March, 12 2010

Knowing and Being Known

Oct 1, 2009 at 17:11

By: Steve & Marilyn Hill

Hello Friends. Recently I read an excellent article on the five ministry gifts of Ephesians 4:11 and began to ask why years of such teaching has produced so little fruit.  At  times there even seems to be an obsession with finding our ministry gift.   The thinking being that if I know what gift I am, I will be that gift.  Or worse, if I announce what gift I am, I will be received as such.  This leadership by declaration may work in some Christian cultural ghettoes but in the real world nobody cares what title is on your business card. 

Certainly knowledge is power to release technological breakthrough after technological break through but it does not work that way in the Kingdom of God!  You are not an ipod or a computer chip.

There are two principles of knowing mentioned by Jesus.  We know by obedience (John 7:17) and we know through revelation based in humility (Matthew 11:25- 30).   This is offensive to rationalism and individualism.  It is also offensive to most bible schools, seminaries and teaching ministries who want you to buy their books and attend their conferences for more and more teaching!   We want to know through the rational exercises of accessing all the information and weighing all the options since that leaves us in control and free of risk.   Knowledge through humility/obedience and humility/revelation is knowledge through a living, working relationship with Jesus.  Jesus is the Truth that sets free.

How we know is more important than what we know.  Do we know through partaking of the tree of knowledge of good and evil?  Do we know through our intellect and its relationship to information?   Or do we know through our love and faith relationship with Jesus,  the Tree of Life?  Jesus did not start a bible school, hand out study notes and hide behind a podium.   He took his disciples to the streets and into the lives of people.

Jesus mentions one principle of being known.   We are known by our fruit (Matthew 7:16- 20).  Often ministry gifts are defined in such a way that the focus is on performance and stage presence rather than character and transformed lives.   It is not the feeling of the moment but the fruit of a lifetime which defines us!  

Success is in the grandkids!   

If you have fruit it does not matter what people call you or who criticizes you!

If you have no fruit it does not matter what people call you or who praises you!

Every blessing

Steve & Marilyn


Comments

John, 24-10-09 17:30:
Are you trying to say that it really is all about Jesus, living, working, loving God's kingdom into the realm of this world; and that it is His joy to do so through us? What a privilege to move with him. Thanks for the reminder. Blessings!
Henjo, 16-11-09 09:51:
The problem is with how he are reading the book... Often we read it to find out how to do life... but it's not what the book is about...

We read to get to know Him, but the funny thing is if we read it without knowing Him it will become knowledge that puffs up!

We gotta take of our glasses and have some new ones! The ones that are attached to the lens of our heart and intimacy - no matter how small - with the person behind the book.

Yeah!

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