From every quarter we hear of people who say they are ‘really’ hungry for more of God . . . and want to know Him better . . . to know His purposes in His people . . . and to know what is ‘present

truth’.

Nearly everyone of these hungry folks have already some strong beliefs in all these areas. Each most certainly has a picture in their mind of what God is like; some have a grasp of what God is doing in their lives; some even know what part of His overall plan God is doing right now! I am sure that

every Christian will declare that they are hungry for more! That being the case, how come there

is not the accompanying unifying progress?

What are the marks of someone who is really and truly HUNGRY for more and who are

therefore likely to receive more and be changed by what they receive?

Now let us allow the principle of the ‘sewing class’ scriptures be applied to each one of us.

Take a moment to read the three verses in the box on the left. A new coat is, however, better than a

non-satisfying or temporary patch-job!

We have an OLD garment that has been with us for quite some time. We have worn it

continually and ,no doubt, cared for it keeping it free from any dirt that would spoil it in any way.

We’ve probably even fought to prevent it being taken from us! Finally it has a hole worn in it as it did not have the right enduring quality. Thus it could also have a gash or tear and now it needs some

attention. This garment is no longer able to continue without some help. The need equates with ‘being hungry’. Something just has to be done.

The OLD GARMENT mentioned in these accounts speaks of all the OLD traditional teachings

that have been with us for a long time. It speaks of the OLD ‘letter word’ understandings that we have held to for ages in relation to what God is like and to what He is doing in the earth. The OLD methods of Church activity that we have been involved with . . . in fact everything in our lives that we have

never personally put to the test in response to the command, ‘Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good’( I Thess.5:21). Those beliefs about just how Jesus Christ is coming again . . . what

takes place at that time . . . and those unanswered questions that have arisen in our hearts from time to time and we have covered them up by assigning them into the future! We touch on some of

them a little later.

Even the natural picture of what Jesus was teaching, is such that no-one in their right mind would buy a brand new coat, cut a patch out of it to mend an old garment and then throw away what was

left of the new garment! So why, one asks, do so many try to fit what God is saying in this hour into what He was doing some time ago? We are to be established in present truth is another command of

God’s (II Peter 1:12). What is written in our Bibles was ‘present truth’ to those Christians back there

some 2000 years ago. The whole Bible is God’s book of parables with which He will speak today

what we need to hear. The ‘LOGOS’ or WORD is what God has spoken and it carries the

intention of the Speaker. The WORD has been given by God so that through any of the pages, God

can unveil Himself some more.

Ephesians 4:22+24 speaks of putting off the old and putting on the new which is created in righteousness and holiness of truth. The new has a different source and that source is GRACE

whereas the old came by the LAW. The ‘new’ has been released to us through the Cross so let us

‘possess our possessions’!

If you want to hold any part of the old by trying to fit the new into it, then you will most likely

be moving in the ‘law arena’ in your life whereby you put yourself under stringent rules. Such ones

are satisfied where they are in God and they are not really hungry! In the history of the Church since Martin Luther’s day, the people with new insights and expectations have been persecuted by the old

established Church who eventually take some of the new and add it to their old beliefs and

understandings. Not understanding the new, they reject it labelling its source as false.

 

Samuel received a NEW coat each year from his mother. He grew out of the old one and his

mother did not try to lengthen the old one, add a bit to the shoulders or lengthen the sleeves — she

brought a NEW COAT to him that met his present need (I Sam: 2:19 + I Sam 3:19 . . . note this

second scripture! ‘And Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and did let none of his words fall to

the ground’)

From this parable we see keeping the old garment will not see one’s ‘flesh’ fully covered. Wherever ‘flesh’ shows through, it can be quite embarrassing! A patched up old coat not replaced by a new one will give the impression that the owner belongs to the ‘have-no-new-revelation’ traditional brigade. Jesus said to the religious folk of His day, ‘You have made the commandments of God of none effect by your tradition’ (Matt.15:6). The opposite is true with a new coat — can we not be, by His grace,

of the ‘enlightened brigade’ among Christ’s disciples who are established in present truth ?

