Anybody who knows me knows I endeavor to be a student of God’s Word, to be resolutely entrenched in the black-and-white letter of the Bible. My previous books, I hope, went to great lengths to establish that I believe in the vast majority of the teachings of the Word of Faith movement (note, I said vast, not all.)
But this isn’t being taught as it should in most churches and Bible schools, so we have a multitude of people who are desperate for a touch of the supernatural power of God; but their fundamentals of faith are lacking, and it inhibits the flow of power. God does nothing apart from His Word. He places His Word above His name! (Psalm 138:2) His Spirit does nothing that is not backed up by the complete revelation of the written Word of God.
As Jesus said, “...You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29) There are two facets to being released in the supernatural: a firm understanding of what God’s Word reveals about Himself, and a solid expression of God’s power experienced through His Spirit. The Word and the Spirit, operating side-by-side, together.
Look, I’m a revivalist. I love the supernatural; I love the glory of God manifest in our lives. I’ve written books on it, and I want to write many, many more! But it takes an understanding of who He is, a true knowledge built on the truth of His Word, that creates those kind of miracle-working warriors we all want to become.
It is the truth you know that will make you free. That means you have to know it!
Our knowledge of truth is to be a progression. Peter’s epistles admonish us as believers to be established and live in present truth. Truth is that which is absolutely and forever settled in God; it is this finality that is the springboard for our position in Him—truth cannot change and demands that we change around it.
The Holy Spirit of truth anoints us so that we can walk in obedience to the truth He reveals. Without the Spirit in manifestation, that anointing upon us, which is demonstration of the truth, we are left with simply “head knowledge.” And while knowledge in general is good, it does not necessarily mean truth.
Since the Holy Spirit answers to the Word, it’s important we have a basic understanding of what the Word says in order to exhibit the flow of anointing. We are required to be obedient to that truth we know, through the grace of the Spirit, which will free us to experience supernatural activity. In time, as we progress in truth, our experience catches up to our knowledge; they begin to move in tandem. And our experience/knowledge, then, coincides with our position in growing in the Lord; we are changed from glory to glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
We are “pilgrims... elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ...” (1 Peter 1:1-2) For what purpose are we sprinkled? “...receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:9)
So if Peter says we are receiving (present tense), there is a process implying we have yet more to receive. See the progression? Chosen pilgrims, according to the Father’s plan, to be sanctified by the ministry of the Spirit, so we can be obedient to Jesus Christ, thus sprinkled with His precious blood.
(You have to say “pilgrim” with a John Wayne accent, by the way. That’s one of the rules...)
Yes, our spirits were made new when we were born again, but there is change in our minds and souls as we grow in the Lord. That’s why we need a strong foundation in truth. So, yes, we are saved, but we are being saved according to a progression in truth, and we will be saved at the coming of Jesus Christ.
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it...” and “...who delivered us from so great a death, and does [shall] deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us...”
(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Corinthians 1:10)
So in an effort to be obedient to what I believe the Lord directed me to do, I’ve written this to help, in some small way, compile some of the basic, fundamental truths of our faith all in one convenient handy-dandy, easy-to-read guidebook. It’s not the end-all, be-all on doctrine—I wouldn’t presume to be so arrogant—but it’s a good place to start.
And I believe it will help release the glory and supernatural in a greater way in your life. Perhaps you’re a stay-at-home mother, and you’re a prophetess in your church. You have a gift, but you don’t have the time to go to Bible school for two years. This book is for you. Perhaps the Lord’s given you a healing anointing, and it’s burning your hands to be released on a hurting world that needs the Father’s divine touch. But you feel pressed to get out there in the streets—now! This will help keep you balanced. You have the desire and the power, but you have to be willing to discipline yourself in an ever-increasing depth of knowledge of what God has said in His Word.
The very process of progressing in truth depends on your willingness to stretch, that is, to “add to” what you know already.
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(2 Peter 1:5-8)
You have faith, you know what you know, and you believe the Word of God is truth. Now add virtue (that’s not just goodness or godly determination, but expression of virtue, a supernatural unction) to your faith. And knowledge (interpretation of Scripture.) Faith added to virtue added to knowledge will bring the above expressions (temperance and patience, holy living and—the greatest “stretching” of all: brotherly kindness) to those around you, culminating in the greatest expression: divine love. The display of the supernatural is rooted in divine love.
Remember this is to be a process of adding. Each “level” builds on the next; you can’t omit what you added previously, or focus on one truth over the others (that leads to wild tangents.) See why the progression in truth is so important? It releases the glory of God and the fruit of godly living.
This book is going to be a little different than my other books. Aletheia Eleutheroo is more of a doctrinal study guide, a textbook (hopefully not a boring one.) As such, it won’t have all the wonderful testimonies and cool stories. But it will teach the Word of God, as best as I can; and it will be entertaining, hopefully. The concepts in this book are not “new” by any means, but perhaps I can, by God’s grace, provide a different perspective on why a firm foundation in Christian doctrine is so vitally essential to releasing the supernatural. The whole thrust of this book is to inground (I totally made that word up) you in the truth so that the miraculous, the glory, the supernatural is released in your life in a deeper way. It’s basic, but it’s necessary. Simple, and profoundly important. It’s not hard to understand, but you’d have to read dozens of old-time books, whereas I’ve compiled a lot of truths here in our modern speech.
You’re welcome.
This does not replace the need to read your Bible, to go to school or seminary (as the Lord directs you) and to study to show yourself approved.
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, emphasis added)