Why It's Important to REALLY KNOW GOD In the Middle of This World Chaos!

I continue to be concerned about the number of Christians who seek to know God through others. By that, I mean I get a lot of questions from earnest Seekers who truly want to know how to traverse this world according to God's will. They will ask, "How do you know what to do" in a particular situation. Or, they might play the devil's advocate, and say, "How do you answer a person if they question the validity of your Biblical argument or explanation on an important issue"?

First of all, I always make it clear that no one should take my answer or position for their truth. They should study and research on their own, coming to their own conclusions according to what the Holy Spirit reveals, or what God is telling them. And there lies the essence of their struggle and their uncertainty. They don't really know God. And, please don't misunderstand ... I am not judging anyone. In fact, I continually pray for the Body of Christ that they will seek to know Him!

I am also not questioning their Salvation! These people have faith in Jesus as the Son of God, as their Lord and Savior, and as their Redeemer. They believe in Him and what He bought for them on the Cross. They trust that He has forgiven their sins, and they profess His Name out loud. It is just my opinion that too many of them don't KNOW HIM!

Why have I come to that conclusion? I believe that the Western Church (in the last few hundred years) has undergone a gradual process of transformation. We tend to seek our answers and solutions to life's problems from others [Pastor's, Church leaders, Prophets, Elders, friends in the Church, etc.) instead of going straight to the Source of everything. When you don't know that Source, then you end up asking others for their opinions and relying on whether or not you agree with their thinking. Or you depend on how these other opinions or theories make you feel. The problem is, you end up acting out of your soul (your mind, your emotions/feelings, and your free will) to choose which one you will accept as your answer. 

We need to remember that we are made in God's image, not other men's. That means we are primarily a spiritual being, not a soul being. But I honestly don't think the Body of Christ sees themselves in that manner. And if you were created as a spirit being first, and God [who is Spirit] has known you since before the foundations of the world, and before He formed you in your mother's womb, don't you think it would be wise for you to get to know Him through your spirit connection? Shouldn't that be the Being that you seek counsel from?

All that being said, don't get me wrong ... as you mature in your faith and you begin getting to really know God [which I will explain in a moment], He will send people to you that your spirit will discern are reliable and good spokesmen and women to teach and guide you into gaining more experiential knowledge about God. That means you will grow in your knowledge of God by experiencing Him and observing Him -- not by simply adopting someone else's experiences or self-knowledge. 

So, when it comes to knowing God, we must understand that there is a big difference between the "natural" man [known as a "human"] and the "spiritual" man. The best explanation I have ever heard comes from the late Dr. Myles Munroe, whom my spirit discerns knew God at a very high level. Which is why the Enemy took him, his wife, and his entire ministry team out of this world in a tragic airplane crash. Satan couldn't have him teaching the rest of us to know God. But before he died, Dr. Munroe educated so many about seeking the knowledge of God. I'd like to share one of his most profound teachings on what it means to be a human ...

He presented this question: "What is a human"? He went on to express this: "What I am about to explain to you is probably the most important discovery of your life. And it's this ... You don't have a spirit"! [Let me tell you, when I first heard him say that, I was blown away! What did he mean]? After a long pause, he continued, ... "You ARE a spirit! But you live in a dirt body. God carved your body from the dust. So your body is 100% dirt. That is why when you leave your body, we dump it back into the dirt. Whether your dirt is dark, light, yellow, red, or brown, it's nothing but dirt. So don't ever measure your worth by your dirt. A human is a spirit being in a dirt body. Let me explain how this works ... the word humus is the word for dirt. Humus is dirt! Man is different! Man is the spirit being. The Hebrew word for "Man" is ISH. So in the Book of Genesis when God said, 'Let Us make man', He used the word ISH... 'Let Us create (ISH) in our image'; that is, as a Spirit being. So you are a spirit. Man is a Spirit being -- his body is humus [dirt]... 'then God took the man and put him in the dirt [the humus]'. So, you then became known as a humus man. We don't write it with the two words, but we put the two words together, dropping the middle syllable, and become a HUMAN". 

Dr. Munroe went on: "So, when you use the term human, it is not a simple term; it means a combination of a spirit and a dirt body. So, when God created the Human race, He put the spirit being in the dirt body. Then God said, 'Let them have dominion over the earth'. Them who? Humans! What is a Human? A spirit in a dirt body. [And this is very important that you understand] ... The only being that has a legal right on the earth to function [to fulfill or operate for a specific purpose, given by God] to dominate the earth, is a spirit in a dirt body! 

God's Word can never change! So here is the mystery ... Any spirit without a dirt body is illegal on earth!! Now that is why you don't understand the Bible too well. Because if you don't understand this concept, the Bible will not make sense to you; including the incarnation of Jesus Christ". Thank you, Dr. Munroe, for giving us your wisdom! [SIDE NOTE: Did you get that? A spirit without a dirt body is a demon, and they do not have any legal authority or dominion on the earth. Jesus showed us that when He came the first time, and cast them out of the people they were tormenting. But they are always looking for a body to occupy. SO, if a person willingly invites them in, that is a legal transaction, and can lead to possession. It's important that you know that, and understand the legal and spiritual mechanics of God's supernatural laws. 

