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Chapter 1THE UNVEILING OF CHRIST
(Rev 1:1-3 KJV) "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: {2} Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. {3} Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand."
(1 Pet 1:13 KJV) "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"
This book was written to the church about what was to come through revelation. Since it is the inspired Word of God, it is the principles of God for us. Principles never change! Examples change, but not principles. But the principles of God can only be understood through revelation of the Spirit to your spirit. Otherwise it becomes mixed with human understanding.
The Amplified Bible tells us that revelation is "the unveiling of the divine mystery." Of Jesus Christ, not of us. The reason there is so much theory from the book of Revelation is that there is too much from us. It must be of Him, for His purpose. If you read and study it from that perspective, it will keep fear out of your hearts.
Revelation, restoration and revival are all one thing. You cannot have restoration or revival without revelation of Jesus Christ. You cannot have a revelation of Jesus Christ without judgment, either judgment to good or to repentance. When Jesus is revealed, He makes known what is hidden, the unveiling. I am hidden from myself. I do not know my heart without the revelation of Jesus Christ to my heart. That makes revelation two fold ‑- I see Jesus as I have never seen Him before, and I see Him in light of what I need. If I need Him today for my comfort, He comes as a comfortor. If I need guidance, He comes as counselor. If I am in warfare, He comes as my commander and chief to direct my actions. He is so multi-faceted, but we see Him primarily as savior, baptizer, and healer. That is how we talk to others about Him. We do not understand Lordship which means He is master of everything in my life. He cares and has made provision for all that I will do and go through. In the church we need a revelation of Jesus as Lord, not just a song. Then we will humbly confess how often we have been Lord of ourselves.
Each area that He is made Lord of will reveal His character in us. It is the multi‑faceted character of Christ that brings the fullness of the Spirit into our lives. This is no different from us. Sometimes I am father, husband, boss, pastor, grandpa. It is still all me. Jesus is one; it doesn't change who He is. It simply broadens our perspective of who He is.
The revelation of who He is must be ongoing throughout our lives. Without it we become stagnant, lukewarm, complacent. We must move on spiritually with Christ. He doesn't change, but we must change. Without an ongoing revelation of Christ, we become self‑absorbed, living for what satisfies us. It means continual change, continually understanding what is going on, continually ready to be moved spiritually to a higher realm of glory. Our natural man will not like it-‑our flesh will rebel and go on strike. We do not have a choice with the warfare that is ongoing, but we do have the choice as to what we will do‑-accept or reject. For example, what happens to bring deception is that when we receive the revelation of Christ as commander and chief, we will learn how to do warfare, but we will not go on. Wanting to live from now on fighting the devil and casting out demons makes for an unbalanced life and an unbalanced relationship with the Lord. He will not say anymore because He wants to reveal something else to you, but all you want to hear is about demons, so you open yourself up to the false. This is where ministries got off into limited areas of the gifts. This one is a healer, that one is a miracle worker, this one gives personal prophecies, etc. The Lord wants to work whatever is needed through you. He wants to make you a whole spiritual person. That's what salvation is! It is the outgrowth of being saved! We do not need to be known for what we do. We need to be known by Christ alone.
(2 Cor 5:16-17 KJV) "Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. "
He is everything. He's my deliverer, He's my healer, He's my provider, He's my strength, He's my peace, He's my counselor, He's my righteousness, He's my teacher, He's my shepherd. I am not saying I will not do what I need to do, but I will trust Him to show me when, how and what to do. The pressures of life will cause you to buckle under if you do not know Him, the revelation of Jesus Christ.
What does it take for us to come into revelation? If it is an uncovering of that which is hidden, then I must begin by asking the Lord to open my blinded eyes. I have to admit I am blind! Unless He opens my eyes, I do not see.
(Eph 1:15-19 KJV) "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, {16} Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; {17} That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: {18} The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, {19} And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,"
This scripture says, “I heard of your faith and love...” Faith with love is found in Gal. 5:6 "faith works by love." I Thes. 5:8 "put on the breastplate of faith and love." It is two‑breasted. We must have both nurturings. If you have the love without faith, it becomes a love for the sake of love. If you minister faith without agape love, which brings the needed help, it will become sympathy instead of compassion. AND it will produce a self-questioning depression after: "Why didn't I do this or do that?" If you have the faith without love, it becomes legalistic, and hard, like the Law. The person will go away feeling as if he cannot do what is required. How do we speak the truth? IN LOVE! But without faith it becomes prone to error, thereby producing deception. (verses 16‑17) Revelation doesn't make you smarter than the next. If it does, you have just separated yourself from the body. Verse 18 says it is so you will know your calling, and your inheritance, which will (verse 19) produce His power in you. Power for what? Power to live every day in victory!
Ephesians goes on to say, “I need a spirit of wisdom and revelation.” Without the wisdom I will tell and do things that you may not be ready for. Revelation will show me how to live. If I do not live it, then I certainly cannot expect you to live it. The goal of revelation is to edify in ministry towards others. So if He brings revelation to something, we then need the wisdom of "What do I do with this, Lord?"
How does this revelation come? (verse 18) It is not intellect ‑- it is His light to my heart. It is not reading and re-reading the word, because if the spirit does not reveal to you, you become legalistic. You will have the knowledge. But what does that do? It puffs up!! Love edifies. Unless my heart has the light of His love, I do not know how to make it a reality to my life experiences. I do not know how to offer it to my family or to any other person. It is not an intellectual knowing, but a pure heart revelation just like when you were saved. Our hearts must be filled with light (revelation). The darkness is exposed (that means the light just went on so you can see.) Revelation is what produces the change ‑-"I once was lost but now I am found, was blind, but now I see." Without revelation it is just more information being stuffed in my mind. Revelation can come at any time, any place where my heart is ready to receive.
How does the change come?
(2 Cor 3:18 KJV) "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. “
As we behold the Lord! From glory to glory! “But I do not think I am going to make it.” That's because we compare ourselves with ourselves (we measure ourselves with others) which is not wisdom! (2 Cor.10:12) "Why are they free and I am not?" I can only measure myself with the standard of Christ and with what He is requiring of me. If He is not dealing with the same area in me that He is in someone else, then I am free. What I do today is acceptable to Him if I am in obedience to the Spirit.
(2 Cor 4:1 KJV) “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;”
Ministry of what? Transformation! "We are changed" MERCY to us, not what we earn in our ministry!
That means in whatever I do today people will not see me, but Christ in me. |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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