow this painful process to occur unabated.  The more suffering the better, for this is pure evidence that the Lord is dealing with your sinful nature. I refer to the event in the book of Daniel concerning his 3 friends. When the King commanded them to bow down and worship an Idol (a created thing, made with the hands of men), they responded to his command as follows:

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18, NIV)

These men were burnt, not physically, but spiritually. For when they went into the fire they were not burnt! 

Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. (Daniel 3:19-20, NIV)

They did not defend their own lives. They loved not the world, nor the things in it. Moreover, they did not fear the fire, rather they walked directly into it! It is my belief that Christians must be willing to walk into the furnace, in order to pass through it. When Satan believes he is destroying us with fire and tribulation, we need to understand God's hand behind those very trials; behind that very fire that we fear so much. God uses these very trials to test us and refine us! Remember, he will never leave us, nor forsake us, for he did not leave the 3 children in their test did he?

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” (Daniel 3:24-25, NIV)

There was another man in their midst. This was the Holy Spirit guiding them and protecting them through the fire. The Lord is always with us! These young believers were burnt by the Lord, in order to purify them. Their hearts were blistered, and they were baptized with fire, which is the conviction of the Holy Spirit on a man's heart, leading him towards the new life found only in Jesus. 

More to follow in the next post, God willing…

Blessings in Christ Jesus

Introduction: Armor of Light/Armor of Darkness

Hello to you all!

Most of the readers of this blog (if there will be any) will have known me already for some time, or will at least have been acquainted with me at some point in my life. Therefore, an introduction may not be particularly necessary, but in the unlikely event that some new reader would happen to stumble upon this blog, I find it important to tell a little something about myself.  

I wish to keep this short, God willing, so here it goes: First, as with every introduction, a name is necessary. My name is David Christian Schultz. I am a young man, 21 years of age to be exact, and I grew up in the Midwest (St. Louis, Missouri). I come from a larger family: 4 sisters, 1 brother (all blood) and 2 brothers-in-law. I Love my family, and I am sure many posts about them will follow in the days to come. 

My Name

My Gift From God (I am upper, center-left)

A name defines a man and his purpose. To know me, I pray, you simply have to understand the meaning of my name. David means "Beloved";  Christian means "Christ Follower"; Schultz has less of a definite meaning than my first and middle names', yet it still has an interesting correlation to the purpose of this blog, and moreover, my eternal purpose; it means "Sheriff" in German. Combining the 3 meanings, a statement is created: Beloved Christian, Sheriff. 

With the understanding of a Sheriff's obligation in mind, I believe, the name can be understood as being a protector and enforcer of the Law. This can perhaps be seen on two different levels. First, that I myself have been given the task to protect the Gospel of Christ and His Law, or the Second, which I am more inclined to believe in, that Christ himself is seeking to protect the Gospel of His Word  in and through me, and He is fulfilling and protecting the Law that is written on my heart by His Spirit.

Armor of Light

Keeping that in mind, I now refer you to the title of the blog: Armor of Light. Taking from the deep, mysterious verse Paul wrote to the Romans: 

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:12, KJV)

What could this verse possibly mean? It certainly is not referring to a physical manifestation of armor placed onto the human body, for the flesh itself is corrupt and does not seek after things that are of the Spirit:

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:17, KJV) 

Thus, we may conclude that this armor is spiritual. It is not of the flesh, but rather of the Spirit of God. The armor of light is the literal Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is referred to as light in many places in scripture, but one of the most prominent places is at the beginning of the Gospel of John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:1-5, KJV)

There are many that may deny the trinity, but those with spiritual eyes can certainly see the trinitarian action at work here in the beginning of John's Gospel. The Word (Jesus) and God (The Father) are separate yet one, just as a Father and Son in a family relationship are separate yet one. The life that was found in the Word is the Holy Spirit himself. Without the Spirit, the Word has no life. Without life, the Word has no light. Only through life is one able to spread light. Light is an active product, it requires living energy to shine. Darkness is absent of light, it therefore requires no energy, which means that there is no possibility for life in this darkness. From Paul's commendation to put on the armor of light, we can thus say that Paul was urging us to put on the Holy Spirit. 

Armor of Darkness

Taking it a step further, Paul's admonishment implies a deeper meaning to the current state of man. If man must put on the armor of light (The Holy Spirit), he must be wearing a different garment, which I believe is the armor of darkness. There is only one thing opposite to light, and that is darkness. If the light is the Spirit, then what is the darkness? Paul declares that darkness is the works of the flesh. We wear that darkness. In fact, we are that darkness. The flesh itself is the armor of darkness. The works of the flesh are the opposite of the works of the Spirit. The Spirit of God is the life that lives through those who believe in the name of Jesus, and the light is the works that span from that very life. The life is the energy which is used to produce the light. 

Jesus=Life/ Life=Holy Spirt/ Holy Spirit=Light/ Light=Good Works. 

