Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of HEARING the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find [it]. (Amo 8:11-12 KJV – emphasis added)
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that PROCEEDS out of the mouth of God.
(Mat 4:4 KJ2000 – emphasis added)He that has an ear, let him HEAR what the Spirit SAYS unto the churches. (Rev 3:22 KJ2000 – emphasis added)
Paul wrote, “The head of every man is Christ…” Earlier in the same letter he wrote, “But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving like ordinary men? For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apol’los,” are you not merely men? What then is Apol’los? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.” (1Co 3:1-5 RSVA).
The trouble with “discipleship” as it is taught today in systematized religion is that it always puts one man over another. “Who is your covering” is the often asked question among them. Paul makes it clear that only Christ is our covering and that anyone who prays or prophesies with another covering on his head dishonors Christ. He is not talking about wearing hats here!
Paul continues by saying, “For no other foundation can a man lay than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1Co 3:11 KJ2000). In many of today’s churches men are seeking to leverage thier power by taking on titles like “apostle” and “prophet” and boldly tell everyone that they are the foundation the church has been missing. This is anti-christ. When men seek to take the place that belongs to Jesus alone they are operating under the anit-christ spirit. Take the title “Vicor.” It means “instead of” as in “vicarious”… “vicor of Christ”… “instead of Christ,” the very definition of anti-christ. Then there is the title “Reverend.” This word is found only once in the entire Bible, “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and REVEREND [is] his name.” (Psa 111:9 KJV). Men so freely take this title that belongs only to God to themselves and the people love it so. Men seeking pre-eminence over the saints of God have been doing so in the church since Diotrephes (3 John) while they cast out from their churches the true saints of God who put Christ first in their lives.
Paul finished this chapter saying, “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ [is] God’s.” (1Co 3:21-23 KJV). Oh how carnal Christians “babes on the breast” love to heap up to themselves teachers to tickle their ears. This is an open door to the anti-christ and John addresses the problem by telling the believers, “These [things] have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” (1Jo 2:26-27 KJV).
The famine in the land of Christendom today is one of HEARING the Spirit of God. Dear saints, true teachers can only do so by the Holy Spirit and what they teach will not contradict the Spirit’s voice in you. All they can do is confirm you in your ability to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. If we seek men to do what only the Spirit can do we are under the influence of deceivers. In this hour when “evil seducers are waxing worse and worse” we need to learn to follow only one Voice and not the voices of the hirelings and strangers or we will be constantly falling into the ditches dug deep by our blind guides. Our sufficiency is always in Christ and never in men.
A Wilderness Voice 
Very good write, dear bro! Just some thoughts coming to me.
Yes, we hear quite a lot… and you can loose orientation completely by all the buzzing voices!
The question is HOW to discern His voice from all the others… when you never have heard Him before? When all you’ve got is just a third hand version handed to you by other men (books, sermons etc.) ?
And looking on yourself, can you trust the “voice” inside of you… your own thoughts and reasoning?
Even if there is a “true teacher” how do you know this… if not the “true Spirit of God” is in you? They’re all acclaiming to be God-sent so it’s easy to come to the conclusion, Something is rotten in the state of Denmark… but mistrusting everyone and everything can’t be the solution either.
You write: True teachers can only do so by the Holy Spirit and what they teach will not contradict the Spirit’s voice in you.
This requires the ability to discern His voice from your own thoughts, to discern the voice of the deceiver from the voice of the Father, to be sure “it’s Him” and by this ignore everything you hear others teaching you.
To know the wrong doesn’t mean to be able to live the right automatically! We have to put our hands into the His hand and abandon every security we hold dear in the past. If He isn’t securing my walk I won’t make it through the next day!
Trusting Him this way I will make my experiences with Him, will get trained to discern His voice and as more I’ll get to know Him as better I will be able to know His voice. Right, and He will teach you even by the mistakes you will make… but no worries, your security is IN HIM and not in your perfect walk.
“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” Eph. 1:13+14 NIV
There is a huge famine in the land… and a multitude of delicious smelling pots of food often showing their poison only after having fed on it for years.
