Ephesians 5:18-19 ~ ". . . be filled with the Spirit . . . singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God . . . "
John 7:38 ~ "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
Before I even begin I must say for accountability purposes of myself that in the passage in Chapter 7 of John, I find an interesting addition to the Scripture - what appears to be almost an after thought, or a side not, is actually quite possibly the essence of this Word. The Author who is infallible and NEVER wasteful did not intend for . . . "as the Scripture has said" to be an after thought in are awareness. It is quite possibly the pinnacle of this passage - as the Scriptures have commanded, that is how we are to believe. We as creation do not determine what belief will be - He has already detailed that plan for us, repeatedly and clearly in the Word of God. I think we in our Western religious arrogance have redefined this - "he who believes in Me" - to suit our liking. Our rewrite of the Word is quite carnal and fleshy in the writing - it pleases me and it pleases you. It is not too hard, nor too offensive, we write the sting out of the sacrifice of "belief in Me." Before I spin a web in which you no longer like me, I will stop myself and weave that web another day, in another post. It is of absolute necessity that we talk of this awful and damming rewrite but it demands far more then a simple paragraph. We will reconvene on the subject another now and the accountability is upon you and upon me to demand of ourselves that we look at this apparent after thought - "as the Scripture has said"- with far more intensity; for millions of eternities hang on this very Word - "as the Scripture has said."
______________
Living a life fully surrendered to Jesus (as the Scriptures have said . . .) allows the inner man, the spirit man to make melody unto the Lord and living waters flow as melodious tune and music moves as healing waters flow and a flesh, soul man becomes a spirit man. With every blow to the flesh, with every sacrificial way the river lows wider and stronger and swifter. With each moment of death to self the melody moves sweeter, the purity of the music masters the heart and soulish man looks much more like the image of the Jesus Man. As surrender to Christ's cross ways overwhelms the hourly cravings of self - the rivers of living melody flow freely from our heart's borders unto the land of the walking dead. But, while the music masters a sweet melodious way, we must fix our eyes on Truth - the sweetest music was wrought in the anguish. The crushing of self on our Christ's cross way, it is surely the Only Way.
Waters flow most freely from rivers pathed with purity - no impurities of self to block the water's way. For of our self is ALL impurity. That which you prize the most in you, is likely that which is your deepest impurity before the cross of Christ.
What is you admire most of you? And yes, we do admire the me and the you - in most of our conversation and much of our thought you will hear the hidden traces of self love. And that in which we admire the most of ourselves is often that which so profoundly impedes the flow of sweet melodious music and the swiftly passing living waters.
If you are a true follower of Christ, if you are fully surrendered to your Savior - note that I did not say if you attend church regularly, have a fish on your SUV, graduated from the seminary, post Scripture on your Facebook page, vote conservative, attend Bible studies, or have even read every book ever written by Beth Moore (truly! How many books must one woman write before we all just study the Word of God for ourselves?!)
None of the above determines whether you or I are a true follower of Christ.
Yet, if you are a follower of the Living Christ, then you have an inner man who has and is communing with the Spirit of God. And this spirit man knows in the most profoundest of ways the deep degradation of your soul and flesh man. Your spirit sits currently at the feet of Jesus, continually worshipping the God of heaven and earth - he KNOWS His goodness and your constant depravity. Our spirit man knows.
Your spirit man desires and loves to make melodies unto his Lord.
But, your soul and your flesh man wage war for control and vie for a constant say in what you will do and say.
Your spirit man lives under the beauty that is the flow of the living water but your flesh man silences him with an astounding amount of self - love. For there is no living waters in self nor lovely melodies in the carnal man.
Through materialism, narcissism, vanity, arrogance, pride, love of self, love of money, love of luxury, love of safety and comfort and on and on we silence the spirit man's flow.
And the walking dead do not hear your melodious tune to your glorious Maker.
They can not hear the music over the din and racket you raise about you.
It is time to silence the selfish, soul man and the silence comes only through crucifixion. Death to self and life to music wrought unto the Lord is that which He has commanded of us.
The walking dead desperately need to feel the flow of living waters from you. And me.
We dare not deepen their death through this continual din and racket of self.
