LIVING EPISTLES

THIS MORNING...BEFORE I EVEN OPENED MY EYES...I WAS CONSCIOUS OF A WORD

"WATER"...THEN..."WINE"...IT WAS ALMOST AUDIBLE.

IT WAS JUST ENOUGH TO GET MY ATTENTION...I ROLLED OVER...

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS SPOKEN IN THIS WAY...SEEMS LIKE IT'S NEARLY THE ONLY TIME AND WAY TO GET MY ATTENTION...

I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE, THAT IF I DO NOT GET UP AND START WRITING DOWN WHAT I HEAR...NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY...I FORGET...IT'S GONE!

"IT'S SO COLD...I'M SO TIRED...I WON'T BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO SLEEP."....ONE EXCUSE AFTER ANOTHER....DOESN'T THAT SOUND FAMILIAR?...KIDS MOANING IN THE MORNING ABOUT GETTING UP AND READY FOR SCHOOL.

"I'M NOT GOING TO WAKE YOU UP AGAIN...DO YOU WANT TO HEAR WHAT SPIRIT IS SAYING?....YOU ARE NO LONGER A CHILD....I HAVE COME SOFTLY, AND WILL WAIT JUST LONG ENOUGH FOR YOU TO DECIDE."

I WAS UP IN A FLASH...GRABBING MY PEN AND PAPER...TRYING TO TIP TOE QUIETLY INTO THE LIVING ROOM, AS TO NOT WAKE THE WRATH OF MR. MOSES, WHO HAD A HARD TIME SLEEPING.

THEN AS USUAL THE WORD COMES FASTER THAN I CAN WRITE...A GOOD THING BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT ME THINKING IT THROUGH BEFORE I GET IT DOWN ON PAPER.

THE LORD HAS BEEN FAITHFUL IN MENTORING ME WITH HIS ORACLES...EVER SINCE I WAS A YOUNG CHRISTIAN....
I BELIEVE THAT JUST AS WE WRITE POETRY, SONGS, LETTERS OF COMFORT AND COUNCIL...THAT WORD THAT DWELLS IN YOU...IT IS ALONG THIS SAME LINE THAT HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS AND REVEALS THE "LIVING WORD" THROUGH US AS ORACLES EDIFYING THE BODY OF CHRIST.

I SAY THIS HUMBLY AND FEARFULLY...COMPLETELY AWARE OF THIS VESSEL OF CLAY THAT IS LEAST OF THE SAINTS...

I HAVE NO AUTHORIZATION...EXCEPT HIS WORD WHICH HE MAKES KNOWN...

I AM MERELY A MOUTHPIECE... HE IS THE WORD...

HOW VAIN AND PRESUMPTUOUS OF ME?...I'M SURE THAT IT SEEMS THAT WAY...

BUT I FEAR THE LIVING GOD, ABOVE MAN...AND IF I LIE...MAN HAS NOTHING TO FEAR...HIS MIND SET WILL BRING HIM TO PEACE AS THE CONSUMING FIRE OF GOD MAKES ME AN EXAMPLE OF PRIDEFUL BLASPHEMY AND SELF-RIGHTEOUS PRESUMPTION.

THIS IS ALL WELL AND GOOD...UNTIL FATHER SETS YOU DOWN AND SAYS YOU HAVE TO BECOME TO OTHERS...WHAT OTHERS HAVE BEEN TO YOU.

I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT WE ARE LIVING EPISTLES TO MEN...AS WONDERFULLY MARVELOUS AS THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD...IT TOO IS THE ORACLES OF MEN...
LIVING EPISTLES OF THE TIME OF JESUS...IS TIMELESS..QUICK AND POWERFUL AS THEY WERE AND STILL ARE MINISTERED IN GOD'S SPIRIT...AND AS THE SPIRIT GIVES LIFE TO THE LETTER.

BUT NOW IS HE CALLING US FORTH TO SPEAK IN THESE LAST DAYS...AS ORACLES UNTO HIM...CHRIST IN US...SPEAKING...LIVING EPISTLES OF HIS WORD.

AGAIN...IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO SAY, "THUS SAITH THE LORD."

SO VERY SIMPLY...I WILL FOLLOW MY LORD'S LEAD IN THIS LESSON TOWARD BECOMING A MOUTH PIECE FOR HIM...

"THE WATER AND THE WINE...

THERE IS NO OTHER KIND...

BY WHICH WE COME TO KNOW

THE ONE WHO LOVES US SO...

REJOICE UNTO THAT DAY...

THERE IS NO OTHER WAY...

REDEEMING REASON'S TIME

WITHIN THIS MORNING RHYME...

TIS COMFORTING TO KNOW...

AS ONWARD YOU MUST GO

THROUGH MINUTE AND THROUGH HOUR...

I'LL BE YOUR STRENGTH AND POWER...

THE ORACLES OF GOD...

ALONG THE PATH YOU TROD

WILL COME AND THEN WILL GO...

THE WORD YOU'LL SURELY KNOW...

FOR THEY SHALL SPEAK OF ME...

THAT YOU MIGHT ALWAYS SEE

THE TRUTH ALONG THE WAY, YOU WALK WITH ME TODAY."

I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT HE IS SPEAKING TODAY...I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN HEAR HIM SPEAK...HE LONGS TO FELLOWSHIP WITH YOU PERSONALLY...

THERE IS AN ORDER TO OUR SHARING...IT IS DECENT AND RESPECTFUL...IT IS UNDER THE POWER OF THE ONE SPEAKING TO KEEP IT IN LINE WITH THE SPIRIT'S LEADING, AND NOT THE PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS OF THE ONE SPEAKING.

IT IS FULL OF LOVE...PATIENCE...AND KINDNESS.

IT CAN ALSO BE FULL OF WARNING...DISCIPLINE AND CANDOR...

THIS NEW WINE CANNOT BE POURED INTO OLD WINE SKINS...LEST THEY BURST AND THE WINE SKINS PERISH. ...................JEL