The word of God moved into the neighborhood and begin to impact the world. This was what we saw in John 2 as Jesus began to manifest his divinity and authority through many signs and wonders, the first of which was the turning of water into wine. However, that miracle was a product of cooperation between divinity and humanity. This first miracle highlights the spiritual truth that the power of God actively responds to the faith of men. This is the general theme of the book of John that as many as received Him( the word) to them He gave the power to become the sons of God! However to spiritually receive from God one has to be spiritually attuned to God! This ability for spiritual reception is at the crux of the powerlessness we experienced as believers today.
To be spiritually perceptive one must first be spiritually receptive. There can be no spiritual discernment without spiritual alignment! I can't help but quote straight from 1 Corinthians 2.
||| For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. But the natural man receiveth, not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned |||
1 Corinthians 2:11-12, 14 KJV
The Psalmist said something similar even before Paul penned these great words:
||| Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me |||
Psalm 42:7 KJV
Spiritual signals can only be exchanged and transmitted on the same spiritual frequencies, only the deep can call to the deep.
The disciples who obeyed the ridiculous instruction of the master to bear water as wine somehow found themselves at the spiritual level where they could obey the master's instruction! They were spiritually aligned and hence they could experience the power of God!
John chapter 3 is about the great discourse that changed the world. It was about Jesus explaining to Nicodemus and to the rest of us who will read of this discourse, the plan of God for salvation. How God so loved the world and gave us His only begotten, Son. This chapter produced one of the most popular verses in scripture, a verse that is even known to many unbelievers, John 3:16.
The chapter may be divided into two sections:
(1) Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus (verses 1-10); and
(2) Jesus’ discourse on God’s plan of salvation (verses 11-21).
Also, this section on Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus may be divided into 3 sections:
(1) Nicodemus’ inquiry of Jesus (verses 1-3);
(2) Jesus’ insight into Nicodemus (verses 4-8);
(3) Jesus’ indictment of Nicodemus (verses 9-10).
There are so many spiritual truths to glean from this chapter but I can't help but reach the conclusion that this chapter, like many of the other chapters in the book of John, simply highlights the fact that there is always a spiritual disconnect where there is no spiritual alignment. And like I have stated from the beginning no spiritual signal can be exchanged between two different spiritual frequencies, deep can only call to deep.
For the most part, the book of John seems like a book of spiritual conflict and confrontation. Before John 3, there was that place in John 2 where Jesus talked about destroying the temple and rebuilding it in three days. The master was speaking at another level, spiritual, they were hearing from a lower level, the natural plane of things. And then we get to John 3 where another misunderstanding occurs as Jesus tried to explain to Nicodemus the importance of been born again. Yet again Nicodemus heard from a natural point of view, Jesus spoke from a spiritual perspective!
Again it happened in chapter 4 with water. Jesus was speaking about this living water that He was offering and the woman at the well was thinking He was offering her water that she could bring up and drink. So we have another confusion.
It happened again with food. The disciples thought He was speaking of literal food when He said, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” (John 4:32) He was speaking about the food, which is to do the will of the Father. We see it also about food in John 6 when they were confused about what He was saying. Again He was speaking on a spiritual level and they were taking Him on a literal level. In John 6 He says, “I am the bread of life.” They took it literally. He was speaking from a spiritual point This is not an accident.
About His departure, they wonder, "where is He going to? Does He know someplace where He can hide and we’re not going to find Him"? Jesus was referring to in John 7 and 8 about His departure to the Father. They were taking it as if He was going to hide literally.
It happened concerning His identity. They were confused and they stumbled in John 7, 8, and 10 about who He is. He was claiming to be something more than they could fully grasp. They were saying "who are you to make yourself as one who knows God in some special way"? He was claiming that the one who has seen Him has seen the Father "to hear Me is to hear Him- to believe in Me is to believe in Him- to obey Me is to obey Him- to reject Me is to reject Him"
Finally, there’s confusion even about death in John 11 concerning the issue of Lazarus. They thought Jesus was saying that he has merely fallen asleep. If he was asleep then someone would wake him up. But Jesus went further to say "Our friend Lazarus has died" Again this imagery. Why so much confusion?
I think part of the reasons John illustrates these, is that the natural mind can not accept, appreciate and grasp the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually received and appraised. And this is the problem we have in the body of Christ, we have a generation of believers who wants spiritual truths to make natural sense! and so when it doesn't make sense there is a conflict, an argument, a debate on the power of God! Some have even suggested that this generation X or whatever they call them must not be asked to believe in the power of God, but in what they can feel and touch. But the word of God is for all generations whether that generation is X or Y!