LikeLike
Yes, Markus, this is the problem that people have who have had many shepherds… confusion (Babal) of being able to discern the voice of the Good Shepherd. The best thing that happened to me was when I got free of human teachers and started to listen for HIM to speak to me. Discerning of spirits is a gift that comes with the Holy Spirit when we receive Him, but when we submit to many uninspired teachers in the church they can drown out or muddle His voice. The advantage in the early church was that their initial teachers pointed them to the voice of the Spirit and not to themselves, the opposite of what we have today, thus we have a famine of HEARING the words of the Lord through His Spirit.
LikeLike
Our youngest gave us a good example for your words :-)! She was just born and I was holding her in my arms. My wife had went out for a short time and I was talking to my little girl with a soft voice. Then my wife came back and we started some conversation… and suddenly I felt it… and this was so exciting!
My wife was standing before me and I was holding the newborn so the face was towards my face. While talking with my wife now I felt how this little, some twenty minutes old girl turned her head towards the voice she heard from the other side. “Look, what she’s doing!” I exclaimed towards my wife, “she knows your voice and is turning her head to you!” We both marvelled about this very much seeing this little mite turning her head towards her mother… and it became a very good example to illustrate God’s truth to others.
Without having Him as “our mother birthing us forward” we won’t know His voice. The source that “birthed” us will determine our abilities of discernment. We might get confused at times but this “ability by birth” will always get us right sooner or later.
It needs truth about myself and the way I “was born” to have a real chance. I will always tend to other “sources” if not having Him being my “mother”… and it’s not too late to acknowledge this truth about and ask Him to “birth me anew”! So it was with me more than 23 years ago. I regarded myself “as born-again and spirit-filled” doing “my best” after all I got taught and was able to faciliate by “my” best motivations. It all vanished into non-existence the very moment Jesus appeared to me in truth. Instantly I was able to get things right… the famine was ended. Often I couldn’t see any obvious reasons… but there was this “knowing” inside: “No, that’s not Him! That’s not His voice, period!”
Our origin of birth matters! I saw the same truth with a few others having had a true Jesus encounter, too! All had been able to discern right from wrong right from the start… and by His instruction even dismantle the wrongs having influenced them for years. 1.Jo. 2:26-27 is so true… and may His Spirit shine His light of truth on us here. It’s never too late to throw away the rugs and to seek His face.
The famine is on both sides: First hearing… and second having the ability to hear! Therefore Jesus said:
You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.- Matt. 13:14-15 NIV
LikeLike
Markus, So many of us have been so programmed with a false gospel from listening to years of lectures from pulpits and Sunday school teachers that when we try to hear Jesus’ voice it is filtered through all these other teachings and we often miss it or even deny it is Him. I have recently met a neighbor lady that has a tremendos advantage over most Christians I have met. She grew up with not church experience and was laid flat on her back with sickness for two years when at the beginning of that time Jesus made Himself real to her and she was born again of the Father. For the next two years she just read her Bible and listened to the Spirit teacher her. Once she was healed she started to go to church for the first time and was immediately able to discern what was the voice of the true Shepherd whom she had been listening to and what was of the false shepherds. She has had to quit going to these local churches because there is so much falsehood in what is preached. I thank Him daily for taking me out of that system where I spent so many years (actually the Pharaohs in them drove me out) and teaching me to listen to HIS voice by cutting me off from all the rest. Like I have said before, “Why eat carp when you can have Copper River Salmon?”
LikeLike
Reblogged this on up from the desert….
LikeLike
Michael, such a timely word. I first heard the Lord speak this to a people in a denominational church I was attending, some years ago, as learning and growing, in the Spirit, had been accelerating. Yet, effort had begun to try to corral this move of God’s Spirit to come under the covering of one denominational pastor. An unbelievable famine began to occur and to some degree continues, to this day. The reference to this type of Spiritual famine comes from the book of Amos. Yet when the Spirit speaks to His people about hearing and seeing, it is always fresh and appropriate. A famine for hearing seems to come when, so called, spiritual leaders are not. It is for course correction, it is an admonition. Unfortunately, leaders lead and sheep sometimes, blindly, follow and the consequences for the sheep are as they are for the misguided leaders. We see an example in; Mat 9:36 “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”
This is such a good and timely word. I trust I can use it to re-blog or otherwise get this word out, once again as an instrument for course correction, by His Spirit. Thanks again. Keith
LikeLike
Hi Keith, good to hear from you again. Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, by all means, reblog as you see fit. As usual, all that we write belongs to the Lord and as we freely receive from Him we freely give.
