{"id":1283,"date":"2011-03-18T21:30:42","date_gmt":"2011-03-19T02:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/?p=1283"},"modified":"2014-11-04T15:43:33","modified_gmt":"2014-11-04T20:43:33","slug":"the-wonder-of-it-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/2011\/03\/the-wonder-of-it-all\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wonder of It All"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Lewis Gregory<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"universe<\/a><\/p>\n

W<\/strong>e, as humans, think we understand things. But we only have a surface awareness. The starting point for becoming truly wise is to recognize that there is a power greater than us. That power is God Almighty. No true understanding exists apart from the knowledge of the one who is all knowing\u2014The Lord God Almighty. God has made Himself known through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In knowing Him, we begin to understand what life is all about. Then, and only then, can we truly live life. That is why you must know God! So, let\u2019s get to know Him!<\/p>\n

THE NECESSITY OF KNOWING GOD<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0According to the Bible, \u201cthe knowledge of the Holy is understanding\u201d (Proverbs 9:10). It doesn\u2019t say the knowledge \u201cabout\u201d the Holy. It says, \u201cthe knowledge of the Holy.\u201d There is a vast difference between having information and having true understanding. We live in an information age. There is a knowledge explosion. Everything is geared to the philosophy that \u201cthe more we know, the better we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that is not the case! The reality is that it is not enough just to have information. A true spiritual transformation must occur in our lives. Therefore, the knowledge of God is absolutely essential.<\/p>\n

Oh, the wonder of it all! Just think, He actually desires to give us the guided tour through life.<\/p>\n

According to the Apostle Paul, his burning passion was “that I may know Him” (Phil. 3:10). Yet he, of all men, knew Him! Paul knew the Lord in great depth and intimacy. If it was essential for Paul to know him more fully, then how much more do we need to know Him?<\/p>\n

Philippians was the first book that really came alive to me. When I read Philippians 3:10 I said, \u201cThat is my desire, my prayer. Yes, I want to know you, Lord!\u201d Is it your prayer? May your passion be, \u201cOh, that I may know Him!\u201d Once I began to know Him, my desire became two-fold. \u201cLord, I want not only to know You myself, but I also want to help others get to know You.\u201d A few years later I came across a phrase by Dawson Trottman, founder of The Navigators. He said our objective should be \u201cTo know Him and to make Him known.\u201d What an excellent summation of the Christian life!<\/p>\n

That\u2019s basically it. Once we begin to know Him, we have the privilege of making Him known. We can tell others about how Christ has radically transformed our lives. That is making Him known.<\/p>\n

Yet the focus must remain on knowing God. So what does it mean to know Him? It is not learning about Him. It is having a vibrant relationship with Him. This should be ongoing, ever growing and maturing. Do you know Him like this? You can. Let me explain how.<\/p>\n

THE FIRST SECRET<\/strong><\/p>\n

I met Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior at age eleven. Ten years later, Lue and I were married. About six months afterward, I discovered one of God\u2019s fundamental secrets. I was so challenged by Lue\u2019s life, that it motivated me to seek the Lord. I began to reassess my relationship to Him. I prayed, \u201cLord I want to get to know You afresh and anew.\u201d Lue and I began to search the scriptures together. I kept trying to understand them. I wanted to get a handle on this Book.<\/p>\n

At age three, I remember my mother, who was a Christian, frequently reading the Bible to me. Over the years, she continued to tell me about the Lord. Most of all, I saw her live out the Bible. So, I knew the Bible stories. I could even debate Bible facts, but there was still something missing. Finally, it dawned on me! What I saw in the Bible and what I saw happening in my life weren\u2019t the same. I concluded that since it happened in Bible times, it could happen now! In fact, it should be happening in my life today!!<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, Lord, why isn\u2019t it happening? How can I begin to see in my life what those in the Bible saw?\u201d One evening I got my answer. As we were reading John 14:26, I saw it! But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. This was my first spiritual secret to knowing God.<\/p>\n

I locked in on that one verse. I said, \u201cNow wait a minute. All this time I have believed the Bible was true. I have gotten information from it. I have tried to follow it. I have attempted to apply its principles.\u201d Yes, I failed in some areas, but I made progress in others. The bottom line\u2014it wasn\u2019t working. \u201cDear Lord, what\u2019s the problem?\u201d God said, \u201cIt\u2019s because the Bible is a Spiritual Book and only My Spirit can make it real in your life.\u201d My problem was I had been reading the Bible like a textbook. Since I had been a good student, I thought I could figure this out. I was able to learn Bible facts and even analyze them, but it never connected with my life. I could see it, but not fully experience it.<\/p>\n

