February 24, 2017 – Past the Surface

Having More Than You Know

All babies born into this world do not understand the surroundings in which they have been placed. The older ones look into their faces of purity seeing the complete emptiness of any corruption of this world in them. We tickle them to hear their free unrestricted laughter. We expose them to things to make their face light up with free joy. As the baby grows maintaining of innocence and the understanding is preserved pure. The toddler does not know the financial status of being poor, middle or rich class. They just continue their laughter, crying, and desire of attention. They don’t know boundaries to the color of their skin. They see other children and they innocently want to play.

Babies and little children don’t seem to have much to offer. They cannot add financial support daily to the family. They cannot do chores until they get older and stronger. They are completed reliant upon the older ones around them to take care of them. Image a baby or a small child you may know. When you look at them there is not much physically they can offer. They have given more to you than you know. It is not a gift you can physically touch. It is their innocent laughter you behold that sends healing inside you to your spirit. You find yourself smiling and laughing with them while it is working like a medicine (Prov. 17:22) on a tired and worn out soul. When the baby or toddler wraps its little arms around you squeezing the purity of their love. It is sending into your spirit freedom of pure love that the tainted world will never give. Babies and toddlers they give not in the physical, but in the spiritual. They do not know what they are giving you with complete understanding. They just know they want to do it. They give the same no matter the class of their home. If the house is poor, middle, or rich class the baby gives the same.

The toddler or a little child does not realize their clothes and shoes are a sign to others they are poor, middle, or rich class. They may not even realize if a neighborhood kid says, “hey, that was my shirt” that it was given to them as a pass-me-down shirt. Toddlers or a little child will not know if they ask for the last piece of meat at supper time that it was the last piece of meat in the house. Their having no knowledge of the ways of the world give more to the older ones than most would realize. The older ones see that they cannot go back and so they live a few moments in spirit with the baby, toddler, or little child. The child gives them a few moments of escape from the hardness of the adult world.

As the child grows older the discovery of differences come to light inside their innocent minds transforming slowly over to the older ones world. Their little minds are storing things with understandings pushing them forward into the reality of this world. They begin slowly leaving the innocence and start approaching the age of accountability. Their experiences and discoveries still have that unseen impact on those around them that knows them and loves them. The invisible giving of laughter, sadness, love, hate, giving, selfishness, … still seeps into the spirit of others around them.

They discover other kids who are faster/slower than them, stronger/weaker than them, nicer/meaner than them, poorer/richer than them, handsome/prettier than them, shorter/taller than them. Questions flood their minds about others, themselves, their family, the importance of life, what are they suppose to be, what good are they, and on the continue. Their mind, heart, and soul become a storage unit of love, hate, joy, sadness, peace, war, kindness, anger, goodness, evil, faithful, undependable, gentleness, roughness, self-control, out of control, sharing, selfishness, purity, impurity, clean thoughts, dirty thoughts, healthiness, drugs, players, instigators… The weight of the world rides upon the older you get like a packed mule you see in a western movie.

“Having More Than You Know” makes a person think about “Having…” as in possessing. What is it you possess? What do you have? Depending on the aged person you ask this question you will get a variety of answers. A little child may answer with “I have mommy and daddy and a brother, sister, aunt,uncle, grandma…” An older child may answer, “I have a bike, Xbox/Play Station, doll house, a dog/cat, turtle/fish, dirt bike…“. A young adult may answer, “car/truck, motorcycle, Apple/Android phone, guitar/piano, TV…“. An adult may answer with “house, boat, cabin, land, power tools, business,…“.

Adulthood is the level where people are categorized by their class of poor, middle or rich. The abilities to give are weighed by most according the class level, the resources, or who you know. People pass judgment based on the material things of this world. The importance is highly placed upon what a person accumulates to themselves.

“Having More Than You Know” is not about the clothes, shoes, bikes, guns, cars, boats, houses, land, businesses, and other physical things you can name. Your value is not based on physical possessions. You have things like a baby that is not based or valued on poor, middle, or rich class you are placed in by this world. You have heard someone say after a car accident that the vehicle can be replaced, you cannot be replaced? What makes you special in “Having More Than You Know” comes from what you were born possessing like a unique personality, way of thinking, and methods of actions.