LikeLike
[…] Reblogged from A Wilderness Voice: […]
LikeLike
Dear Michael
Just today our Pappa revealed to my heart how the Israelites brought much gold from Egypth as gifts from the Egyptians when they crossed the Red Sea! How they used that to build an idol the moment Moses stayed away too long.
In the same way, once we cross our Red Sea we are also take a lot of the “religious gold” from our Egypts and the moment we feel as if we are left and lost without a human leader, we build an idol from that religious mindset from the world, to afraid, like the Israelites to hear Pappa’s voice for ourselves.
Oh, that we would learn early in our walk with our Lord that He is the Rock who travells with us each step of the way just waiting for us to talk to Him, and not start complaining amongst ourselves, but asking Him to provide His living Water of Life to quench our spiritual thirst.
But we first need to make a clean break with our Egypts, not looking back all the time longing for all the tasty yet non-nutrious spiritual food of Egypt.
Let us humble ourselves under the mighty Hand of Pappa as He leads us through our wilderness, assured that at the due time, He will lift us up.
There is a saying that you can take a child out of the bush, but then you first need to get the bush out of the child. So ler us be patient while He does that!! Let us not go running after mere men to teach us that what Pappa promised us to teach us Himself.
Much love and blessings
Mia
LikeLike
Mia, good analogy you have brought up here. Like a dear friend of mine pointed out, many who leave the institutional church set out to find the promised land of walking in Christ, only to stop short and start building their own smaller pyramids (top down authority structures) in the shadow of the Great Pyramid. Or even worse, they go back to that old Egyptian comfort zone they had once escaped (building the store houses of religious men). It was a small thing to get the people to leave Egypt. God just turned up the heat on Pharaoh with plagues until he forced them out, but their hearts were still in slavery to that idolatrous system. It took 40 years and a lot of killing to get Egypt out of the people. Think of it, only two of the original 2.5 million who left actually entered into His rest (see Hebrews ch. 4). How many of us who have gone on to follow Christ have also crossed over our spiritual Jordan and have entered into His rest? How many of us are still driven by the mentality that we MUST go out and do something for God instead of resting in HIS works that were foreordained that we should walk in them from the foundation of the world? These works of HIS can only be found by resting in Christ by faith. “There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” (Heb 4:9-11 KJ2000)
LikeLike
Even Paul said follow me and set a example. Paul lived among the early deciples as did other leaders. He spoke spirit generated words and demonstrated by example with power. Words are not enough for the true body of Christ to bloom
LikeLike
Michael…a great blog. A funny thing happened after I read this and Keith’s reply. I caught a vision of the so called teachers, pastors, priests, apostles, prophets, you get the idea. Anyway I saw them feeding Gods people much as a goose is force fed corn to enlarge its liver in order to kill it and use the engorged liver or “fois gras,” to make pâté. Take away from this what you will, but to me I it as cruel, heartless and one of the most heinous forms of selfishness.
Just a random thought from a fellow traveler.i
LikeLike
Ken, this reminds me of Ezekiel chapter 34 about the false shepherds of Israel.
LikeLike
When the Lord pulled me out of the Babylonian christian church I then realized that the things the Spirit was doing in me was being taught from the pulpit as wrong. Not only do so many want to be my covering but others won’t even deal with you unless you have a human covering. As for the “every” word that proceeds out of His mouth is that He is STILL talking and I’m living on what He saying to me and not some dead theologian or paid clergy.
LikeLike
Mike, like Watchman Nee told the old Chinese farmer that was walking by the Spirit, “You do well to listen to Resident Boss.”
LikeLike
As a personal rule I don’t normally read or listen to people I cannot verify their words by how they live. Similarly, I don’t broadcast anything to people publicly I don’t know because I want folks to see in me what they’re hearing from me in person. I’m re-born as a former clergyman and take every precaution to not set myself up again as a spiritual guru. However, this was a good piece. Please take care that you don’t morph into a spiritual boss. Blessings and peace be upon you.
LikeLike
Dear Shean,
Thanks for being honest enough to obey the Lord and and step down from lording over the people of God. You must have gone through much ridicule from the clergy and the people who desire to have a king over them for making that decision. Most pastors and clergy when confronted by the truth of the New Covenant first “look at which side of the bread has the butter,” and refuse to cut themselves off from their self-serving entitlement program as “the paid Christian.”
