“My Spirit is without measure.”
Friday, 10 April 2020
It was Good Friday morning. I was preparing breakfast for my family and He spoke in my spirit, “My spirit is without measure. No one person can contain the fullness of My Spirit. That’s why I give in portion to My children. It’s like puzzle, each of you have the different pieces.”
And I understood what He’s saying. It’s a follow-up to what He said the previous week about the need for His children to be in unity.
He then told me that while this message is for all believers (all of His children), the ones that need to listen first to this message are the shepherds/ herdsmen. In other words, those who lead a church, a congregation, a ministry group. Because sadly, often those who fight are the shepherds, the herds normally just follow what the shepherds say and do. He reminded of the story where Abram’s shepherds and Lot’s shepherds are fighting:
And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle. (Genesis 13:7)
I pray that if you are reading this and you are a leader of His people, please hear what the Spirit has to say and do not harden your heart.
None of us has the full picture!
Hearing from God, whether through the Bible (that tops the list by the way, the Bible is Jesus in print, Ps. Bill Johnson likes to say. He will never contradict His Words, which is the Bible), or through Him speaking to us directly, audibly or often in our spirit, or through His prophets, requires humility and acknowledgement that He will never give us the full picture. We all know in part, and we prophesy in part (1 Cor 13:9).
I like how Ps. Steve Cioccolanti puts it, he likens reading the Bible to climbing a mountain. Depending on your location, you will see different things. The perspective we have will be different, even though we’re on the same mountain. Failing to recognise and accept this will cause us to think that what the other pastor or prophet or church congregation say is wrong, while actually they are not and we are not, we just simply hold different puzzle pieces of the same picture.
We are simply not able to contain the fullness of His Spirit. God has to put Moses in a cleft of a rock and cover him with His hand as He passes him by. And even after that Moses can only see His back, not His face (His face speaks about His glory)! We are limited because we still live in a limited house (I am talking about our body and mind) that simply cannot comprehend or contain Him in His fullness.
I experience this in my walk with God. Things that I know He wants me do, often I’m the one who get tired that I have to take a break, and it's almost as if the Holy Spirit has to wait until I am ready to run again. But unless I complete the task, I find no rest in my soul and spirit. The opposite is true, no matter how surreal this sounds, the moment I've completed the task, I just feel a complete total rest in my soul, spirit, and body.
Ask any God’s generals of the things that the Holy Spirit asks them do, the tasks often seem so big (which makes sense in a way they can only accomplish it by His power and grace), and they would find themselves operate beyond their maximum capacity that tires them out beyond their normal limits.
We are of the same Spirit and of ONE body
Let me just repeat it: none of us has the full picture!
God is clear about this in 1 Corinthians 12. He wrote not one or two verse about it, but a full chapter and more in the next chapter! (in case you say of the example Moses experience: “but that is in the Old Testament, we are in the New Testament now”. Well, let’s look at what God says then concerning this in the New Testament).
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which works all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit all.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit.
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.
But all these work that one and the same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.
For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit, we are all baptised into one body, whether you are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body: is it therefore not of the body?
And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?
If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
But now God has set the members every one of them in the body, as it has pleased Him.
And if they were all one member, where were the body?
But now are they many members, yet one body.
And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
No, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.
And those members of the body which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour, and our less elegant (uncomely) parts have more abundant elegance (comeliness).
For comely parts have no need: God has tempered (fused) the body together, having given more abundant honour to the part which lacked.
That there should be no gap in the body: but that the members should have the same care one for another.
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?
Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
But desire earnestly the best gifts: and yet I show unto you amore excellent way.
(1 Corinthians 12)
I don’t know how God can be clearer than that. God is talking about the church. He long foresaw that this will happen. He's not talking about a parable that requires layers and layers of interpretation. No, He's basically saying stop fighting, you all are members of the same body and you need each other!
I don't know how God can be clearer than that. God is talking about the church. He long foresaw that this will happen. He's not talking about a parable that requires layers and layers of interpretation. No. He's basically saying stop fighting, you are all members of the same body and you need each other!
