This post published with a desire to show as an example how to work God's Word that you may see God's Word does in fact interpret itself. To encourage you that it is possible to escape from religion. From uncertainty. From any doubt, worry or fear you may have concerning life and/or God. Through personal study of His Word which He preserved through eons and offers you personally. He can't give it to you unless you accept it and take Him at His Word.
Can we be honest here? The biggest challenge I see facing people that truly want to know God or live the life they see promised to them in His Word or even just wonder, "What the hell is going on?!" is ignorance. This whole world we live in is engineered to keep people from this knowledge of God's rightly divided Word and applying it in their lives. There is confusion, fear, sickness, death and destruction all around us. This is by design! Excuse my jarhead mentality and I'll share what a phrase the Marines have for when you're in deep do-do or referring to the world. One way of describing this world we live in is "a world of shit." And the Bible concurs. With all the continuingly flowing crap coming at us it's not that hard to see that we swim in it and upstream at that trying to get out of it. And it gets in our eyes! The river's so wide you can't see the banks even if you could see. If you really want to rise up above the crap in the world you've got to quit swimming around in it and stand up. It may be deep where you're at but it really is that simple. It's not over your head! Stand up and wipe the shit out of your eyes. Look for the shore and make your way out of the river. We may not get completely out of it while we're living in the world but we can surely rise above it. The shallower it is the less it stinks! Quit looking for your answers, healing, whys,... whatever!... on the horizontal level. Ever consider taking God at His Word
You've Got To Get Vertical To Rise Up!Â
I assure you. You have a sure foundation in which to make your stand in this life on God's rightly divided Word. You will not be disappointed! You will rise above the profitless ways of the world. How far is up to you. I've been learning it and living it for decades and am so thankful for what I've learned of life and continue to learn. How it has equipped me to endure what it has shown me of this world, strengthened me for the tragedies I've suffered and to be victorious. Where it counts. On God's standards. Some of which I share with the whole world on this site. For the purpose of teaching and encouragement. And maybe even assist you with focusing your vision. We're being honest, right?! Except for maybe all those that like the stench, the rest of us can all use and appreciate genuine enlightenment wherever we get it! Once you've got an accurate knowledge of the truth you see it's all over God's creation. Jesus seen it. It's why he taught some things the way he did.
If you're caught up in religion that's part of the crap I'm talking about. You have to want enlightenment. You are advised to quit taking other people's opinions about what they say the Bible says and see it for yourself. Like anything else in life YOU have to put in the work for the result. Work God's Word for yourself. How bad do you want out of worldliness? It'll blow your mind how much your religion/denomination has wrong! I studied so much back in the day I learned how to read the ancient Greek characters. Lightbulbs were going off in mind head so much at times it was like fireworks! After working the following study I see I'm not so good with recognizing ancient Greek letters. But I still got it!
The New Testament was originally written and copied for centuries in Greek. The ancient Greek is a beautifully descriptive language. More so than English. A lot more! For those  who haven't been trained in biblical research offered here is an example of working with the Greek. I used four books in this study. Bullinger's "A Critical Lexicon To The Greek And English New Testament", Bullinger's "A Companion Bible", "Young's Concordance" and "Receiving The Holy Spirit Today." (and a magnifying glass to read Bullinger's appendixes. Geeze!) And threw in a Biblical Research Principles [BRP] or two, along with a thought or two of my own in brackets. Here's one to start with. [BRP Notice the different Greek words that were translated "power." And... Watch your pronouns.] It may be a bit hard to read not being used to this approach so it might take a few readings to get it to sink in. But it's up to you. The excitement of learning spiritual knowledge is directly related to your appetite for it. I'll tell you now, the deeper you get into it... the deeper it gets!
Be a workman of the Word!
- Understanding takes time and effort -
This is how God's Word interprets itself.
1. By going to the Greek or Hebrew
2. Following Biblical Research Principles
3. Don't guess at what you don't understand!
This is what opens and enlightens your spiritual eyes!
That you may know! Not guess!