There is no baby born into this world that God does not know about or He would not be God. No child is born into a situation God is not aware of or He would not be God. Everyone is born with a purpose or a plan.

I know you are heading down that road of thinking about bad situations of why God would allow a baby to born into that horrible atmosphere. This summons up the bad, evil, horrible, ugliness of this world. God gave us total control over all the earth – responsibility on us. We gave control over to a fallen angel giving him the power over the earth. He became mankind’s master and the earth was his to do what he wanted. The fallen angel brought death, hell, the grave, disease, evil, horrible, and ugliness upon all the earth including us – not God. Now, you’re thinking “why did God allow it?” The number one thing with God has always been the freedom of choice. He will not override freedom of choice. Every baby born into this world God has a plan for that child, but freedom of choice inside that child is up to them no matter the atmosphere they are born into even if it is at the level they have no control over their physical body. They do have control over their spirit inside their body. God said do not be afraid of those who kill the body because after that there is nothing else they can do – this is as far as they can go, but fear him who after the body has been killed has the authority to throw you into hell (Lu. 12:4, 5), which is known as the second death of eternity. It is worse upon people who harm children in God’s eyes (Mtt. 18:6, 10, 14). He can punish in a way no one else can.

Now, back to there is no baby born into this world that God does not know about or He would not be God. No child is born into a situation God is not aware of or He would not be God. Everyone is born with a purpose or a plan. Everyone has “.More Than You Know” to give than most people would realize. God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jer. 1:5). Predestination is what most people start thinking when they read this that we are all born predestinated to be evil or good and nothing can change it. This takes us back to the number one things with God is “freedom of choice”. He knew Jeremiah before he was born into this world and the expectations He had of him, but after being born into this world Jeremiah still had the choice of saying no to God. A person making the freedom of choice of saying, no to God’s purpose and plan will not stop the plan of God from going forward. Your decision decides where you will spend eternity after you die in your body of this world. Good people or bad people can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth (2 Cor. 13:8). The bad will be converted into help fulfill and the good will continue to flow with fulfilling God’s plan.

This opens more understanding to “Having More Than You Know” inside of you than you realize and others. You will help contribute to God’s plan whether you want to or not. Your choice does not affect His overall plan only you individually. This is why Solomon said in Eccl. 9:11 that the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Remember from a baby to adulthood we store in our unit all these things of the swift, strong, wise, brilliant, and favored of the different classes of poor, middle, and rich in this world. It comes down not to your class, but using what you have inside you at the right time and with the right opportunity.

“Having More Than You Know” is all about what is inside for you to released to the world. Jeremiah had something inside given to him to release to the world if he wanted that choice. Pharaoh was born with a purpose. God knew Pharaoh’s thoughts and the intents of his heart. God knew no matter what signs, wonders, and opportunities He would show Pharaoh that Pharaoh’s choice would be against God. God took Pharaoh’s hardness and showed the world you can nothing against the truth, but for the truth. Pharaoh made the choice that God is not who He says He is and wanted to prove it, but the end result was seeing the power and mercy of God at work. The disciples were in jail for preaching Jesus is the Messiah, water baptism in Jesus name and the in-filling of the Holy Ghost. A man stood in the middle of their discussion on what to do with the disciples. The man said some time ago a person claimed to be somebody, raised up 400 hundred followers, was killed, and his followers dispersed coming to nothing. Another man after him rose up, led a band of people to revolt, was killed, and all the followers scattered. I advise to leave these men alone for if their purpose is of human origin, it will fail, but if it is from God you will not be able to stop these men. You will only find yourselves fighting against God (Acts 5:34-38). The words of this man came from inside of himself out to the ears of those who wanted death for the disciples. He “Having More Than You Know” inside his mind, heart, and soul came out to bless more people than inside that room and outside. It is not only the physical possessions you have that defines what you can give, but also what you have inside that knows no limit in God.

The older you get the more you realize the material things of this world cannot help the ones you love, and the innocents you see in the news. All the money and powers of the world cannot stop death, all diseases, and suffering. I want to call on the “Having More Than You Know” to step into the battle because you can do nothing against Him, but for Him.

