“You search the scriptures for you believe they give you eternal life. And the Scriptures point to me! Yet you won’t come to me so that I can give you this life eternal”’ John 5.39-40, Living Bible.
There is a protocol to every achievement or issue on the earth and so it is in Heaven. Webster’s Dictionary defines protocol as ‘a code of precedence in rank and status’. Consider the goal of achieving one’s ambition to receive a University degree, there is a protocol to that by filling the necessary forms, taking and passing the required tests, attendance at classes and passing the exam. We never try to circumvent this order and hope to achieve that goal, as the result will be failure. Yet, we often do not follow the divine protocol ordained by God for us and want to achieve extraordinary results in life. We wonder why we get less than excellent results, failure, frustration, fear and sometimes a destruction of life. We want to reap were we didn’t plough or sow any seeds for a specific harvest (I am not just referring to seeds in a monetary form). In this, we have all fallen short of the glory of God in our lives and the difference is in the degree of disobedience.
This truth was made very clear in my understanding as God was teaching me about the various issues of my life. God is a God of order – divine protocol. His laws and blessings are governed by protocol. To do otherwise will be chaos as the worldview accepts. He is perfect and no aspect of His nature or personality allows for confusion. He ordained a good earth and in spite of sin creeping into the world by Adam seeking to bypass that protocol, He has restored each person to that state of goodness in a personal committed relationship with Christ Jesus. He said at creation.
“And God looked over all that he had made and it was excellent in every way.” Genesis 1.31, Living Bible.
Yet, despite the influence of sin tainting the nature of man’s goodness, God introduced an order of restoration (a divine protocol to the experience of that state of Eden) in a daily living and growing relationship with Christ.
“ I am the living bread which came down from heaven...As the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me” John 6.51,57NKJV
Jesus emphasised this protocol of life many times. In another place, He said
“I am the Way- yes and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the father except by means of me” John14.6
Jesus was very emphatic to let us know that achieving Godlike results does not come from personal decisions but from carrying out the instructions of our Father. He says He is the Way, Truth and Life and it can’t get any better than that. There are things that we seek to achieve on this earth and these can only be done from the place of obedience. Results are not just of a natural form (as the worldview will have us believe) but most importantly, of a spiritual kind.
If there is no spiritual foundation to anything you are presently engaged in, you will not have an inner fulfilment even where there is a measure of success. You will always be reaching for more of the outward to fill that void until a destructive behaviour sets in. That has been the pattern of the lives of people that put the natural over the spiritual.
“If God doesn’t build the house, the builders only build shacks. If God doesn’t guard the city, the night watchman might as well nap. It is useless to rise up early and go to bed late and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?” Psalm 127.1-2
The rest (inner peace, outward excellence) is a gift that God has for all of us. Why choose to go outside of protocol and experience turmoil and suffering of many forms? The divine protocol is simple- GOD FIRST above all things!!! Well you say ‘But I do that all the time’ really! Have you been a little bit sincere and truthful about your decision making process? Are they coming from a place of fellowship with God and this does not have to involve hours of your time or are you listening to every intellectual discussion, opinion and the latest fad in town. Are you keeping up with the ‘Jones’ of fashion, religion, education and everything else and using God as some rubber stamp on your thinking. Unfortunately, that will never give you the experience of God’s rest.
Over the years, man has tried to bypass this protocol without much success. God’s rest is all encompassing and not partial as the worldview advertises to deceive. It is often wrapped up in the allure of fame and fortune but that will not suffice and neither will religion and its activities either. The reason is that every act of your will outside of God regardless of its seeming correctness is self righteousness - your will and not God’s will. Hear what the Scriptures say of that
“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness and seek to establish their own righteousness have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” Romans 10.3-4, NK JV
Thus, it is clear that what counts with God is His righteousness and not your perception about anything. That is divine protocol. Learning to follow it involves a DAILY WALK and WORK with God- listening, teachable to correction, making daily and most of the time inconvenient adjustments without gripping about it( sometimes you do but you soon realise that you lose ground doing so and re-adjust). It is a slow yet steady work of restoration and transformation but the results of obedience are inner peace and outer excellence.
When this understanding entered into my heart, it was like pure joy. I suddenly understood myself better, recognising my mistakes with clarity and making the adjustments with excitement within because I could see the bigger picture and not the immediate circumstances. Lots of times my spirit is busting with excitement and I find myself laughing and giving thanks even though there is nothing on the outside at that moment causing that action. It is the move of the spirit knowing what is ahead and is coming. That is why you can’t give up even though you may not yet have all the answers but you know it is coming together. It is a lifelong journey.