Thanks for the warning, my brother. When God started using me to write for Him, He first stripped me down of all my religious goals and presuppositions. I went through 14 years of spiritual wilderness in which He cut me off from anything that could be used to feed my ego and that religious spirit in me including fellowship, inspired Bible reading, effectual communion with Him and even supporting my family by the work of my hands for a season. Before that happened I had no fear of God and as a result, no fear of using Jesus’ bride for my own gain. Just like the only cure for that Egyptian mindset and rebellion against God in the people of Israel was death, so it was with me. Death had to do a deep work in me that His life might abound to others. Have I arrived? Not hardly. Like Paul said, “I die daily.” He keeps me weak that Christ might be manifest in and through me. As soon as I feel like I am about to really get an upper hand and “a ministry” going, down comes the hammer and I am flattened once again. Like Jesus said, “Apart from me you cam do nothing.” So, I find myself, like Paul, having to serve the body of Christ from weakness. In person I am nothing and often feel that fear and trembling that comes before meeting with His saints or answering their letters. To put it another way, He keeps me on a short leash.
George Davis, the brother with whom I often write (see our books and articles on http://www.awildernessvoice.com), also went through this same stripping, but he started out by going through a Bible school when he first got saved and came out of it looking for a pulpit. God showed him in a dream during that time what HE thought of the professional clergy and the next day he went out in the back yard, started a fire and burned his three piece suit then went to work here in the Northwest as a logger and never looked back. God has put us together as brothers in Christ and we often speak into one another’s lives as God directs.
The Lord told us when we started writing together in 2000 that if we started selling what He has freely given us, He would cut-off the supply. As a result all our books are free and all our articles are on the site are not only in HTML, but in PDF format so they can easily be printed by whoever wants them. Once in a while we hear from someone that they bought one of our books from a thrift store or a used book store, but we have never sold anything we have written. God always provides without us selling anything or ever asking for a donation and our printing and mailing costs are always covered as Father provides.
As for “morphing into a spiritual boss,” that scares the hell out of me. For years I spent my days running around with my spiritual umbilical cord in my hand seeking a man to plug into and one day God showed me that was what I was doing and also why I was going through so much abuse at the hands of those who would be lords over Christ’s inheritance. At that point I started crying out to Father that I might find Jesus alone as my sufficiency. He has been answering that prayer. Once in a while some dear saint will appeal to us to be their “spiritual mentor” or tell us they feel God wants them to move to our town so they can be close to us. We always point them back to Jesus as their “All in all” and that everything they need is found as they abide in the True Vine as one of His branches, not in us. Just the same, my brother, remember us in prayer as you can that we would not be ignorant of our enemies devices and stay humble before the Lord. Thanks for bearing with me.
Your brother and servant,
Michael
LikeLike
At the beginning ridicule hurt and felt like it was tearing my heart out. I left the church org quietly by not creating any hubbub, but it found me within a short time. Most of my family are Southern Baptist clerical types and I was supposed to be the “golden child” since my mom died at childbirth; they continually reminded me that my mom died so I could be a great preacher. It took years to be healed from the beat-downs and climb out from under the mountain of shame that was piled on me by my family. Today ridicule is like eating real peach ice cream and is as harmful to me as water rolling off of a duck’s back.
I’m sure El will guard your heart and way according to his riches in Jesus.
LikeLike
As the coarse of the wilderness seems to be of such a long endurance I fear we may never see the end of it. As those heavenly witnesses who choose death over compromise we too may see death before the promise is fulfilled of a church Bride made up of many members. This is hard to endure the thought , but perhaps a quick work will be done and we will live to see it come to pass
Good word brother
Rex Sheeley
LikeLike
Thanks Rex,
John wrote, “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.” (1Jo 3:1-3 KJ2000)
It seams to me that His bride is being formed at “remote sites” just like the stones and timbers of Solomon’s temple had to be fashioned away from their final assembly point on Mount Zion that the sound of the iron tools would not be heard there. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven comes without outward observation… it is in your midst.” So many saints are being broken so that Christ might be made perfect in them, my brother. He sees the progress even if we don’t and Jesus WILL have a bride that is without spot or blemish or any such thing and the Father will have His temple made of living stones.
