KNOWING THE LORD
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
The eternal purpose of God for man has been that man would know Him. God delights in man knowing Him and therefore declares, “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD more than burnt offerings. Then shall we know, if we FOLLOW ON TO KNOW THE LORD: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain” (Hos. 6:6, 3).
All that God has done and shall yet do in His redemptive purposes is in order that we may know Him. “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: and they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for ALL SHALL KNOW ME, from the least to the greatest” (Heb. 8:10-11).
When we are regenerated the Spirit of God, containing God’s eternal and divine life, enters into us that we may have the CAPABILITY OF KNOWING HIM from within. Therefore the knowing of God constantly increases with the inward growth of His life. It is only because God has given us His life that we can know Him ( 1 john 5:20).
This can be understood by the fact that every creature in the universe can only fully relate to another being with the same kind of life. What bird can understand the ways of a man? What man can understand the language of a dog, or why he marks his territory and sniffs the way he does? To man all dogs bark essentially alike and one dog’s bark is much the same as another dog’s bark.
However, animal behaviorists have demonstrated that dogs “talk” in their barks and growls, actually communicating with one another in definite patterns of dog “speech”. This ability is inherent in their nature.
Man likes to think of himself as the only “social” being on earth. However, every created life form in the whole world is what we call “social”.
“Social” means that there is definite relationship,understanding and communication between beings.
This social aspect is rooted in the ability of a being to “know” another being, thus sharing with that being a common inherent understanding, communication, and relationship, all of which is due to the oneness of their life and nature. The social aspect is only realized within a species — between beings of the same “kind”. Why does a cat bow its back and “spit” when a strange dog passes by? Why will a dog chase a cat but will “sniff” another dog?
This is because the cat fully relates as a social being to another cat and the dog relates to another dog as a social being.
The simplest aspect of social behaviour among animals is seen in the “herding” of cattle, the “schooling” of fish, and the “flocking” of birds. However, social animals do more than just stay together — they do things together.We received the life of God in order to have a definite relationship, understanding and communication in THE GOD CLASS- KIND.
The Kingdom of God is union with God in the fullness of His divine life and requires a “following on” to KNOW the Lord.
........"At that DAY ye shall KNOW that I [am] in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you"... Joh 14:20
THE ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GOD- KNOWING THE LORD
John 14:20 At (In) that day ye shall know that I [am] in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
We have established from previous articles that the FEASTS are moment of KNOWING AND EXPERIENCING THE LORD .
Also established that john 14 reveals the PROGRESSIVE REALITY from Pentecost ( receiving the spirit) to tabernacles ( fullness ).
The coming of Christ as the Spirit marks "THAT DAY"- MOMENT OF KNOWING. Thus, living and walking IN the Spirit is THE KEY to walking in the GLORY OF THAT DAY- MOMENT OF KNOWING. (Gal 5:25)
Its expedient to get the insight Apostle John received concerning the UNVEILING OF JESUS CHRIST- BOOK OF REVELATION in order to get the full picture .
....."I was IN THE SPIRIT on the Lord’s DAY" .....(Rev 1:10)
John, was in the isle that is called Patmos…"I was IN THE SPIRIT on the Lord’s Day." (Rev. 1:9-10) Praise God for that "in the isle," — "in the spirit"! Physically, John was in Patmos; spiritually, he was caught up into the heavens of God’s Spirit! The "was" is from a Greek word which means "became" or "came to be." "I John, became in Spirit on the Lord’s day."
What do you suppose John was in before he was in the Spirit? Someone says, "Well, he must have been in the flesh!" No — I do not believe that John was in the flesh. Paul clearly tells us, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you." (Rom. 8:9) The way this reads in the Greek is that as long as the Spirit of God is constantly dwelling, abiding, motivating, and controlling us, we are not in the flesh.
I don’t believe the beloved John was in the flesh! He was, however, in his soul. The soul is the mind, will, emotion, and desire of man. John was in his own mind, his own will, his own emotion, and his own desires. There is nothing wrong with that! These were not ungodly or corrupt, but neither were they the Spirit of God or John’s own spirit.
The "flesh" is the realm of sin in our members. It is a lower realm than the soul. I am acting in my soul when I drive my car, chat with my neighbour, play with my friends , or go to a work. I am in no way acting fleshly — that is, out of a sinful nature.
Now, if while driving my car I deliberately run someone down, or, if while chatting with my neighbour I lie to him or insult him, then I am in the flesh! But when I am doing very natural things I am not sinning. I am merely moving in my soul life yet not spiritual.
There is something wrong with walking after the flesh, for "the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like…" (Gal. 5:19-21)
To become “in the Spirit" is to ascend into a higher realm! It is to consciously rise from your soul INTO His Spirit, from your own mind into His mind, from your own thoughts into His thoughts, from your own will into His will, from your own emotions and desires into those of the Lord Himself.
We can do business, social activities, and physical labours while at the same time being overwhelmed by the presence and power of God! We should be able to walk into a store while caught up in a heavenly realm, and still able to buy a loaf of bread and walk out again. No one should know you were in the Spirit except yourself.
We should be able to receive revelations while brushing our teeth, but not mainly to require a revelation to brush our teeth. You see the difference!
In the spirit there is a sensitivity to God, the sensation of life and light, the consciousness of His presence, the revelation of His voice and His will, and the reality of a higher state of being.
Jesus lived in the Spirit. He always lived in the Spirit. He walked in the Spirit. He talked in the Spirit. He ate, drank, slept, worked, and ministered in the Spirit.