Now that I hope you have a greater understanding of who you are, I also hope that you are eager to seek to know Him at a higher level. And how do you get to know someone? You spend time with them; engage in conversations with them; ask genuine questions; stay present with them; be honest; actively listen to hear what they have to say. God is no different! He wants you to spend time with Him; whether reading His Word or just talking to Him. If you put in the time and effort,  He will show you who He is and what He is like. That's called Revelation, and why I'm always talking about "connecting the dots" in the Bible. If I just read the Bible, consecutive chapter after consecutive chapter, and never seek more revelation by letting the Holy Spirit point me to another substantiating verse that paints a bigger picture of what God is trying to convey to me, I will never gain more knowledge at a higher level. It takes time and effort; a willingness and a desire to know Him deeper and more authentically!        

I can hear some of you asking, "But how do I know I am hearing His voice"? If you are truly spending time in honest conversations and serious discussions, then you will receive the answers you are seeking. The way I describe how my conversations with God go, it's like this: the answer I get is either my own voice, which I should easily recognize because it's just repeating what I've been saying to myself -- or it's the devil's voice, which should be easy to discern because the answer will be wicked,  unrighteous, or leading you away from the answer you're seeking; and sound nothing like what you or God would say -- OR it will be a thought and answer that is new to you, and gives you the answer that solves your dilemma. The more time you spend with Him, the more obvious it will be that you're hearing from Him! Remember, Jesus said, My sheep hear My Voice. I know them, and they follow Me.   That's not just a cute euphemism; it is meant to be taken literally.

And notice that Jesus says, I know them. In order to be considered a true friendship and relationship, it takes two parties, each of whom knows the other... two Spirit beings who are connected by hearts and experiences in this world. Jesus already knows you -- He created you! So, if our Father in Heaven chooses to delay Jesus's return for awhile longer [according to His will and timetable], then it will become more important than ever for you to KNOW Jesus -- to hear His voice and receive instructions on how to navigate the times we are living in. 

Jesus modeled that for us. He lived as a Human (a Spirit being in a dirt body) in tumultuous and dangerous times, but He knew the Father -- He spent time with Him; talked to Him; the Scriptures had been revealed to Him; and He asked the Father what to say and do, and then followed what He heard and what was shown to Him. That is why He was able to carry out His assignment and purpose. He didn't rely on his own knowledge. Nor did He only rely on the opinions of others. He went to God, and through the experiential knowledge He gained in their relationship, He knew what to do and how to take dominion in His life and on the earth. We've been given that same opportunity and ability. It's up to each of us. How important is it to you?  IT'S TIME TO KNOW OUR GOD!  

1 John 4:6.    We [who teach God's Word] are from God [energized by the Holy Spirit], and whoever knows God [through personal experience] listens to us [and has a deeper understanding of Him]. Whoever is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know [without any doubt] the spirit of truth [motivated by God] and the spirit of error [motivated by Satan].   

What's In Store For Those Who (Truly) Know the Lord

I've been pretty open about my spiritual life. Within that sphere, I am concentrating on being prepared for whatever the near future brings to our nation, and to reach as many people as I can so they know who they are in the Lord. It is important to me that they, too, will be ready to persevere and endure. But it's more than having a "prepper mindset" and knowing how to survive under adverse conditions; although that is of utmost importance, practically speaking. After all, we are still in the world and this fleshly body needs taking care of. And it's more than having head knowledge of the Word. Yes, we should all read the Bible and know what the Word says. But, this is more about having a true and full knowledge of the Lord that comes from experiencing Him through the illumination and revelation of the Holy Spirit.

I write this post from a heart that has seen people seeking knowledge out of a sense of feeling lost in the world and not possessing the true knowledge of who they are in Christ. They are earnestly seeking contentment, identity, purpose, and security from which to successfully traverse the pitfalls that life has thrown at them. They are seeking that bit of knowledge that will help them put all the puzzle pieces of their life into a meaningful and recognizable picture. While I understand that "knowing" God is the component they're missing, and I truly want to see everyone seek Him, I'm aware that it is a free will choice to both, make the decision to want to seek after Him, as well as choosing to receive the invitation when He offers it. My primary focus, today, is on those who have made the decision to accept Him; who want more of Him, but have become dissatisfied with their progress, or lack thereof. 

Because we, as a nation, have slowly drifted away from a God-centered society, people are floundering on their own, looking for something they can't even identify. They don't know how to walk in the way of the Lord, because the fundamentals of personal integrity, moral courage, and honorable character are no longer spoken of as desirable traits. Yet the human spirit hungers for meaning and purpose in our individual lives. 