A man was born lame and had to be carried everywhere. To help with the financial needs he was carried to the gate of the church. He was there everyday begging from those walking into the church. He saw Peter and John getting ready to into the church and the lame asked them for money. Peter and John stopped and faced him. The lame man must have been looking quickly at others passing for Peter and John said to him “look at us”. The lame man stopped scanning for others and looked at them expecting to get what he had always got from others going into the church. While he was locked onto their faces Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk”. You may not be rich in this world and feel helpless, but there is something you can have in your life to call upon in times of need and something will happen for the truth no matter what is against the truth. Peter taking the man by the hand helped him up and he was healed instantly (Acts 3:2-8). If you don’t have God in your life it is easy to receive Him because He wants to be in your life more than you realize.

Not everything in this life will go the way you want it to go because there is a bigger plan in place than yours, but getting inside the flow of the plan of God assures “Having More Than You Know” working inside of you irregardless of how the world judges you.

A Better Way

Gifted people see things from a different angle than most people. They become frustrated when they try to help and no one will listen. I imagine our history of inventors were thought to be crazy, yet we have electricity powering our homes, our work places, our cars, our hospitals, our schools, and almost anything else you can think of. In the present day there are all kinds of things being invented and added to the usage of society. “A Better Way” is not always received. The resistance to trying something different and new is still rejected on all levels. Improving and going higher than you have before would it not take testing “A Better Way“? Jesus was looked upon by many people as trying to change their Bible of the Old Testament and presenting his own personal “A Better Way“, but it was the opposite he was making the Old Testament whole and complete.

What stops us and prevents us from being better and not settling for less in life? Why are there some limits on things that are good? Most children are told they can be anything they want to be. As we become older and lived a little while a different reality hits us in the face resisting our dreams. We get up daily to things visible and seemingly invisible resisting the desire of testing “A Better Way“.

A new way of doing something is contrary to what most have developed as a traditional way of doing things. These types of traditions carries with them the “my way or the highway” attitude. There are two kinds of traditions that one is visible and the other is invisible. Tradition is defined as customs or beliefs passed on from generation to generation. I know you have immediately thought of the customs or beliefs you have run into or may have run into you. Does passing on something make it 100% true? There are some people who are so closed-minded that air cannot get in like the walking dead and on the other side some people are so open-minded their brains are falling out. A good balance of the two is a worthy goal. Having the ability to be strong-minded on guaranteed things and open-minded to things that could improve is a rare thing in today’s society. Even the guaranteed should have no fear of being faced with questions.

The quickest way to uncover or reveal the invisible traditions in people is simply found out by questions. Traditional ways can be inward on an individual or can be imposed outward on others. Over the years you have put your faith into something and found out later it was not what you thought it was. Questions will expose what is hidden underneath most things. If something is truly sound and appears to be traditional then questions will not harm it because it is sound through and through. If someone presents something that they claim is “A Better Way” there should be no fear of looking into it. If fear and doubt pops up inside of you because of questions then it is a signal to you to re-examine what you are counting as a sound traditional way of doing things. It will only make you better and set you on a path of “A Better Way“.

My life is full of memories from childhood to adulthood of asking questions and seeing the same facial reaction over and over. The face of shock “I don’t know” the answer, but I will proceed forward with an answer that will attempt to keep me with the appearance of “I do know“. The face of anger “that’s the way it has always been” and “the way it will always be“. The face of honesty “I don’t know” and the body language of “I’m not going to find out because I am going to go on with life doing things the same old way that I have always done“. The face of authority “it is this way because I said so” with the body language of “I don’t care to even attempt to find out or change“. Are you satisfied with these answers or do you want to keep pressing and find “A Better Way“?

I have seen people falling into the same old traps and pot holes in their road of life whether it is drugs, alcohol, religions, and relationships. Outwardly we may be stuck with some of this world’s physical traditions in place, but we are not imprisoned with our inward spiritual places. In the younger years all people go through that “I know everything” and “you can’t tell me anything I don’t already know“. A person who is growing past the loops or circles of traps, pot holes, and mistakes is a person who is finding “A Better Way” to face their next day. The older a person gets the deeper the levels they can reach by listening to the possible “A Better Way” of doing things or thinking about things. Are you tired of going round and round with some things in your life? Have you reached out to there has to be “A Better Way“? Do you want truth?

