Reconciliation Outreach/Paul & Nuala O’Higgins, P.O. Box 778, Stuart FL 34995  e-mail: paualandnuala@bellsouth.net

[download PDF] [download in doc format]

December 2009

A TIME FOR REVELATION

 

In case you haven’t noticed we are living in the age of information overload. Sound bytes of information are fired at us incessantly from TV, Radio and Internet as if we were targets in a machine gun firing range. These are the days of increased information, which Daniel spoke about. “Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4)

Information is fascinating. However it can be accompanied with huge amounts of misinformation, lies and distortion. So be careful!

In the Body of Christ we are also saturated with information. But, in the midst of this abundance there can be a surprising absence of revelation.

Paul’s great prayer for the church is that God would give us

•         a spirit of revelation in the knowledge of Him;

•         that we would know the hope of His calling and

•         how great is His power towards us. (Ephesians 1:17-23)

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth. He shows us what Jesus has accomplished and prepared for us. He makes it REAL to us and causes us to progressively experience God’s power, love and presence.

The Greek word for ‘truth’,  ‘aletheia’ means ‘reality’. The Holy Spirit’s work is NOT to load us with Bible information, but to make the unseen realities of God’s kingdom  REAL to us. Biblical information points to unseen realties - the Spirit of revelation brings us into them. Information comes to the head - revelation to the  heart.

When the Spirit of revelation comes, He leads us into all truth. We no longer simply know ABOUT God - we know God. We no longer simply know Bible facts - we EXPERIENCE the REALITY behind the facts.

The Holy Spirit does not give us mere information on ‘how to do’ and ‘what to do’ but leads us INTO the reality the truth He reveals.

Somewhere along the way the reality of being led into all truth has been corrupted into being led into all information. Bible information is no substitute for Holy Spirit revelation and we can easily develop ‘itching ears’  - wanting new facts in place of seeking more revelation.

           

Information Is Not Revelation.

            When Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth, He did not mean that He would lead us into an endless discovery of new doctrines. He meant that we would enter more and more into the reality behind the doctrines. 

            Information overload is not the same as deepening revelation. We have no shortage of information but we do suffer from an absence of revelation.

            Revelation is to the spiritual world what the senses are to the natural world. Being informed about the details of the physical world does not necessarily put you in vital contact with it. It is only through the Spirit of revelation that we can make meaningful contact with the spiritual world that Jesus has opened up for us. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in Jesus' day were the most Biblically educated people in the world but they could not see the Truth when He stood before their eyes.  Jesus said that they were blind because they had much biblical information but no revelation.

 

Revelation Of What We Already Have

We don’t need new Christian doctrines but we desperately need a new fresh revelation into truths we already have. We need to taste and experience these truths in a fresh and powerful way that will impact and transform our lives. We need a fresh revelation

•         of the power of the blood of Jesus;

•         of what it really means to be declared righteous;

•         of what it means to be a new creation;

•         of what it means to receive the Holy Spirit and a new heart;

•         of what it means to have our sins and pains and sickness borne by Jesus.

      We need a deeper revelation and experience of the love of God. There is an enormous difference between knowing ‘God love’s me’ and experiencing the heights and depths of His love that surpasses all knowledge.

There is an enormous difference between knowing that Christ died for my sin and experiencing the joy of being reconciled with God.

 

Bridging The  Gap

            There are three things that can bridge the information – revelation gap:

•          Meditation on the word;

•          Faith in the word

•          The work of the Holy Spirit.

            Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to make the  spiritual truths we already know more and more real to us,  so that they excite,  enthuse,  motivate us and fill us with awe and wonder again.  That’s His job. It’s not an intellectual exercise in information - it’s an exciting journey into the dimensions of God’s love.

            A sin-laden word today needs to hear the truth of the cleansing blood of Jesus from those who have themselves experienced its amazing reconciling power.

            A powerless church needs to receive again a revelation of the might and power of the Baptism in The Holy Spirit.

            An insecure and fearful world needs to hear the call to all men to find security not in the systems of this world but in the care of the Heavenly Father.

            A compromised church needs to hear the truths of the liberating power of sanctification. A spirit of revelation will cause us  to be thrilled, awed, motivated and excited by these truths again! We will discover the joy of obedience as we align our lives with the uncompromised Word of God!

We need a fresh revelation into what we already know!

 

Three Veils & Three Deaths

Absence of revelation implies the presence of a veil. Something is veiling the kingdom of God from us.  

There are actually three veils that block us from seeing and experiencing the realities of God’s kingdom:

1.      The veil of self righteousness;

2.      The veil of natural strength and

3.      The veil of our own agendas.

To get born again I have to die to my self-righteousness and receive the gift of His righteousness.

To receive the Baptism in and enablement of The Holy Spirit, I have to die to my own strength.