Often I hear pastors’ teachings that are so complicated and I feel sorrow in my spirit. God is not playing games with us! He didn’t write the Bible one way only to mean a different way, as if we have to crack our tiny brain to understand. No. Jesus says even children can understand. The things of God are simple (I am not saying they are easy), but it requires not our physical ear, rather our spiritual ear, to comprehend what He's really saying. And our spiritual ear is our heart. The thing of God requires faith and obedience, and those are matters of the heart. Often our mind will play catch-up to what our heart receives. And get this, God only reveals when we believe. The more we believe, the more He reveals. This is how the Kingdom of God operates:
For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whosoever doesn’t have, from him shall be taken away even that he has. (Matthew 13:12)
It’s all about Jesus
There is only one Man whom He gives His Spirit without measure, and that is Jesus.
For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives unto him the Spirit without measure. (John 3:34)
Here, John the Baptist spoke about Jesus. Jesus is all man, but He is all God, that’s why He can contain the fullness of glory of God the Father. He and the Father are one (John 17:21). But God has given all power and authority to Jesus (Matthew 28:18) and God says that no other name shall be exalted but the name of Jesus:
Wherefore God has also highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)
We are members of the one body, and that is the body of Christ. It is God Himself who ordains every single of us in a particular calling and gift He has given to us. I often hear pastors and preachers teach 1 Corinthians 12 in the context of their own church, but can we have a bigger perspective here and see it the way God sees it? God only sees one body, and that is the body of Christ. Within this body are made up the different church organisations (for the lack of a better word) and ministries.
Pastors, leaders, and prophets, please remember that the church and the people you’re leading, they belong to Jesus. It is not about lifting up the brand of your church or your ministry, but it’s about being a faithful servant to the pure, unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ and whatever calling He has set for you. The Holy Spirit has given a certain portion of Himself to you, please recognise that. Stop fighting and throwing accusations to one another, insisting the revelation you receive is the ONLY truth. No, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Be in unity and listen to each other to get the full picture. The full picture can only be achieved if all of His children are united, where you can bring your respective puzzle pieces to the table.
For those who don’t believe in supernatural healing, how do you then explain cancers that got healed miraculously all over the world through the power of the Holy Spirit? The healing recipients can tell you their testimonies. Those who are super Pentecostal, where in the Bible that says there’s no need to read the Word anymore and everything is just based on what you hear "in the supernatural realm"?
No, God is the only One who has the right to decide how He wants to do it. Who are we to tell Him how to operate? Who are we to say that the gift of tongue only comes after we are baptised by the Holy Spirit? There are many who receive the gift of tongue before they receive the baptism of Fire. His Spirit is without measure, who are we to think we can comprehend God fully?
But if we are like little children and we care about Abba’s heart, He will give you the understanding beyond what you have. In real relationship, we care about what the other person cares about. Do you truly care about God? About what is in His heart? Because it's all about having a real, loving relationship with Him, not about getting something from Him although God is a good father and it is His nature to give! Ministries will go away one day when this world ends and His government reigns, but our relationship with Abba won't. We are called to love Him with all our hearts, soul, mind, strength. That's why Jesus says this is the most important commandment.
Maybe you used to do that but you’ve gotten so caught up in ministry that you abandoned your relationship with Him who called you in the first place. Go back to the place of worship, that secret place. Repent and humble yourself before Him. Abba allows this coronavirus crisis for His people to enter a divine sabbath because He is bringing us to a higher place. This is not the end of the world, the coronavirus crisis shall pass. But more perilous time is coming, so don’t waste this divine sabbath. Above any ministry or mission work, nothing is more important than our relationship with God the Father who loves us so much.
Stop fighting and start caring for the other members of His body. Listen to what God revealed to them, instead of judging them. Ask God then to reveal more, because He will.
This is the "more excellent way" that He speaks about in verse 31, which is love. We are called to love: love God, love our brothers and sisters, and love those who are not yet saved.
He who has ear to listen, let him listen. Amen