There was a small town with only a few people in it. They lived their lives daily doing as any other small town would do to live and survive. The small town was a special place. A powerful King took a look at this small town with the desire of taking it by force. The powerful king brought in his armies surrounding the small town. The powerful king built huge walls of fortifications against the small town. I can see from within this town in every direction on the outside of town these walls of protection for the soldiers and no way of escape. The picture of doom looms in their mind. A powerful rich king with all the resources a small town could not compete with and a bad ending in sight. The mystery to the story is a poor man in the small town stepped forth with “A Better Way” for the town to survive. The mystery is this poor man’s idea full of wisdom protecting the women, children and the entire small town saved them all from the powerful king with all his armies, walls of fortifications is not revealed. His idea of saving the small town is unknown, yet the people of that town owe him their lives and their families lives. His words saved them. The sad part of the story is the poor man whose idea of “A Better Way” saved them was forgotten and even despised. His words were no longer heard after saving the town (Ecc. 9:14-16). “A Better Way” suggested to any of us would be wise on our part to look into it with an open mind and a serious conclusion. We may find ourselves inside a loop or circle ever-growing, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth as was predicted in these last days (2 Tim 3:7). I find myself wanting to hear completely the surface of the words and past the surface of the words. I want to see the surface of things and past the surface of things. Would you like to be whole?

We encounter people every day that we pass judgment upon or at least categorize them inside our minds. Smart, average, and simple are just a few kind words used to categorize people. I know we all have heard different terms identifying people’s intelligence. No matter what category you may fit in true intelligence comes from not repeating the same mistake over and over like the loop or circle mentioned earlier, but learning “A Better Way“. God in the beginning showed Adam and Eve “A Better Way” to live their lives avoiding death, hell, and the grave, but they listened to the devil of his version of a “A Better Way“, which brought death, hell, and the grave into power over all the earth. They chose to listen to a creation over the Creator. I wonder what would have happened if Eve and Adam had waited until their next visit with God and asked Him a question that might of unraveled the devil’s lie? Could they have asked the devil more questions for solid proof of his statements? Did it work for him going against God? Questions asked of God come back solid and sound. Questions asked of a double minded person comes back unstable and holes of doubt. Have you ever got that feeling when someone got through speaking that easiness of their words were part truth and part pacifying fill-ins?

There was a man who was very intelligent. He caught onto things fast. He had a thorough education of knowledge of the scriptures of the Bible. He was a man who encounter the teachings of John the Baptist “A Better Way” of understanding the scriptures of the coming Savior of our sins and water baptism in repentance. He taught where ever he went with great enthusiasm and great accuracy of Jesus being the Messiah just like John the Baptist. This man must have taken John the Baptist words and compared them to the Bible and found what he was saying to be true. He went to churches in that day and spoke boldly the teachings of John the Baptist for the coming Messiah Jesus. One day a crowd had gathered as usual to listen to this man present “A Better Way” (a fulfilling way) of the scriptures and a husband and wife were in the crowd that heard him speaking. The husband and wife made their living at making tents. They were not know for their learning and knowledge of the scriptures, but as tent-makers.

The husband and wife invited the well-educated man to their home. They presented “A Better Way” of the scriptures to him. This educated man’s knowledge of the scriptures was not wasted for the connection scripturally was more fulfilled to what John the Baptist was preaching, which caused him to start preaching Jesus name water baptism for the removal of sins. I see a man who took what the husband and wife had to say and searched the scriptures for proof before accepting this “A Better Way“. He must have found what they had said was solid and sound (Acts 19). What they had told him was so solid and sound that when he taught now in the churches he was able to refute anyone in public proving that Jesus was the Messiah. I see a man now with a solidness about him inside and out, balanced with “A Better Way“, the truth, and a new life glowing in completeness.