Oppositely, the works of darkness point to a singular source, which is a Spirit itself as well.

What is Sin?

I have always had a strange understanding of Sin, perhaps because the "church" has a convoluted way of looking at Evil itself nowadays, and consequently teaches it as being something which is only an effect, not a source, of Death. But in fact, it is just the opposite; the effect of Sin is Death: 

The sting of death [is] sin; and the strength of sin [is] the law. (1 Corinthian 12:56, KJV) 

As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. (Romans 7:17, NIV)

The source of Death is Sin, not the opposite way around. Sin, is a Spirit unto itself. If by putting on the armor of light, we are resultantly allowing the Holy Spirit (a living being) to live through us, then are we not, on the other side, letting another living being live through us by continuing in the wearing of the armor of darkness (the flesh), evidenced by the works of darkness? Paul continues to expound to the Romans the nature of Sin and its relation to the flesh:

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 18-20, KJV)

It would perhaps shock many to discover that there is an actual, living being inside of them, carrying out the works of darkness, controlling them like a puppeteer manipulates the movements and actions of a puppet. It would also strike fear into many mens hearts to learn of this demonic force that lurks in their bodies, if they actually came to the realization, by the power of Christ, that it most certainly is present. Yet, sadly, most men will never come to know this. The only way to discover it is by the light of the Spirit. The only way to fight against it and throw it off of you is by the life of the Spirit, through Christ and the Cross. In accordance with the Law of the Spirit of Life, the same is true in the opposite sense with the Law of the Spirit of Death. 

Sin=Death/ Death=Darkness/ Darkness=Works of Evil

Adam, it could be said, had the choice between two sources of existence. He could choose between the tree of Life, which is Jesus, the light of the world, or between the Tree of knowledge of good and evil (which could be a being itself, but we will not get into that right now). It could also be said that Adam had the choice between two armors: the armor of light, which is the Holy Spirit, who is the Life of God, or he could choose the armor of darkness, which is the flesh, the Life of Sin, which is death. He chose to put on the armor of darkness, and let Sin live through him, rather than becoming one with His creator and allowing Him to be his life. Adam chose death; he chose darkness. 

Christ's Response to Sin

The Law itself, that eternal good, is used against man by Sin in the flesh, because of Adam's rebellious act (which we were all present for, therefore we are all just as guilty as he). So we see that by the works of the Law, we ourselves are condemned by our own actions in the flesh (reference the entire epistle to the Galatians). Thankfully, Christ put on the armor of darkness, to condemn the Sin in the flesh. 

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4, NIV)

Jesus knew the source of Life, for he was one with it (The Holy Spirit). He was truly alive, and thus, he was truly able to strive and overcome the flesh, and destroy that evil force known as Sin, which dwells within all men, yet not in Christ. This is a mystery because it cannot be seen with the naked eye. Yet, Sin is real and living. In fact, it lives through us and the flesh empowers Sin daily. The armor of darkness must be thrown off though, and the armor of light must be put on in its stead! But once again, one who is in darkness cannot even know that he has treasonous armor that he must take off: 

But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. (Proverbs 4:19, NIV)

This deep darkness is the blinding effect of Sin and it leads to death. The works of darkness, which are the works of the flesh, find their life-source from Sin, which dwells underneath the armor. Christ had no Sin. He was the perfect spy. He wore the enemies clothes, their armor even! Yet he had an eternal purpose, which was to destroy the works of the Devil, and to put Sin to death. He accomplished this goal, this miraculous wonder under their very noses! Hallelujah! Jesus put on the armor of darkness to destroy it, that we may put on the armor of light ourselves. This was God's gift to the world: 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17, KJV)

Jesus, the light of the world, left his children a perfect gift when he ascended into heavenly glory: the Holy Spirit, who is the armor of light. 

Short Conclusion 

In conclusion to this post (which was simply supposed to be an introduction), I leave you with these last few words. The word Sheriff implies protector, and what does armor do but protect? The Holy Spirit is the Sheriff (the protector) of the Law of Spirit, Grace and Truth. He named me from the beginning and has protected me always, and for that tears stream down my face this very moment. At the beginning, I was Beloved (David), and throughout my walk of life I will be a Christ-Follower(Christian), and I know this because in the end I will be watched over by the Sheriff (Schultz), the Holy Spirit. He will keep me safe and fulfill the Law of Love in my life.

This blog, I pray, will be the fruit of the Spirit that dwells within me. It will confound many, and anger even more, but I pray that it is all done for the glory of God, to bring about his Will for those read it and are touched by it. If I am to wear the armor of light, I must expose the works of darkness. It must be remembered though, that

 the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:1-5, KJV) 

Much of what is written on this blog will seem inconclusive, unfinished, paradoxical, or just down right nonsensical to those who do not know Christ and have His Spirit dwelling within them. My only prayer is that all those who read this blog would be touched by His Spirit nonetheless and that they would be blessed by He who Loves them unconditionally. 

Blessings in Jesus Christ.