The Way to Revelation
It was in the late 90’s that I felt so clearly a strong impression from the Holy Spirit that He was bringing me into a season where he was going to teach about the mechanics of receiving revelation. During this season I had a vision…
I saw a man standing in front of me with his hands cupped together and outstretched towards me. Looking into the man’s hands I saw that there were many stones. Many of the stones were common, worthless stones such as you would see on the side of the road on any given day. However, looking closer I saw that hidden in the midst of the common stones were precious stones such as rubies and diamonds; stones of tremendous value and worth.
Through this simple picture, the Holy Spirit began and has continued a life-long journey of broadening this parable in my daily experience. I’ve discovered since that time that most situations we encounter in life are incredible opportunities to receive revelation. If we do so we will increase a store of eternal treasure that sets us on a firm foundation that will enable us to bring value and life to others.
The way that we do this is to continually look for the precious stones that are often hidden in common and everyday things. Even seemingly worthless things of no value will sometimes hide a precious treasure if we look for it. Whether it is a book we read, a speaker we listen to, a conversation with friends; every situation is an opportunity to pick up hidden precious stones. If we do this we will build up a reservoir of tremendous treasure that we can share with the world.
The Trap of Worthless Stones
I’ve noticed through the decades that we increasingly have a culture that thrives on finding and pointing out the worthless stones that others carry; the things we disagree with. This often happens in discussions around the following…
- Politics
- How to deal with systemic issues like… racism, poverty, wealth disparity, education etc.
- Family Values
- Theological and doctrinal differences
When we encounter situations like these and we grab ideas that we believe are wrong, other people’s worthless stones and we hold them up for the world to see, little do we know that in so doing all we’ve accomplished is to add what is worth less to our own foundation. It is these items that represent our life-store of things we’ve chosen to pay attention to with our time and focus that causes our own foundation to become worth less. Soon, all that we’ve stored up, are standing on, and are giving out to other people is worthless.
When our foundation rests on who’s right or wrong an an issue, whether good or bad, we stand on a foundation other than that which God intended, which is Christ Himself. Over time, we can even forget that as followers of Christ, our role is to bring third heaven solutions to first heaven problems, because the answer lives within us by the Holy Spirit.
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
Why Look for Precious Stones?
We look for precious stones because the Kingdom of God is not a matter of words, but of power (1 Cor. 4:20). When our belief system is no longer about the outward manifestation of Christ to the world, but about who’s right and who’s wrong, we become like the Pharisees that missed the day of the coming of Christ.
If however we continually look for third heaven solutions to the first heaven problems around us, then the precious stones that we release will impact the world around us. Christ came to save the world, not to condemn it (John 3:17). This is the foundation of Christ that when revealed by fire will release eternal reward.
Things to do this week.
1. Ask God to reveal any internal paradigms, mind-sets, or thought patterns that gravitate towards cycles of disagreements. Pay particular attention to your responses to…
- Social Media
- Family Members
- Groups that believe differently on a topic than you.
Write down anything that God shows you.
2. Repent and ask God to forgive you for any way you’ve allowed ideas of right and wrong rather than God’s love for others to govern your response to others.
3. Ask God to filter your eyes, thoughts and feelings in such a way that allows you to discover supernatural treasures that have been hidden. It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. Proverbs 25:2
Go with God.
David Sr.