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Spiritual Illumination

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. (Ephesians 1:18 NIV)

The Holy Spirit illumination concerning the church is a thing so difficult to explain to any who may not have experienced it. But to those who have seen it, it needs no explanation. It makes such a difference on all these matters. You will be able to preach Ephesians, Colossians, Romans; preach all about the church as the Body of Christ; you may read it all in books, and still there may be no real expression of it. Then one day it was as though the heavens opened and the thing broke upon your spirit, and you saw it; and all kinds of adjustments became necessary in life. You can say, "I saw that the church was no denominational or national thing; I believed in the oneness of all believers..." yes, you can say all that! And yet there is something more. That something can only come by revelation. You can have the other, and it will just take you so far. But get that something more, and it will take you a long way ahead. It brings you into the realm of the conflict and cost, but you are out in an altogether new realm. It is necessary to God end.

It is one thing to say these things and point them out and emphasize them; you say: "How do you get it? We see what you mean, it is all quite clear, but we have not got it!" Well, if you really are of the undivided heart, if your heart is wholly set upon the Lord and you see as far as you can see these things, and have very definite dealings with the Lord about it; it may not be in a day, it may be slowly, steadily, quietly you begin to move into a new realm of understanding. And you find that your point of view changes; your standard of values changes; your insight changes. It may take months, but at the end of the time you say: "I am changed! Something has happened to me. I can no longer accept what I used to accept!" It may be like that, or it may come in a flash. How it comes does not matter very much, the fact is the importance of this thing spiritual illumination. The apostle prayed that these to whom he wrote might have it. Let us pray that we might have it, and that all the Lord people might come into that.

As your days, so shall your strength be.

When they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. § Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God! § He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. § I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. § O my soul, march on in strength!

Deut. 33:25;  Mark 13:11;  Matt. 6:34;  Ps. 68:35;  Isa. 40:29;  2 Cor. 12:9,10;  Phil. 4:13;  Judg. 5:21

Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out.

No chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. § The fruit of the Spirit.

He removes it by His rough wind in the day of the east wind. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.

Though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.

Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. § But was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Song 4:16;  Heb. 12:11;  Gal. 5:22;  Isa. 27:8;  Ps. 103:13;  2 Cor. 4:16;  2 Cor. 4:17;  2 Cor. 4:18; Heb. 5:8;   Heb. 4:15

Matriculation

 My grace suffices for you, for power matures in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9, Wey.).

There can be no true and intelligent rejection of the self-life without thorough heart preparation by the Holy Spirit. We read in the Word that self is to be hated and rejected, but the development of this attitude may be long removed from the initial revelation. Years of processing separate Romans Three from Colossians Three, in our experience.

"Why are we so deficient in divine power? Simply because we do not like the way it begins. Its beginning is to hate one's own life, and this is an awful start; but there is no tower' built without it. You must refuse human material, or you cannot build to true structure. Power enabled Elisha to take hold of his own clothes and tear them into two pieces. It begins with self-abnegation. This explains the reason why there is so little power. Very often one lingers over his losses like an exile, but he must rise out of it; he must bury his dead out of his sight; it is a great day when that comes to pass, and then he can be useful to others." -J.B.S.

  "To be willing to accept crucifixion with Christ, to leave all yourself, your plans and your longings, your abilities and your possessions, all of them at the Cross, so that you only trust and love and live for the Lord Jesus, hurts a great deal. It requires an absolute venture of faith; but beyond it, God says, much fruit.' And the way to it is into the ground and die' - it is the only way; His way."

"Most gladly therefore will I boast of my infirmities rather than complain of them - in order that Christ's power may overshadow me" (2 Cor. 12:9, Wey.).

My Servant (JOB-study 8)

He Knows He Loves He Cares