Those who want to relate with Christ with their senses will always get into spiritual conflict and argument with God! Those who want to comprehend Christ with their mind can never walk in the power of Christ! The power of Christ is available only to those who are willing to embrace the foolishness of the gospel - spiritual stuff that goes against the natural sense!
||| But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men |||
1 Corinthians 1:23-25 KJV
Click here to read full blog post: CHRISTOLOGY: A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF JOHN(JOHN 3: A SPIRITUAL ALIGNMENT WITH GOD)
To be spiritually perceptive one must first be spiritually receptive. There can be no spiritual discernment without spiritual alignment! I can't help but quote straight from 1 Corinthians 2.
||| For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. But the natural man receiveth, not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned |||
1 Corinthians 2:11-12, 14 KJV
The Psalmist said something similar even before Paul penned these great words:
||| Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me |||
Psalm 42:7 KJV
Spiritual signals can only be exchanged and transmitted on the same spiritual frequencies, only the deep can call to the deep.
The disciples who obeyed the ridiculous instruction of the master to bear water as wine somehow found themselves at the spiritual level where they could obey the master's instruction! They were spiritually aligned and hence they could experience the power of God!
John chapter 3 is about the great discourse that changed the world. It was about Jesus explaining to Nicodemus and to the rest of us who will read of this discourse, the plan of God for salvation. How God so loved the world and gave us His only begotten, Son. This chapter produced one of the most popular verses in scripture, a verse that is even known to many unbelievers, John 3:16.
The chapter may be divided into two sections:
(1) Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus (verses 1-10); and
(2) Jesus’ discourse on God’s plan of salvation (verses 11-21).
Also, this section on Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus may be divided into 3 sections:
(1) Nicodemus’ inquiry of Jesus (verses 1-3);
(2) Jesus’ insight into Nicodemus (verses 4-8);
(3) Jesus’ indictment of Nicodemus (verses 9-10).
There are so many spiritual truths to glean from this chapter but I can't help but reach the conclusion that this chapter, like many of the other chapters in the book of John, simply highlights the fact that there is always a spiritual disconnect where there is no spiritual alignment. And like I have stated from the beginning no spiritual signal can be exchanged between two different spiritual frequencies, deep can only call to deep.
For the most part, the book of John seems like a book of spiritual conflict and confrontation. Before John 3, there was that place in John 2 where Jesus talked about destroying the temple and rebuilding it in three days. The master was speaking at another level, spiritual, they were hearing from a lower level, the natural plane of things. And then we get to John 3 where another misunderstanding occurs as Jesus tried to explain to Nicodemus the importance of been born again. Yet again Nicodemus heard from a natural point of view, Jesus spoke from a spiritual perspective!
Again it happened in chapter 4 with water. Jesus was speaking about this living water that He was offering and the woman at the well was thinking He was offering her water that she could bring up and drink. So we have another confusion.
It happened again with food. The disciples thought He was speaking of literal food when He said, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” (John 4:32) He was speaking about the food, which is to do the will of the Father. We see it also about food in John 6 when they were confused about what He was saying. Again He was speaking on a spiritual level and they were taking Him on a literal level. In John 6 He says, “I am the bread of life.” They took it literally. He was speaking from a spiritual point This is not an accident.
About His departure, they wonder, "where is He going to? Does He know someplace where He can hide and we’re not going to find Him"? Jesus was referring to in John 7 and 8 about His departure to the Father. They were taking it as if He was going to hide literally.
It happened concerning His identity. They were confused and they stumbled in John 7, 8, and 10 about who He is. He was claiming to be something more than they could fully grasp. They were saying "who are you to make yourself as one who knows God in some special way"? He was claiming that the one who has seen Him has seen the Father "to hear Me is to hear Him- to believe in Me is to believe in Him- to obey Me is to obey Him- to reject Me is to reject Him"
Finally, there’s confusion even about death in John 11 concerning the issue of Lazarus. They thought Jesus was saying that he has merely fallen asleep. If he was asleep then someone would wake him up. But Jesus went further to say "Our friend Lazarus has died" Again this imagery. Why so much confusion?
I think part of the reasons John illustrates these, is that the natural mind can not accept, appreciate and grasp the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually received and appraised. And this is the problem we have in the body of Christ, we have a generation of believers who wants spiritual truths to make natural sense! and so when it doesn't make sense there is a conflict, an argument, a debate on the power of God! Some have even suggested that this generation X or whatever they call them must not be asked to believe in the power of God, but in what they can feel and touch. But the word of God is for all generations whether that generation is X or Y!
Those who want to relate with Christ with their senses will always get into spiritual conflict and argument with God! Those who want to comprehend Christ with their mind can never walk in the power of Christ! The power of Christ is available only to those who are willing to embrace the foolishness of the gospel - spiritual stuff that goes against the natural sense!
||| But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men |||
1 Corinthians 1:23-25 KJV
Click here to read full blog post: CHRISTOLOGY: A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF JOHN(JOHN 3: A SPIRITUAL ALIGNMENT WITH GOD)