To enter into the Glory I have to die  to my own agenda and life.

These three death and life journeys are our personal Passover, our personal Pentecost and our personal Feast of Tabernacles.

            The veil to the revelation of the salvation (Passover) was my self-righteousness. The veil to my revelation of the Baptism in The Holy Spirit (Pentecost) was my natural strength. The veil to my revelation and experience of The Glory (Feast of Tabernacles) is my own personal and corporate agenda.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)  The cost of revelation is death - but the reward of revelation is life and joy unspeakable.

 

Without revelation the people are discouraged. (Proverbs. 29:18)

(Note: Our Christmas “What Others Say is devoted entirely to what others say about Jesus.)

 

 

I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.   – Napoleon

 

No one else holds or has held the place in the heart of the world, which Jesus holds. Other gods have been as devoutly worshipped; no other man has been so devoutly loved.  - John Knox

A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act. - Gandhi

I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history. - H.G. Wells

As the centuries pass, the evidence is accumulating that, measured by His effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. - Historian Ken  Latourette

I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are very wise and very beautiful; but I never read in either of them: "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden."  - Augustine

As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene....No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.  – Einstein

 

Despite our efforts to keep him out, God intrudes. The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: "a virgin's womb and an empty tomb". Jesus entered our world through a door marked, "No Entrance" and left through a door marked "No Exit."  - Peter Larson

Buddha simply said, "I am a teacher in search of the truth." Jesus said, "I am the Truth." Confucius said, "I never claimed to be holy." Jesus said, "Who convicts me of sin?" Mohammed said, "Unless God throws his cloak of mercy over me, I have no hope." Jesus said, "Unless you believe in me, you will die in your sins."  - Unknown

Jesus Christ is to me the outstanding personality of all time, all history, both as Son of God and as Son of Man. Everything he ever said or did has value for us today and that is something you can say of no other man, dead or alive. There is no easy middle ground to stroll upon. You either accept Jesus or reject him.  - Sholem Asch

Jesus Christ: The meeting place of eternity and time, the blending of deity and humanity, the junction of heaven and earth – Anonymous

Christianity is not a doctrine, not truth as truth, but the knowledge of a Person; it is knowing the Lord Jesus. You cannot be educated into being a Christian. - T. Austin-Sparks

 

The meaning of Christmas, in the fewest words, is:  God came in the flesh as a baby, grew into a boy, became a man, and the man gave everything to the world to bless and redeem it. God raised Him from the dead and gave Him everything, and through the Spirit is giving us everything as fast as we will open to receive and pass it on. Christmas is not only God’s superlative gift of love to the world, but it should also be our gift of love to pass this love on until it wins everywhere. - Rufus Moseley

 

Dear Friends

         Happy Chanukah, Christmas and New Year to each of you. May every day of the New Year be filled with His light, goodness and mercy, new blessings, divine appointments and opportunities to be a blessing!

This has been a difficult year for many, as shaking times have come upon us. What better time to remind ourselves of the benefits of Jesus’ coming, and the comfort of His remaining with us as our Good Shepherd forever. What better time to rejoice in the connection He has given us with His Father! What better time to remind ourselves of the guarantee we have of the ultimate triumph of His kingdom!

While fear controls the world let us be filled with the cheerfulness of those who activate His blessings by continuous celebration and remembrance. As we put all our faith in Him and yield all to Him we can expect that next year we will all swim in His goodness even more.

This has been a busy year for us. Highlights of our year was our ministry time in Ireland in the Spring, in France and Switzerland in the Summer, in Israel and Spain in October, and the publication of three books, “The Supernatural Habits Of The Spirit Empowered Believer”,  “Life Changing

World Changing Prayer”, & “The Final Restoration” of “The Tabernacle of David”.  Our time in Israel this year included our tour after the Feast of Tabernacles. It was unusually blessed because of the overflowing good cheer of the group which was mostly made up of some of our Irish friends

Next year we have plans to go to Ireland as usual in the Spring to Finland in the summer and to Chile and Israel n the Fall.

We look forward to being home based this December  and February and doing some ministry at local churches and with our own bible study groups. In January we make a short visit to Ireland to speak at the first all Ireland Conference on Israel and the church sponsored by the Irish Branch of the International Christian Embassy. The dates of this conference are 15^th to 17^th of January. We to see many of our Irish friends there.

We are blessed by the opportunities the Lord gives us to express the love in our hearts.

With deepest thanks to all of you who help us with your prayers and financial support, which we truly appreciate - we need you! Let us know if we can serve you in any way.

One in His great love and service,

 (Paul & Nuala O’Higgins, P.O. Box 2778, Stuart, Fl 34995
www.reconciliationoutreach.net)

Feel free to copy

[top]