For we will stand accountable.
John 7:38 ~ "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
Before I even begin I must say for accountability purposes of myself that in the passage in Chapter 7 of John, I find an interesting addition to the Scripture - what appears to be almost an after thought, or a side not, is actually quite possibly the essence of this Word. The Author who is infallible and NEVER wasteful did not intend for . . . "as the Scripture has said" to be an after thought in are awareness. It is quite possibly the pinnacle of this passage - as the Scriptures have commanded, that is how we are to believe. We as creation do not determine what belief will be - He has already detailed that plan for us, repeatedly and clearly in the Word of God. I think we in our Western religious arrogance have redefined this - "he who believes in Me" - to suit our liking. Our rewrite of the Word is quite carnal and fleshy in the writing - it pleases me and it pleases you. It is not too hard, nor too offensive, we write the sting out of the sacrifice of "belief in Me." Before I spin a web in which you no longer like me, I will stop myself and weave that web another day, in another post. It is of absolute necessity that we talk of this awful and damming rewrite but it demands far more then a simple paragraph. We will reconvene on the subject another now and the accountability is upon you and upon me to demand of ourselves that we look at this apparent after thought - "as the Scripture has said"- with far more intensity; for millions of eternities hang on this very Word - "as the Scripture has said."
______________
Living a life fully surrendered to Jesus (as the Scriptures have said . . .) allows the inner man, the spirit man to make melody unto the Lord and living waters flow as melodious tune and music moves as healing waters flow and a flesh, soul man becomes a spirit man. With every blow to the flesh, with every sacrificial way the river lows wider and stronger and swifter. With each moment of death to self the melody moves sweeter, the purity of the music masters the heart and soulish man looks much more like the image of the Jesus Man. As surrender to Christ's cross ways overwhelms the hourly cravings of self - the rivers of living melody flow freely from our heart's borders unto the land of the walking dead. But, while the music masters a sweet melodious way, we must fix our eyes on Truth - the sweetest music was wrought in the anguish. The crushing of self on our Christ's cross way, it is surely the Only Way.
Waters flow most freely from rivers pathed with purity - no impurities of self to block the water's way. For of our self is ALL impurity. That which you prize the most in you, is likely that which is your deepest impurity before the cross of Christ.
What is you admire most of you? And yes, we do admire the me and the you - in most of our conversation and much of our thought you will hear the hidden traces of self love. And that in which we admire the most of ourselves is often that which so profoundly impedes the flow of sweet melodious music and the swiftly passing living waters.
If you are a true follower of Christ, if you are fully surrendered to your Savior - note that I did not say if you attend church regularly, have a fish on your SUV, graduated from the seminary, post Scripture on your Facebook page, vote conservative, attend Bible studies, or have even read every book ever written by Beth Moore (truly! How many books must one woman write before we all just study the Word of God for ourselves?!)
None of the above determines whether you or I are a true follower of Christ.
Yet, if you are a follower of the Living Christ, then you have an inner man who has and is communing with the Spirit of God. And this spirit man knows in the most profoundest of ways the deep degradation of your soul and flesh man. Your spirit sits currently at the feet of Jesus, continually worshipping the God of heaven and earth - he KNOWS His goodness and your constant depravity. Our spirit man knows.
Your spirit man desires and loves to make melodies unto his Lord.
But, your soul and your flesh man wage war for control and vie for a constant say in what you will do and say.
Your spirit man lives under the beauty that is the flow of the living water but your flesh man silences him with an astounding amount of self - love. For there is no living waters in self nor lovely melodies in the carnal man.
Through materialism, narcissism, vanity, arrogance, pride, love of self, love of money, love of luxury, love of safety and comfort and on and on we silence the spirit man's flow.
And the walking dead do not hear your melodious tune to your glorious Maker.
They can not hear the music over the din and racket you raise about you.
It is time to silence the selfish, soul man and the silence comes only through crucifixion. Death to self and life to music wrought unto the Lord is that which He has commanded of us.
The walking dead desperately need to feel the flow of living waters from you. And me.
We dare not deepen their death through this continual din and racket of self.
For we will stand accountable.
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