I got some further insight from 2 Peter 1:21. It says, The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. What I realized was that this Book is truly God-breathed, inspired by God\u2019s Spirit. The Author of the Book is God Himself. The Holy Spirit worked through human instrumentality. It was God speaking through the uniqueness of distinct personalities with different backgrounds and occupations, but it was always God bringing forth His Word to mankind! The Bible originated with God who is Spirit. Therefore, as a Spiritual Book, it can only be understood by the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

Another glimmer of light began to dawn on me from 1 Corinthians 2:9. It says, “As it is written eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for them that love Him.” It is not possible to grasp what God has prepared for us.<\/p>\n

There is only one way to know God. Verse 14 says, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God.” It is humanly impossible to grasp the things of God. The natural mind, which encompasses the physical human realm, cannot possibly comprehend the things of God. They are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them. They cannot be known on the human plane. Why? Because they are spiritually discerned.<\/p>\n

There it is again! The things of God are known only by the Spirit of God. They are Spiritually interpreted. The Spirit gives us understanding. He alone can make God\u2019s Word real to us. That\u2019s the secret!<\/p>\n

So I prayed again. \u201cNow God, I realize that You are saying this is a Spiritual Book, and the Holy Spirit, who indwells me, is going to teach me. Therefore, Holy Spirit, I trust you to cause me to understand the Bible.\u201d I concluded that since the Bible is a Spiritual Book, only the Holy Spirit can teach me. Furthermore, only by God\u2019s Spirit can I know and understand the things of God. Therefore, every time I open this Book, my prayer is, \u201cHoly Spirit, show me what to read, and speak to me through Your Word. Make this Book real and alive in me.\u201d<\/p>\n

LIVING EPISTLES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, what about this matter of Scripture coming alive in us? It\u2019s one thing to talk about it, but quite another to live it. Numerous Christian seminars contain powerful truths that we are admonished to go out and apply. Often we think, \u201cWow, there is so much here, how can I ever apply it?\u201d Good question!<\/p>\n

One man, overwhelmed with the volume of information he got at a seminar, said, \u201cThere\u2019s so much, I don\u2019t know how I can possibly apply it, but I guess that\u2019s what God expects.\u201d Or does He? No, He doesn\u2019t! God realizes that we can\u2019t apply Spiritual truth. He knows that it is humanly impossible. Thus, enters the Holy Spirit. He is the Divine applicator. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can apply Spiritual truth.<\/p>\n

A MULTIFACETED SECRET<\/strong><\/p>\n

Therefore, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to enable us to live life. Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit (Zechariah 4:7). The Lord is telling us that we, as humans, don\u2019t have the ability to live life. It requires God\u2019s Spirit to enable us. It is God\u2019s Spirit that brings forth the life of Christ in our daily walk. Only by God\u2019s Spirit can this happen!<\/p>\n

God won\u2019t overload us. He has promised not to give us more than we are able to bear. He also gives us the One Who will enable us to bear it. That, of course, is the Spirit of God. He has come to indwell us in order to empower us. Furthermore, He will guide us. Christ says in John16:13 that the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. He is not an external guide to show us the way; He is a Guide from within who lovingly directs our lives. Just as the internal tracking device of a homing pigeon enables it to maintain its bearings, so the Holy Spirit causes us to go in the right direction. He keeps us on course.<\/p>\n

The Holy Spirit guides us by prompting our thoughts, stimulating our emotions and motivating our desires. Words fail to adequately describe God\u2019s marvelous provision through the Holy Spirit. Oh, the wonder of it all! Just think, He actually desires to give us the guided tour through life. Are you letting Him!<\/p>\n

Copyright\u00a92000 Dr. Lewis Gregory<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Lewis Gregory We, as humans, think we understand things. But we only have a surface awareness. The starting point for becoming truly wise is to recognize that there is a power greater than us. That power is God Almighty. No true understanding exists apart from the knowledge of the one who is all knowing\u2014The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,41,5,51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-living","category-spiritual-growth","category-teachings","category-written-articles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1283"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2012,"href":"https:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1283\/revisions\/2012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sourceministries.net\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}