Maranatha, the Lord is with us.
LikeLike
I am so glad to find men on this site who want to live godly lives and serve the Lord in truth. There certainly seems to be a famine in the land when it comes to spiritual males. Where I live alcohol and drugs are so prevalent that many men are in deep bondage. You would think I lived in Russia where alcoholism is so prevalent (from what I have been told) but I actually live in rural America.
A question on your blog subject: Would someone explain to me where the term “under-shepherd” came from and why so many Christians feel they must be submitted to a human “authority?” Many refer to having a “covering” and submitting to a pastor as their authority figure. However, they don’t consider who the pastor should submit to. He is above this requirement. I do not see any of this in the scripture. The term “pastor” is often being used interchangeably with this term “under-shepherd.”
LikeLike
Under-shepherd is a term some clergy use to make them feel better about their positions. It’s like saying, “1st Mate” to the captain of a ship. The first mate is the resident authority and acts as the captain’s voice/authority in his absence. The Roman Catholics coined the term “under-shepherd” as they did “pastor” (shepherd); the idea comes from 1 Peter 5:1-4 because verse 4 refers to Christ as the “Chief Shepherd.” Under-shepherd is also akin to, “first among equals,” and first pointed to Peter (since he was the first one to speak up at Pentecost), and who is also “the first pope” with the “keys to the kingdom.” If you want to see how the pastor’s “authority” morphed into what we have now read the 7 letters Ignatius wrote in the early 2nd century.
Christ warned about the nicolaitans (which means, “conquerors of the people”) in Revelation 2-3. Ignatius was writing about the primacy of the bishop because the idea was already in full bloom by the early 2nd century. 2,000 years of tradition shapes and reshapes how we understand Scripture today. Unfortunately, how we understand Scripture today, and the meaning behind what the authors wrote, is warped by those 2,000 years of tradition. Time is the ally of deceit.
LikeLike
Shean,
I see you have been “doing your homework.” Yes, the rise of the bishops started at the end of the first century and was in full bloom by the time that Constantine took control and made Christianity the bureau of religion in his government of the Roman Empire. So, their top down overlording fell right in line with his over lording and everybody was happy. The whole thing reminds me of the Dr. Seuss’ “Yertle the Turtle.”
You might be interested in our little book, “Falling Away from the Simple Faith,” in which we document how the church apostatized away from the loving family of God into a legalistic institution in those early years.
I understand the rejection and pain you have gone through, my brother. I believe the Southern Baptist’s have become the worst form of Pharisee-ism that is out there today. Their worship of the Bible is what Jesus was talking about to the Pharisees of old when He said, “You search the scriptures and in them you think you will find life and it is they that speak of me, but you won’t come to me that you might have life!” They have replace the O.T. Law with their version of New Testament law and keep the people in bondage to their overlording power. Good to see you have been set free of that system as well as the sting of their accusations. Only as we abide IN Christ and shed all that is of this world including its religions are any of us truly free.
Love you, my brother,
Michael
LikeLike
Debra,
Thanks for posting your question. I hope you saw Shean Smith’s posted answer to your question about “under shepherds.” The whole contest that is before us is will we choose slavery of freedom. Everywhere we look today men are choosing slavery… slaves of religion, slaves of governments and slaves of sin. The deceivers have been turned loose on this earth to take men and women captive. John wrote, “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and a antichrist.” (2Jo 1:7 KJV). Salvation is when Jesus comes into you and becomes your Lord as well as Saviour. As your Lord He is all you need for spiritual guidance (after His resurrection He came to us in the form of the Comforter and HE still leads us into all truth). Those who say that you need them to guide and lead you that are of the anti-christ spirit and are deceivers. True spiritual “leaders” always point you away from themselves to Christ as you ALL in all.
When in doubt go back to the words of Jesus.
“But you are not to be called rabbi [today’s pastors], for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant;” (Mat 23:8-11 RSVA)
All who are IN Christ are brethren (siblings with God as our Father having equal access unto Him because our brother, Jesus, abides in us). Hierarchy is born of the fallen world system which is under the prince of this world. Jesus made it clear that His sheep hear HIS voice and do not follow the voice of strangers and hirelings (shepherds for hire). Abiding in Christ is where everything we need is provided. Be free, my sister.