Thus, we plainly observe that all true spirituality is lived out in practicality.
We’re talking about a very practical daily walk! My beloved, do not wait for goose bumps to tell you that you are in the Spirit! We can be in the Spirit without any goose bumps, feelings, or emotions of any kind.
We can be in the Spirit while in the fire that has been heated seven times hotter. The three Hebrew children found themselves in the Spirit in the fiery furnace! Daniel knew what it was to be in the Spirit in the lion’s den! Noah experienced being in the Spirit on an ark in the dark, swirling waters of the deluge! Jesus was in the Spirit hanging upon a cross on Golgotha’s hill! John was in the Spirit on the rocky desolation of an isle called Patmos!
Do you see it, my brother, my sister? Being in the Spirit has absolutely nothing to do with chills and thrills or electric currents running through our body. Singing, dancing, and shouting are no evidences of being in the Spirit! Loud and emotional preaching does not mean the preacher is in the Spirit. Being in the Spirit is not a feeling, not an emotion.
It can be an emotion, but it may not always be a favourable emotion! I thank God for wonderful feelings and blessed experiences of all kinds. I will not turn any of them down! But that is not what it means to be in the Spirit!
John was right in the centre of God’s will on that horrible island, and there he gave himself to be in Spirit.
In Spirit we see the invisible, hear the inaudible, and understand the incomprehensible! What man knoweth the things of God save the Spirit of God that is in him? In the Spirit we know the things of God, we see as God sees, understand as God understands, think as God thinks, speak as God speaks, act as God acts, and live as God lives. Oh, the wonder of it!
.."I was in the Spirit on the LORD'S DAY"..(Rev. 1:10)
In the New Testament days the Roman emperor was deified and claimed to be God. The day that a man became the Roman emperor was called "The Emperor’s Day." And all the time that the emperors reigned over the Roman empire the people of the empire were required to observe that day as "Emperor’s Day" That was the day when the emperor was crowned.
On that day the Romans acknowledged that "Caesar is Lord! Caesar is God!"
But then the Christians came along and they refused to acknowledge the emperor as Lord, or as God. They said, "Jesus Christ is Lord! Jesus Christ is God! He has risen from the dead, He has ascended up far above all heavens, He has been given the NAME that is above every name, all power has been given unto Him in heaven and in earth, He has been exalted to sit on His Father’s throne, He has been crowned as King of kings, and Lord of lords — King of the universe. Jesus Christ is King! Jesus Christ is Lord! This is the LORD’S DAY!"( Phil 2:10, Acts 2:36)
To know Christ in the LIVING REALITY and walk with Christ in the Spirit was to be in the Lord’s Day!
THE DAY OF THE LORD (GOD'S NOW) ACCESSED BY THE SPIRIT
."I was IN THE SPIRIT on the Lord’s DAY" .(Rev 1:10)
The day of the Lord is not a date on the calendar.
It has nothing to do with WHEN Jesus was born, baptised ,DIED nor resurrected. It doesn’t begin one day and end another. It’s not a twenty-four hour day, a seven-year day, neither is it a thousand-year day.
The day of the Lord neither begins nor ends. It simply IS. God has never known anything but the day that HE IS! It begins for us at that blessed moment when, quickened by the Spirit of God, it consciously dawns upon us, just as the natural day begins when we arise and greet the dawn.
The fact is, it has been day somewhere on earth all the while the veil of darkness hung over us as a shroud. Day has nothing to do with time. It has nothing to do with dates. It has nothing to do with the calendar. It has nothing to do with the ages. It only has to do with your RELATIONSHIP to it!
If someone asks when the day of the Lord begins, I cannot answer. If you can fly at the right speed in an airplane you can stay in the day all the time. The sun will never set!
The day of the Lord IS. "God IS LIGHT, and in Him there is no darkness." That is the day of the Lord! It is the illumination of the light of God. The day of the Lord is a condition that takes place within a people. It is the light, the understanding that begins to dawn in our consciousness that elevates our awareness of God and the dimension of Spirit.
It is the understanding of the Almighty! It is the revelation of God’s glory, majesty, will and purpose. In Genesis God called the light "day" and Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (Jn. 8:12) Then He said, "Ye are the light of the world!" (Jn 5:14) And the apostle Paul by revelation added, "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Ye are all the children (offspring) of light, and the children (offspring) of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." (I Thes. 5:4-5)
What is happening is that understanding is coming to us. Understanding is light! Paul prayed for the Ephesian saints that "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." (Eph. 1:18).
God’s called and chosen elect in this hour is getting understanding! We’re understanding God! We’re understanding His Spirit, His ways, His will, His truth, His plan, His purpose, His heart — so the day of the Lord is dawning in us!
The Day Star is arising in our hearts and the shadows and darkness are fleeing away in the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Never have we understood as we understand today! How we rejoice in this day, that our eyes can see the things they see, our ears hear the things they hear, and our hearts understand the things they understand!
The veil has been torn from our minds and from our hearts, and with clarity we see God’s great plan and purpose in the earth, in the elect, and in the universe! The true nature of all things is BECOMING CRYSTAL CLEAR!
For us, the day of the Lord has dawned! And it has dawned because we have "come to be in Spirit!"
......."AT THAT DAY YOU SHALL KNOW"........
Now let’s suppose that you make your way up to the top of a three-story building. You perch yourself there on the edge of the roof in order to have a better view of the parade. In that instant past and future pass away because now you see the whole parade at once. You see the float that is down there in front of the chair where you were...
