Pastor John,
The sections you deleted from the Iron Kingdom book, but sent out for us to read are gems! I hope you’ll use them somewhere, even if it’s not in the IK book. Several things stood out and touched me when I read them:
1) “God’s Spirit is the law of His kingdom, and to quench the Spirit in order to perform ceremonies is lawlessness”.
That is so true! I love that the Spirit is the law which governs what we do and say and feel! To shut that down in order to perform some ceremony or ritual absolutely goes against that law! It really is lawlessness! I even looked up the definition for lawlessness and this is what I read: “a state of disorder due to a disregard of the law.” Ceremonies disregard the Law that is already operating inside of us!
You gave us a real-life example of that yesterday morning by the fire when the Spirit was falling so strong and you told us something like, “Now, what if I were to interrupt what we are feeling to pass out a little wafer and some grape juice?” Can you imagine?! It also reminds me of Jim G’s testimony about the pastor at the church where he used to go. The Spirit was falling and he quickly shut it down by standing up and telling his congregation to open their hymnbooks to a certain page because it was time to sing another song. That was lawlessness, and it was the final straw for Jim G. He never went back to that church. In fact, he came out of that whole abomination called Christianity! Amen! We all did!
2) “Though false prophets and teachers are skilled at appearing righteous, God has never allowed a single faithful child of His to be blinded by them. Jesus assured us that it is impossible for deceivers to lure God’s faithful children from the truth (Mt. 24:24). Only unfaithful believers are taken in by those who falsely claim to be ministers of Christ while burying the truth beneath mounds of false teachings.”
I am so glad Jesus has touched our hearts to believe the truth! We have seen examples of unfaithful believers who turned away from the truth and were taken in by those false teachers, but it’s comforting to know that if we remain faithful, Jesus will never let us be deceived!
3). This whole paragraph: “About half a century before Christ, the Roman senator Cicero spoke of an invisible law which transcends all things human, an inescapable law established by God which governs the conscience even of those who are ignorant of its existence. He described this law as ‘an eternal and unchangeable law, valid for all nations and all times, [with] one ruler and master, that is, God, over us all, for He is the author of this law, its promulgator, and its enforcing judge.’ Such a law, which Cicero sensed but did not possess, does exist, and it was revealed to the apostle Paul by the God whose law it is. That eternal, inescapable law is “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2a), and it is every bit as all-encompassing as Cicero imagined, though of the God who gives it, Cicero knew nothing.”
It amazed me that Cicero could sense such a law that is established by God and governs the conscience and transcends all things human, etc., but not be more interested in the Author of that law. And then a man like Paul comes along who more than “sensed” that law. He understood it, and loved it, and clung to it like a dog to a bone! My very favorite line was the last line you wrote about that: “The law of God’s Spirit is actually greater than Cicero imagined, and it frustrated Paul to no end that he could not convince his converts of its glory.” The spirit inside me leapt when I read that sentence and I prayed, “Let me be thoroughly convinced of the glory of your law, Jesus!”
4) “The apostles were fully persuaded that ‘God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.’
(1Cor, 10:13). Paul famously told the saints in Rome, ‘We know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are the called according to His purpose’ (Rom. 8:28). In hearts that share in the faith of Paul, that whatever happens is designed by God to work for His children’s good, bitterness can find no place. And when such souls are persecuted, they respond as Paul did, with their testimonies, by which they overcome the world (cf. Rev. 12:11).”
I hadn’t thought about us responding to persecution with our testimonies, but that’s really how it goes. Our testimonies are so valuable, maybe the most valuable tool in our arsenal. I have this mental image of us “fighting” our way through this world with our testimony swords! They don’t look like real swords, but they are so much more powerful!
Well, I’m glad you let us read these deletions before you completely deleted them! We are so rich that even the deletions are more food than most of God’s children will ever receive! That’s humbling just to write that.
Lee Ann
Tell us what you think:
https://x.com/WitnessofSpirit/status/1901788086918336732