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Ephesians 1:15-21 (KJV)
[BRPÂ Ephesians is addressed to "saints" (all sanctified ones, those born again) and "to the faithful" (spiritually maturing disciples.) Ephesians 1:1Â "...to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus." This includes us today in the Grace Administration.]
15 Wherefore I (Paul) also, after I heard of your *faith (*= pistis; believing) in the Lord Jesus, and *love (*= agape; spiritual, unconditional) unto all the *saints (*= those sanctified, holy ones. God's spiritual people, those born again.) [Paul had heard there were some folks in Ephesus that got born again and they were living love toward one another]
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; [Paul was thankful for their lives and prayed for them lots]
17 That [purpose; the purpose of Paul's prayers for them... and us... is that] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of *glory (*= doxa; manifested splendour/brightness that attracts the gaze), may *give (*= didomi; to give freely, unforced) unto you the "spirit of *wisdom" (*= sophia; skill, the right application of knowledge) [in this case, spiritual skill] and revelation in the *knowledge" (*= epignosis; clear and exact knowledge) of him: (God)
[It's Paul's request that those born again and spiritually maturing by living love may receive by their own free will unforced from God (as He WILL NOT violate free will) precise revelation knowledge and genuine spiritual skill. (That they energize two of the nine manifestations.) If it's Paul's request to God it is available. This guy got the revelation that revealed the Mystery ya know! (And the Church Epistles. And more!... for our administration.) I submit this prayer is still being answered today. James 5:16]
18 The eyes [plural. depth perception] of your *understanding (*= kardia; heart, the seat and center of man's personal life in which the distinctive character of the human manifests itself.) being *enlightened; (*= photizo; be given light to) that [purpose] ye *may (*= eis; with a view to purpose. which is to) *know (*= oida; perceive), [BRPÂ ^= 3 "whats." 3 scripturally represents "completely complete"] ^what is the hope of his calling [our future!], and ^what the riches of the *glory (*= doxa) of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And ^what is the exceeding greatness of his *power (*= dunamis; potential power) to us-ward who believe, [US!] according to the *working (*= energea; energy, strength) of his (God's) "*mighty power" (*= kratos; power in effect, with an impact.)
20 Which he (God) *wrought (*= energeo; energized) in Christ, when He (God) raised him (Jesus) from the dead, and set him (Jesus) at His (God's) own "right hand" [BRPÂ An orientalism; the hand of blessing] in the "heavenly places" [spiritual realm],
21 Far above all principality [devil spirit hierarchy], and *power (*= exousia; authority), and *might (*= dunamis; potential power), and *dominion (*= kuriotes; lordship), and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: [BRPÂ Many "and"s. Figure of speech polysyndeton; each independent, important and emphatic. (Did you catch that with the three "^whats"? 3 "ands".)]
That's just a little bit of what can be gleaned from these five verses. Like any other section, one could spend days going through just one passage of scripture. Then come back and rework it some time later and get even more out it. The learning and growth is unlimited. As I stated previous, the more you read through that section the more you'll pick up. It's one of the great things of biblical research. The more you read and work God's Word over time the more will be revealed to you as you grow. You develop a more precise understanding of a verse you might've thought you knew 20 years ago. It's humbling actually but it is so cool when those light bulbs go off in your mind! The experience of being enlightened is truly exciting. Addictive even! Whether it's a new thing or taking you deeper into something you already know. It always lines up with God's Word. Taking Him at His Word. This is growth in your relationship with Him. That you may know Him. Which is what you want! And what He wants. God doesn't want you in the shit anymore than you want to be in it. Being love He CANNOT violate free will. He can only enlighten us if it's not forced on us. He shows us how to do that and helps us get out of the muck and mire of the world when we study His Word accurately and apply it precisely. The more skilled you are in God's Word the more depth perception you will have spiritually. Which is a great help in getting to higher ground!
Trust me. The air is so much better up here!
This post originally published on my blog TheHollerinStump.com on 01/26/2017. The blog is built on Blogger and hosted by Google. They have locked me out of my account there until I update my payment details. Therefore it won’t be getting registered and will cease to be available in the late spring of 2023. I am reposting as many of these posts here as I see relevant before then.
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