 

A truly hungry believer will be willing to put all that he has ever believed on the testing block. I once heard a definition of ‘meekness’ — ‘A 24-hour feeling that I just

might be wrong!’.

When we, the hungry, hear of new things from mature Christians or God’s Spirit reveals

something entirely new from His word to us or we hear a tape or read an article, WHAT DO WE DO WITH WHAT WE HAVE HEARD? This new word, new expression, new insight, new challenge is like the NEW GARMENT of our parable.

The challenge comes to us . . . do we try to fit some of what we are now hearing into the old teachings of the Church which has been handed down to us. Some sincere Evangelicals have

consigned certain movings of God’s Spirit to be of another era or worse, having its origin in the Devil. They have tried to fit what is NEW to them into their ‘Passover’ foundation! Likewise those who have moved in the realm of a personal Pentecost experience now refuse to look at the fulfilment of what the Bible labels ‘downpayment’ which they have received. They just cannot fit the NEW revelations of

God and His workings into their OLD experiences and beliefs. The two materials — old and new —

just don’t go together. They are not teachable and thus not really hungry for more!

 

The first observation of the truly hungry is that they are teachable. They are confident in the Lord within them that He will keep them from all evil and will gently lead them on step by step

into Himself. The hungry are not fearful of new understanding. Wanting to hold onto the OLD garment complete with its holes, is like saying, ‘My mind is made up, please do not confuse me with truth!’

If you are really hungry and you hear something quite strange and you’re not seeing it right

away, place it ‘on the shelf’ and wait God’s unveiling of it to you. This He will surely do as you cry out to Him to teach you with His word. Look for His confirmation which He so graciously

gives from outside of yourself.

The second is that the hungry are willing to CHANGE. Change implements growth! The

life of Christ is within and the Spirit will apply His sword-cutting word to remove all that has not

originated from Himself. Christ in you is the hope of glory (Col.1:27) . . . we are being changed from glory to glory by the Spirit (II Cor. 3:18). . . as God’s purpose is to reveal His Son in me (Gal.1:16).

We have seen that the Holy Spirit is to teach us ALL things. That being the truth of the matter,

then the LIFE of Christ revealed from the printed page is MORE VITAL than the printed page itself.

The Bible is a means to the accomplishing of God’s purposes. In the final analysis, we must not make the specific words of the Bible the all important measuring rod but rather the LIFE of

CHRIST that is released from those words . . . it is the Life that we hunger and thirst

for. Obeying or not obeying every word does not produce His life but, rather, law and bondage.

Truth is Jesus Christ . . . not just facts . . .and as we receive truth willingly into our lives, we shall be set free from our own carnal natural thinking. The work of a spirit is to produce thought: the work of

the Holy Spirit is to produce the God-thought which comes from the Mind of Christ — He being the

expression of God Himself in the earth and Who is one with Him. We have the mind of Christ at

conversion (I Cor. 2:16). Wisdom or revelation via the anointing releases understanding from what we already have received. Thus the Holy Spirit teaches the hungry.

 

Now confusion enters unteachable minds when they try to mix up the ‘letter’ statements of the Word with the ‘spirit’ word enlightenments that God is unveiling in this hour to the end that we

may be established. Let us look at some examples of how tradition has tried to mix (put together) such knowledge and understanding along with some mysteries:

Two spiritual trees — the knowledge of good and evil and life — in a natural garden of Eden someplace.

Literal days in Genesis chapter 1 for creation. A day is measured when the earth goes around the sun and = 24 hours. The sun wasn’t created until ‘day 4’!

The last book in the Bible declares it is The revelation (uncovering) of Jesus Christ but most find everything else being supposedly unveiled. It tells us in the beginning that the revelation of Jesus

Christ was thus given and SIGN-I-FIED . . . i.e. each account was a sign, picture language. . .

The ‘sabbath day’ being the seventh day of the week. Does it really matter?

Easter: How does one arrive at ‘three days and three nights’ from Good Friday to Easter

Sunday?

Christmas: Jesus died at Passover — end of March. Jesus ministered for three and half years; therefore He started His ministry at end of September at Tabernacles. Luke tells us He was 30 years

of age when He started. Therefore He was born in September on the Day of Atonement! Why

celebrate His birth in December?

