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Operating in the Supernatural
Although you
might not expect it, a very good way to begin a study of the supernatural is by taking a
look at the Earth.
The Earth is
Not Wicked
The earth
is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Psalm
24:1
Whatsoever
is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: For the earth
is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof. 1 Corinthians 10:25, 26
- Paul is not willing to surrender anything to the ungodly.
The term ‘fulness thereof’ is
not the best rendering of this verse. A better translation of it would be, “The earth
is the Lord’s, and everything it is crammed full of.”
Give no
Ground
And God
blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth,
and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given
you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in
the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every
beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon
the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening
and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:28
All But Sin
Everything
except sin is to be received with thanksgiving.
But if
any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that
showed it, and for conscience’ sake; for the earth is the Lord’s, and the
fulness thereof—Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my
liberty judged of another man’s conscience? For if I by grace be a partaker,
why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?
1 Corinthians 10:28-30
Although the
immediate context is food, the principle is readily applied to a wide variety of pursuits,
activities and pleasures that more legalistic souls seek to ban.
- The earth and all it contains is the Lord’s;
Psalm 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26
- Christians are directed to receive all things with
gladness, including the produce of the land and the city;
1 Timothy 4:1-7
- Christians are free to enjoy all that is true and lovely,
gracious and excellent, honorable and worthy;
Philippians 4:8
In view of
the foregoing, any attempt to distinguish between sacred and secular is pointless.
Since these
things are all God’s then they are all sacred, whether produced by godly or ungodly
hands.
All that God
gives me, either by his own hand or by the hand of men, is sanctified by my faith and by
my thanksgiving.
Therefore
let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or
the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye
are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23
God has given us his world to enjoy; all things in it are ours
Whatever is
a proper part of the human experience should be enjoyed by the Christian with pleasure far
above anything the ungodly know.
- The Bible allows far more than it forbids, despite the
attempts of some to reverse this principle.
Charge
them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain
riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1 Timothy 6:17
We are to
dwell in this bounty, wisely selecting from life that which is helpful, profitable, and
beneficial to God, our neighbors, and ourselves.
But these
criteria may lead you to:
- a novel as easily as to the Bible
- a party as easily as prayer
- a concert as easily as a hymn
- a film as easily as to church
- play as easily as fasting
- to serve God through the secular as easily as through the
sacred.
Examples
Mothers
Spouse
Bruce is a
mechanic
The Failure
of Forced Righteousness
Loss of zeal
Loss of joy
Loss of faith
The Other
Guideline
Rather than
forced righteousness (legalism) there is another guideline for our lives.
All
things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me,
but all things edify not. 1 Corinthians 10:23
Let no
man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth. 1 Corinthians 10:24
All
things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me,
but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1 Corinthians 6:12
For all
seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. Philippians 2:21
Paul
is Very Bold
All things
are lawful for me.
There are
not many exclusions here! He takes it for granted that things sinful and corrupt are
omitted.
Expect God
to Use You in The Supernatural
Why Have we
Not Seen More of The Supernatural?
The biggest
reason we have not seen more of the supernatural in our lives is because, like the words
of the song, we have been “looking for the supernatural in all the wrong
places.” God wants you founded in the word!
Not in
The Man
The man can
fail, but God’s word cannot fail.
Your
judgment, without the foundation of God’s word, will be based either on emotion or on
ability!
Not in
The Message
The message
can be wrong or misunderstood!
Your
judgment, apart from God’s word, will be based upon your reason alone!
Not in
The Method
God’s
methods are continually changing!
Your
judgment, without the guidance of Scripture, will be based upon past actions!
Your
faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God! 1 Corinthians 2:5
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16
What
Does it Mean to Operate in The Supernatural?
Supernatural
is defined as:
An order of
existence beyond the visible, observable universe; a departing from what is usual or
normal, especially so as to appear to transcend the laws of nature.
You are a
supernatural being; operating in (not with) the supernatural power of God!
Mark
16:15-18
This is
prior to Pentecost…shall follow… It does not say, “These sign shall follow
those who:
- Are translated to where they need to be.
- Are clothed in brilliant white light.
- Hear God speaking to them through “miracle
headphones.”
- Never, ever do anything wrong.
Luke 4:18, 19
These things
are all supernatural.
1
Thessalonians 1:5-8
Not words
only, but also deeds.
The
supernatural is not some deep, dark, secret place that only a few are granted a glimpse
of!
The
supernatural is supposed to be natural for believers to operate in!
God wants to
use you naturally to operate in the supernatural!
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