Even David had it figured out. Who was HIS pastor? “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
Michael
LikeLike
Thanks for pointing me to your book, but I’m booked out. That’s not to say that what you’ve written isn’t valuable to those not knowing because most go through church and life without a clue. Those searching for what they’re hungering for will find what they’re looking for if Dad goads them to do so. Your site could be exactly what the unknowing desire and need. Offering y’alls works for free is contrary to the norms of churchianity; offering good news for free is a “novel” idea. It seems like if a book is touted to make one a better Christian that it’d be free (I’ve been ridiculed and mocked for suggesting such a thing as you probably have been).
Personally, I’ve recently got rid of nearly 1,000 books dealing with every aspect of “church.” I just don’t read much more than Scripture anymore and that’s pushing it; I’m more concerned with living. Dad has a way of letting me know what he wants me to know in whatever avenue he choses; I’m not worried about it any more and just keep my “bowels” open to whatever comes my way. I still have books I’m trying to rid myself of; I’m considering a book burning. 🙂
Majoring in church history in seminary (5-1/2 years of it) is what created the internal “friction” that led me out of the church org in October 2005. If you cut me church history would flow out. 🙂 It is church history that prevents me from trying to start something. It’s the Bible Belt that leads me to pine for unfettered, agenda-less fellowship. It can get lonely in a religious crowd, especially when my eyes divert from the prize. Otherwise, I’m as happy and free as a bug with ears that can hear footsteps headed its way.
Living was a gauntlet for a while until my relatives got it in their brains that I was done with church. Now, most of my time is spent raising my three sons and homeschooling them. I’m medically retired from the Marines and am home most every day. Aquaponics is my hobby now instead of theology; I just don’t feel the need to study God anymore (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
The following is what I’ve resigned myself to after all the BS (bankrupt spirituality) of reading, studying, preaching, and writing books:
Ecclesiastes 12:12-14 (KJV)
12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Blessings & Peace to you, yours, and on your readers
LikeLike
Shean,
It sounds like you are in a good spiritual place to me. It is the Comforter that leads us into all truth and Christ is all the Truth we need. Yes, Jeremiah 31:31-34 pretty well sums it all up, “I will…, I will…, I will… No longer…” The New Covenant as God meant it to be. Not a single “Thou shalt” or “Thou shalt not.” Christ is our sufficiency in all things.
I feel for you having to live in the “Bible Belt.” Being around religious Christians is like picking daises in a mine field. You can never open your heart among them or they will trample your pearls into the mud and then turn and rend you. I am sure glad to be free of that crowd and all the abuse of their leaders.
The more that people have been exposed to religion, the less they get what Jesus and life IN Him is truly about. Adam and Eve discovered that they were naked after they ate of that tree of knowledge and their carnal eyes were opened and then they went out and made garments of fig leaves. What a parable of religion! Men cloak themselves in religion when they should be repenting and calling out to God for a new heart and a new spirit within… praying for eye-salve that they might see, white garments to cover their nakedness, and His gold that they might be spiritually rich. Actually, this is a good prayer for all of us.
God bless you my brother,
Michael
LikeLike
“It is church history that prevents me from trying to start something. It’s the Bible Belt that leads me to pine for unfettered, agenda-less fellowship. It can get lonely in a religious crowd, especially when my eyes divert from the prize. Otherwise, I’m as happy and free as a bug with ears that can hear footsteps headed its way”.
I understand church history and I pine for unfettered,agenda-less fellowship too I just have not met any one willing to die for it myself included
YBIC
Rex
LikeLiked by 1 person
574-518-2727 any time
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] https://awildernessvoice.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/a-famine-of-hearing/ […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] Reblogged from A Wilderness Voice: […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
This text is invaluable. Where can I find out more?
LikeLiked by 1 person
You might be interested in this chapter written by William Law in the 1700’s:
http://awildernessvoice.com/AffectionateAppeal-Chapt07.html
LikeLike
I tried but can’t download the books
LikeLiked by 1 person
Francis, did you try clicking on the PDF button in the top right of the screen once you open a book in HTML? You should be able to print the book you chose from there. For interest, here is one of URL to one of the files…
Click to access NewCreationRule.pdf
Thank you for your interest,
Michael
LikeLike