Dear Ones:
Christianity is just another religion, unless there is the intervention of God in the life, family, church…nation. When God told Moses that He would not go up in the midst of Israel because of her rebelliousness, He meant in part that there would not be the manifest presence, the manifest blessing, which was the distinguishing mark of God’s people. The witness was not in their “confession,” but in His revelation.
Again, when Israel was very low spiritually, and “…the word of the Lord was precious (rare) in those days; there was no open (frequent) vision.” (1 Sam. 3:1), there was no distinguishing factor of His manifest presence. But when Samuel came on the scene that changed. “And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord REVEALED Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.” (1 Sam. 3:21)
When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians, he spoke frequently of “revelation.” In speaking of receiving the Gospel, he said that he was not taught it, nor received it by man, “…but by the REVELATION of Jesus Christ.” (Gal. 1:12). With regard to his conversion, and the Holy Spirit coming to dwell in his heart, again he would write: “…When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to REVEAL His Son in me, that I might preach Him…” (v.15-16) Lastly, with regard to being led by the Spirit, he would write: “…And I went up (to Jerusalem) by REVELATION…” (Gal. 2:2) The point here, as in the case of Samuel, is that God reveals Himself by the Spirit, in and through the word of God. He not only opens up the meaning of the truth to us, but reveals how that truth applies. But perhaps the point that changes us more than any other is that He reveals Himself in the heart…”Christ IN you, the hope of glory.” There is, in the knowledge of His indwelling, all that we need for life and godliness…all is IN Christ, and we are IN Him.
So, let us pray as the Apostle prayed, that God would give to us individually, that “…Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him…” It is then that the heavenly comes to earth, and the reality of His presence begins to be unveiled. It is in the very manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit, the fruits of Christ’s life, that the revelation is given to the church to edify her, and to the world, as a witness to the fact that God does indeed dwell among men, even in their hearts. Our God is the God of revelation, personal, powerful, and present.
Love, Dad