What Means These Stones?
After crossing a river, a certain group of people were commanded to go back to the middle of the river and collect some stones to build a monument so when their children asked, "What means these stones?" (KJV), they would have the opportunity to testify about what God had done for them to the next generation. The "stone-layer" generation had a definite point of reference-- a definite encounter with the Holy-- that they could recount. There was content and memory in the answer to the question: "What means these stones?"
In the third chapter of Galatians, Paul writes, "This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith?" Later in the same chapter, he writes again, "Therefore, He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith?" Acoording to Paul, the "stones from the river" for the Galatia church were 1) encounters with God through the presence of the Spirit and 2) the miracles done among them through those encounters. Note well that Paul's litmus test for the church of Galatia was an experiential encounter with the living God; otherwise, his entire argument is incoherent. To extrapolate this out further, think of the answer to his questions. He obviously means for his audience to answer, "Well, it was by the hearing of faith." What was by the hearing of faith? The reception of the Holy Spirit and the working of miracles. Could one really walk away from receiving the Holy Spirit and seeing miracles and not have it, "encroach upon" one's life in a memorable fashion? Paul doesn't refer the Galatian church back to some arcane teaching or style of worship or some program he left to help them answer the Judiazers in the church, "This ONLY I want to learn from you. . ." He refers them back to a corporate encounter with the Living God. What means these stones?
Last night I had the honor of Kingdomizing a neighbor with DJ. Not only was his leg and hip healed, I received some other words for him as well. I told him that he was a fruitful person and his words were fruit, i.e., encouragement and comfort to other people. I also told him that God had a secure/secret place in Himself that He was calling him into. We also quoted Matt. 7:7 to him and encouraged him to keep asking, knocking, and seeking. Finally, we just laid hands on him again and prayed into all these things the Lord had given us. As he was standing and receiving prayer, the Spirit came upon him and, later, he said he could feel something all over his head, shoulders, and chest. As we walked away last night, he thanked us profusely. Mohmd. now has his reference point for the presence of God. He has his stone monument of healing and encounter. The most beautiful part of the whole story, like the ones in the Old Testament and in Galatia, is its gratuity. The Father simply loves people and this is what He does because it is Who He is.
Was it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Lest we forget, we blog.
What means these posts?
In the third chapter of Galatians, Paul writes, "This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith?" Later in the same chapter, he writes again, "Therefore, He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith?" Acoording to Paul, the "stones from the river" for the Galatia church were 1) encounters with God through the presence of the Spirit and 2) the miracles done among them through those encounters. Note well that Paul's litmus test for the church of Galatia was an experiential encounter with the living God; otherwise, his entire argument is incoherent. To extrapolate this out further, think of the answer to his questions. He obviously means for his audience to answer, "Well, it was by the hearing of faith." What was by the hearing of faith? The reception of the Holy Spirit and the working of miracles. Could one really walk away from receiving the Holy Spirit and seeing miracles and not have it, "encroach upon" one's life in a memorable fashion? Paul doesn't refer the Galatian church back to some arcane teaching or style of worship or some program he left to help them answer the Judiazers in the church, "This ONLY I want to learn from you. . ." He refers them back to a corporate encounter with the Living God. What means these stones?
Last night I had the honor of Kingdomizing a neighbor with DJ. Not only was his leg and hip healed, I received some other words for him as well. I told him that he was a fruitful person and his words were fruit, i.e., encouragement and comfort to other people. I also told him that God had a secure/secret place in Himself that He was calling him into. We also quoted Matt. 7:7 to him and encouraged him to keep asking, knocking, and seeking. Finally, we just laid hands on him again and prayed into all these things the Lord had given us. As he was standing and receiving prayer, the Spirit came upon him and, later, he said he could feel something all over his head, shoulders, and chest. As we walked away last night, he thanked us profusely. Mohmd. now has his reference point for the presence of God. He has his stone monument of healing and encounter. The most beautiful part of the whole story, like the ones in the Old Testament and in Galatia, is its gratuity. The Father simply loves people and this is what He does because it is Who He is.
Was it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Lest we forget, we blog.
What means these posts?
Who's Paul?
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