I have heard the testimony of an Army chaplain, telling me that new recruits would slip out of his Bible study classes to attend the Muslim lessons, or the classes led by Wiccans, because "they are more exciting than what the Bible teaches". And my husband and I have ministered to both young and old who express a curiosity for truth and wisdom, but don't know how to find it. They have not met the Holy Spirit in the Bible, so they have experimented with the occult, other religions, and sought knowledge from a variety of theological perspectives. They come close in their explanations of their belief systems; seeking a "oneness" with their perception of God, but oftentimes coming away disappointed with what they deem hypocrisy, and ending up with a convoluted self-created idea of what constitutes the true knowledge of God.

And I suspect that God has been pretty frustrated, Himself, ever since Adam and Eve didn't follow His instructions for receiving all the knowledge they would need to live beautiful and fulfilled lives. In the Garden, they were forbidden to eat of the tree whose fruit (if eaten) would have allowed them to experience Evil. They already had the knowledge of Good through their experiences with God. In the Garden, we get a pretty good picture of what true [and pure, unmitigated] knowledge is all about -- a life that is lived experiencing God as He reveals Himself through your journey on this earth.

And how does He reveal Himself? It is through His precepts and commandments as well as His promises. As we live and experience life with Him, we see His virtue and the lessons Jesus taught [in action]. We receive the fulfillment of His promises, and our heart and spirit recognize Him through the experience. But it takes a pure heart -- one that is clean and upright -- to properly discern that it comes from God, and no other. That is true knowledge of the Lord; a spiritual connection that recognizes the Source of the experience which results in an intimate, personal relationship. 

But I want to give a word of caution ... I am also seeing a rise in the age-old religious idea of Gnosticism. This is a belief system that emphasizes the seeking of personal spiritual knowledge above the teachings and authority of the Bible or traditional religious organizations. It is also characterized by the belief that matter [man] is inherently evil and anything spiritual is good. Gnostics claim that "salvation is gained through the acquisition of divine knowledge which frees one from the illusions of darkness''. But nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus never claimed that salvation came through knowledge, but by faith in Him as our Savior and Deliverer from sin. 

I think this nation opened the door to this corrupted view of the knowledge of God when we removed Him from our society. Every effort to remove God from the classroom, the courtroom, and the town square only served to diminish the true knowledge of Him. It has allowed the Enemy to substitute false and corrupted indoctrination in its place. And I fear that has led to a lack of trust in the One True God from which all divine wisdom and understanding flow. If our generations have been fed lies about what constitutes God's Truth, and they have no experience with God, it will be easy for them to create their own definition of what it means to "know the Lord". What you get is a human and emotional interpretation that calls the Bible's revelation into question and declares that a person has received special wisdom and revelation by his own efforts. 

So, let me answer the implied question in my title of today's post. For those who have sought the Lord in order to truly know Him, we understand that it is the Lord who will give us wisdom to navigate the coming storm. He will speak through the Holy Spirit -- from Spirit to our spirit -- guiding and leading us each step of the way through the minefield of Evil that is seeking to destroy us. We don't know exactly what it will look like, but if history and Jesus's words in Matthew 24 are any indication, then war, famine, plagues and persecution may not be far away. As Adam and Eve learned, when man rebels against God's instruction, judgment will be the price we pay.

But we also have God's promises, and Proverbs 2 offers us the hope that our souls will so desperately need. Read and mediate upon the promise of God's grace that the true knowledge of Him can bring us...

My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, so that your ear is attentive to [skillful and godly] wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding it [seeking it conscientiously and striving for it eagerly];

Yes, if you cry out for insight, and lift up your voice for understanding; If you seek skillful and godly wisdom as you would silver and search for her as you would hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] and discover the knowledge of God.

[Here is what is in store for us:]

For the Lord gives [skillful and godly] wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores away sound wisdom for the righteous [those who are in right standing with Him]; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity [those of honorable character and moral courage],

He guards the paths of justice; And He preserves the way of His saints (believers). Then you will understand righteousness and justice [in every circumstance] and integrity and every good path. For [skillful and godly] wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Discretion will watch over you, Understanding and discernment will guard you, to keep you from the way of evil and the evil man, From the man who speaks perverse things; From those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness; Who find joy in doing evil and delight in the perversity of evil, Whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways;

And here is the promise that we can cling to when we are tempted to despair:

So you will walk in the way of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright [those who are in right standing with God] will live in the land and those [of integrity] who are blameless [in God’s sight] will remain in it; 

But the wicked will be cut off from the land and the treacherous shall be [forcibly] uprooted and removed from it. 

Have no fear of the future. Seek true knowledge of the Lord, born from experience and the counsel of the Holy Spirit. Do not lean on your own understanding, but learn of Him through experiencing Him in intimacy and trust. He will not let you down. There are no promises that it will be easy and without suffering. But the journey of experiencing and knowing our Lord is so worth it!

Proverbs 9:10    The [reverent] fear of the Lord [worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence], And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight.