Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
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Hi John.
These verses have been on my mind this morning. I read it, and they’re good. (Jn. 3:30-31) “He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.”
What a righteous man John the baptist was, to move out of the way for what he recognized as coming from heaven - Jesus! What a righteous person he was to care about what the will of God was, above all else, even above himself!
I was thinking that when Jesus comes on the scene, or his anointing does, it is a holy thing to go with it and not worry about any decrease on our part. The fear of “decrease” is probably what keeps many ministers in Christianity when they come face-to-face with the truth. They don’t want to be left without a noble title or position; they are striving to INCREASE.
The fear of “decrease” keeps some of God’s children from forsaking their earthy families for the truth and the anointing of God (they won’t be admired any more if they just leave them behind). It keeps others in their Christian denominations (because they would not have an honored place any more, or have things to seemingly “do” for God.)
Righteous people want God. It doesn’t matter to them whether God’s plan at that time includes them or not. They just want GOD. They love the anointing. Seems that the ones who really rejoice in whatever is of God get included anyway, though!
Gary
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Hi Gary:
A few times along the years, reflecting on how many people have been blessed and delivered from various forms of darkness through taking my Old Testament study, I realized and marveled at the reason those wonderful things happened to so many people. I understood that God had anointed me to get out of His way. It was His truth that healed people, that opened their eyes, and that set them free from the deceitfulness of men. I had only been anointed to get what was in the Bible into people’s heads. From there, Jesus got it into their hearts (or not, in some cases), and the work was done (or not). But my place was only to be an uncontaminated conduit so that the water I gave to people was pure. God did the rest.
It is a wonderful thing to get out of the way and watch God work.
jdc