How do the trees of the field clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12)?

Jesus coming again in natural clouds with every eye seeing Him — when one cannot even see a passing plane in the clouds! Jesus thus coming, how do the people in Australia see Him when they are

in darkness while we are in light; let alone allowing for the earth being round — 360° away!

Why does God use differing names for Himself such as: Elohim (God); El Shaddai ( God Almighty); Eloha (Lord); Jahweh (LORD); El Elyon (Most High God); El (God) and so on?

Is the Holy Spirit a part of God or fully God? HE IS GOD!

Without revelation from God, there will continue to be segregated groups of adherents to

pre-trib, post-trib, mid-trib, no-trib all defending their BELIEFS against attack! Emotions will thus be

seen rising above the anointing and the Life of Christ. Remember that ‘goose-bumps’ are not a sign of one being anointed. You can get them at the Olympics!

Jesus tells us that it is given unto us to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven!

(Matt. 13:11) . How many mysteries can you list and how many do you have the insight to? Enough

said to illustrate that we are lacking teaching from the Holy Spirit. Therefore we can readily see that

our education has been insufficient for real understanding. It is necessary that we receive revelation of these things. REVELATION is the addition of thinking from the Holy Spirit that did not originate with man however reason-able he is!

When one mixes the ‘letter word’ with ‘spiritual insight’, confusion results and then another

split among God’s people over doctrine. Wisdom which is freely given to those that ask for it, is the

moving of God upon His word to bring life through understanding. Every conclusion that gives God all the glory, will be from the Holy Spirit for this is His work (John 16:13). Knowledge remains in the mind while understanding increases the relationship and thus the walk of the saints.

In II Corinthians 3:6 (God) has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. The ‘letter’ or literal word is good

and is in a beautiful class all on its own. It will certainly kill the self life and show us God’s targets for our lives; it is absolutely necessary in God’s plan of redemption as He uses it to bring us to Christ. The ‘spirit’ word is likewise in a class on its own and God uses that to reveal unto us that which does not come via education, perspiration or imitation but comes as the Holy Spirit TEACHES US ALL THINGS (John 14:26). Such a word will transform us as we are enabled to believe it into our

walk. . . a surrendered heart and mind, the Lord will use. He will continue to remove the beam out of

our eyes so that we may see clearly to remove the mote out of another’s eyes so that they too may see clearly.

Today God’s chosen people of the New Covenant are the Church which has the LIFE of Christ and is thus a reliable witness to God’s great plan of the ages.

God is very willing to confirm His Word to the hungry. ‘Out of the mouth of two or three

witnesses let every word be established.’ ( II Corin.13:1). Thus you can see the need not to discard a

thought recklessly but, keep it in view on your shelf, thus allowing God some time to confirm or reject what you have placed there. The Holy Spirit teaches, we are told, as He compares spiritual things with spiritual (I Cor. 2:13). The previous verse states that the natural man with his reasoning mind —

stemming from the tree of knowledge of good and evil — cannot receive the things from the Spirit of God. Let us be sure that we are not in such a category!

Prov.26:2 ‘It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; and the honour of kings to search out the matter’ Jesus said, ‘. . . without a parable spake He not unto them’ (Matt.13:34) . . . the carnal-minded Pharisees and others of the audience were not privileged to understand the parables (Matt.13:11). The ‘Pharisees speak of the carnal-natural-minded Christians who have not ‘heard by the Spirit’ what the

Teacher is unveiling.

What we believe is very important, if we are of the truly hungry saints group. With the correct

vision, we shall show less flesh (Prov.29:18 ) and the changing work of the Spirit in us will not be

thwarted. As a man thinketh, so is he ( Prov. 23:7). Thinking the thoughts of Christ — Who He is and what He is planning — will see the changing effect of such words in our walk as well as our talk.

Just knowing about different revelations that God has unveiled in these days, is not enough.

Those insights that come from the Teacher within will carry expressions of His Life and they will be

seen by others. Wherever one is ‘at’ with the Lord, it is absolutely certain that He has more NEW

expressions of Himself and of His plan to release unto us . . . until we have fully put on the New Coat — the New Man — Christ, Himself.