What would happen if he had treated the husband and wife, the tent makers, like the poor man of wisdom was treated after saving the small town? If he had treated their words like the poor man forgetting them, despising them, and no longer listening to them he may have forfeited the saving of his soul. Jesus said about people when it comes to hearing some of us are like the wayside of a road that whatever is said is taken away, some of us are like the stony area where we get happy over the spoken words, but never let them get deep down inside of us and it is lost with just a little heated trouble, some of us are so worldly-minded that the words spoken are received, but our love of the world rises up and chokes out the words in our life, and some of us are open enough to search, prove, and conclude the spoken words allowing them to go deep into our lives with the outward fruits (Mtt. 13) like this educated man listening to the tent makers. He had no fear of statements or questions put to the scriptures because his faith was solid and sound in the word of God. Wow, to be solid inside and out is a beautiful sight to see.

Apostle Paul traveling found some disciples. He asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Not in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but in Jesus name). When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19). These disciples (just like other religions) heard Paul’s questioning words setting into motion inside themselves a study of those words getting them approved by God’s word maintaining themselves in an unashamed status correctly handling the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). This questioning by Apostle Paul of what may have come across as “A Better Way“, a more perfect way, or a more accurate way did not mean all that they presently had been a total waste of time or loss. All that they did possess has been added in total completeness in the Lord Jesus Christ. Their faith was not replaced or destroyed, but fulfilled in totality. Their perception and understanding saw the absolute truth with total acceptance and obedience. They had been baptized before with a water baptism of repentance under John the Baptist teachings because it too was right in the word of God. Now, the completeness of water baptism was finalized in Jesus name applying the blood of forgiveness along with their repentance. Isn’t this beautiful? These people were not afraid of questions and what the conclusion of truth may reveal. After their water baptism in Jesus name Paul walks over to them, places his hand upon them, prays for them, and they received the Holy Spirit of God the same way the 11 apostles and other disciples of Jesus did in Acts 2 a long time ago. How do we know it was like them back then? “Is this not only for the apostles“, you may ask? It is clear this is a continuing thing that can occur even today because this is all a promise of God to happen to us our children and their children – all generations to come (Acts 2:39). This is part of completeness of being born again of water and of spirit (Jn 3:5). How do we know it is the same as the apostles? As Paul had his hand upon them praying they began to speak in another language that they had not been trained in the flesh to speak the praises of God and prophetic words. They totally surrendered to God and allowed Him to burst forth like rivers of living water (Jn. 7:38). Now, the fellowship begins in spirit and in truth with the power of God visiting you anytime and anywhere.

If Apostle Paul were to ask you these questions how would you answer him? Would his questions be allowed in your home, church, society? Would you let him place his hand upon you, pray for you, and be willing to open up to the in-filling of God’s Spirit with the sign to you and anyone around that bursting forth of rivers of living water speaking in a language God gives you? Did you know you can you have this happen to you right now? God is not restricted to church places only or He would not be an everywhere God. He will come to you right now in your home, in your car,… All I did was started praying to God, speaking my heart surrendering all of myself to Him in worship, praise, and the desire to be filled with His Spirit patiently waiting as they did back then and not giving up. Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” He doesn’t change nor does His way for us to be born again change. Are you saved like these disciples Apostle Paul asked these questions? I am born again exactly as the those disciples Apostle Paul asked those questions. If Apostle Paul were to speak with me he would find out I have been baptized in Jesus name and filled with the Holy Spirit. Then I would expect him to teach, encourage, and admonish me for doing more work everyday for the Lord for the day and the hour is short.

Apostle Paul/God’s Word is asking you, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” Your answer:

Apostle Paul/God’s Word is asking you, “Then what baptism did you receive?” Your answer:

Are you going to be baptized in water in Jesus name and pray to receive the Holy Spirit Your decision:

If you have no one to baptize you in water you can take yourself to a place where you can go under water completely, look towards heaven, and say, Lord I repent and baptize myself in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of my sins and I know I will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit because it is a promise from You who changes not (Acts 2:38,39). Start praying and worshiping expecting to receive His Holy Spirit. Later, if you find someone who lines themselves up with the apostles Acts 2:38 there is nothing wrong letting them baptize you in Jesus name. It will not take away what you have done.

May your spirit get a hold of God’s Spirit and fly free in fellowship every day. As these bodies grow old our spirit within can be renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16) never growing old, but maturing into eternal life with God our Father.