Let me give you a warning that along the way you will make stops of errors and wrong decisions, disappointments but quickly get back on track. The Holy Spirit is a very great help in these times. Recently, I really lost it with the death of a young cousin. I mean my faith WAS SHAKEN and I found myself questioning my beliefs and God. This has never happened to me before. But you know what? You may be shaken but not God. He is resolute. While all this was going on with tears and a heart torn with grief, I told the devil in clear terms to butt out because I was not going his way either. I recall saying ‘devil, don’t even think you have a way into my life for this is between me and God’ while at the same time, I was informing God that I was not in the mood to communicate with Him. Well looking back at that close call, that part sounds comical but it wasn’t to me at that time. But God was truly marvellous for He sent a Word into my heart to heal me and later that day, confirmed certain aspects of my life that I had questioned. The Word was 2 Corinthians 4.8-9
“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t’ give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going”, Living Bible
When I pondered on it, the pain began to melt away and there was a lifting of the burden of sorrow that I felt. Even though I couldn’t understand why she died of cancer with the medical help and prayer, yet I had an inner peace to move on. Two months later, while reading and meditating on Kenneth Hagin’s book called Health Food, I was able to understand some of the answers to my questions and that helped me to redefine the ways I could help my family spiritually. (I recommend the book if you want to build up your faith. It is written from the perspective of divine healing but if you must recognise that healing covers every aspect of life and not just illness. It is rich in the practical wisdom of God)
Another very important protocol is the Ministry of the Holy Spirit and your response to Him. Many do not even recognise the Holy Spirit as A PERSON with a PERSONALITY. It does not register in their mind that HE has a presence within them and that you can relate with Him as you do with the closest of friends and even better. Others think of Him as a last resort in trouble. But that is wrong- so wrong. You must recognise that the Holy Spirit is the best HELP that you have and the FIRST RECOURSE to any matter. Have sincere fellowship with Him. He keeps all your unspeakable and unrevealed secrets and He has the best advice. People are often amazed when I tell them that He helps me from fashion to cooking to every task or challenge. Don’t wait until the matter gets to a terrible state and then you suddenly want to find God - It may just be too late.
You want to experience God in your life? Then chose faith over facts and the right facts will soon be revealed. See things from a spiritual point of view and soon when the dust clears, you will be the one with the last laugh. In a world that has virtually mortgaged its soul to self and self and human theories, it is easy to get carried away in a subtle way and live life by what the philosophies of men in every sphere of life says. Often we seem not to openly stand for what is right because it does not quite fit into the belief systems of the world. But hear God first.
When you do things from God’s perspective, you will come out triumphant and much more than you thought possible.
God tells us that to believe that He exists and cares enough to respond to those that love Him (Hebrews 11.6)
Are there issues in your life at present where you seem not to have the right answers or you want to know that you are in God’s plan and purpose for your life? You may have broken with protocol. Make time (yes we never seem to have time for God but make one for everything else) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you to re-organise your life (make the necessary adjustments). You have enrolled in the everlasting school of the Spirit- no graduation to look forward to till we get to heaven.
A word of advice – you will not always shout halleluyah at first because the adjustments are not coming out of your will but you will definitely scream HALLELUYAH at last when you have experienced His will and it is always beautiful. Be teachable, ready to make inconvenient and sometimes difficult adjustments for that experience ahead. Your ploughed heart that is willing to obey and receiving the seeds of instruction can only produce a rich harvest in your life. Having enrolled in this school, I am amazed at so much experience of the Word and its application in new ways to dealing with life’s activities.
Don’t break with divine protocol. Learn the order of God in all issues of your life and follow it diligently. Of course there will be teething problems but God is ready with the right wisdom if you seek guidance. Don’t cut corners or turn aside to copy what the next person is doing- it will only delay the process and open you to more frustration. Let go of hastiness, competitiveness and comparison for they are unholy alliances. You want friends? Go with patience and a thankful heart.
YOU are a good person. That is God’s verdict not mine and it is written of you in the most apt and beautiful description in 1 Peter 2.9-10, The Message Bible
“But you are the ones chosen by God for the higher calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night and day difference he made for you- from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted”.
Granted you may not feel this way always or life has knocked you around but the above is who you really are. Start with acknowledging that daily in various ways and don’t allow contrary opinion to hold sway over your life. Only allow the Holy Spirit to bring you into the EXPERIENCE of this life. That is DIVINE PROTOCOL.
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