The church today is in desperate need of the revelation of Jesus Christ.. Paul received a revelation of Christ on the road to Damascus that forever changed his entire life. We as believers today need the same revelation. Our conduct reveals that we do not possess the revelation of Who Jesus is. Every one claims to believe, yet are not walking in the way that Christ commanded us to walk. We have built great edifices and organizations, but they are hollow and devoid of the anointing Spirit of God. We give lip service, but our hearts are filled with the material things of this world.

What God did in Paul's life was not unique; a one time event never to be repeated. The same power and anointing that transformed Saul into Paul is as available today as it was then. Being religious will not bring this revelation. Saul was zealously religious, and thoroughly convinced that he was doing God a service by his persecution of the early church. Yet when he encountered the risen Christ, his entire world was changed. His thinking was altered, and brought into line with God's. His understanding of the scriptures was opened up, and he could now see what before had been hidden to his natural understanding. We are dabbling at religion, all the while claiming to be in possession of the fullness of understanding. The church world today is in exactly the same condition as the church when Christ walked the earth. It is full of Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He went on and explained to the disciples (and to us) that the leaven of the Pharisees is their doctrine. Today we are inundated with all manner of doctrines; yet few have a clear understanding of the only doctrine that matters; the Doctrine of Christ. If you will go through the gospels, you will see that the Lord had much to say to the religious leaders of his day, and he was not commending them for doing a good job. Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. The world is full of churches, but spiritual darkness has never been greater. The division and dissension among denominations and doctrines is just as volatile today as it was then. People strongly believe all manner of teachings, yet they remain unchanged. We hold a form of Godliness, but we deny the power thereof. We have exactly the same situation as Paul found himself in when he stood before the council in the 23rd Chapter of Acts. When someone speaks the truth under the unction of the Holy Spirit, religious leaders and laymen alike, will look to find fault according to their own interpretations rather than accept the Word of God.

Acts 23:7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. Because of all our differing opinions, we futilely defend our point of view (interpretation), increasing the divisions among us as believers.

There is only One that has the power to change a man, and that One is Jesus Christ. Without the revelation of Jesus Christ, we are in darkness. Until we come under the authority of Christ, we are operating in our own strength. This is why we see such pitiful results for all of our valiant efforts. Jesus said in Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. We will never know God outside of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the one and only entrance to God. There are many counterfeits and imposters, but they will never be able to impart eternal life to you or anyone else. It takes Jesus Christ to reveal the Father to us. There is an enormous difference between knowing about God, and having a personal knowledge of God. Those who know about God are casual, some almost flippant about spiritual things. Those who hold a personal knowledge of God cannot fail but hold a reverential fear of Him. Our God is a consuming fire! God knows every thought we think. He sees into the deepest recesses of our hearts. He knows those who are His and who are not. To have a revelation of Jesus Christ is to come to know God. When we come to actually know God we will think differently. We will realize that we are privileged to be a servant of the Most High. We will not come before Him as spoiled children thinking only of what we can get from God; how we can feed the lusts of our flesh by our association. When we know deep within that we are merely the clay: He is the potter, we will stop trying to dictate to God what we think He should do. We will learn to listen attentively, and act in absolute obedience to what we hear. Philippians 2:12,13...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. We will know that we are walking in the revelation of Christ when we find greater pleasure in being obedient than in having our own way.

In many older Bibles, the last book in the Bible is listed as The Revelation of Jesus Christ,while many newer versions say The Revelation of St.John the Divine. Regardless of how the publisher chose to title it, the book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ. The first three chapters give us the most up to date description of our risen Lord to be found in the entire Bible. Mentally many Christians think of Jesus as a babe in a manger; or feeding the 5000; or hanging on the cross. Very little emphasis is placed on the majesty and glory of our risen Lord. Though many have been believers for many years, they would be hard pressed to give a full accounting of exactly what the Gospel of Christ is and what requirements Jesus said must be met if we would be his disciples. Jesus gave John seven letters to the churches in the 2nd and 3rd chapters. These letters address the state the churches are in, what they are doing that deserves recognition and what they are doing that does not meet God's requirements. We would do well to study those letters and apply them to ourselves rather than assume that He was speaking to someone else.

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. It is not enough just to know about Jesus. It is not enough to keep just some of his commandments. If we hold back, we will never see the manifestation of the Son of God in our lives. It's all or nothing. Anything less than full commitment and we will fall when faced with persecution. We cannot be a closet Christian and hope to make heaven our home. Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

It is only as we receive the revelation of Jesus Christ into our hearts, that our minds become illuminated; that we begin to see with the eyes of the Spirit. God's ways are not man's ways. As members of the household of God, we must learn a new way of living our lives in this world, according to the rules of God's household. The price we must pay is death to self. The reward we receive is an entirely new life lived in and by the Spirit.

Not everyone will receive the revelation of Jesus Christ. God chooses whom He reveals Himself to. God gives us the hunger and desire to know Him. God strengthens and enables us to die to our flesh and live by His Spirit. It is all God.

There is no greater peace, joy or satisfaction to be found than in a living relationship with our Creator and Savior. As we walk in spiritual union with God, we experience the peace that passeth understanding firsthand. We are no longer tossed to and fro emotionally. We no longer fear what man may do. We are restored, spiritually. We understand what Jesus meant when he said "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" Matthew 11:29,30. We discover the freedom of living a spirit filled life. His yoke is incredibly easy to bear. We are restored back into the proper relationship with the Father and the Son that God desires to bring all of his children into.

This personal restoration is but the first necessary step. As we are brought back into right relationship to God, He can then reach the world we live in and bring this same restoration to all of His creation. If the Lord is drawing you to seek Him in a greater measure, do not refuse His call. God is the only one who save, who can heal, who can restore. We can participate in this restoration process if we are willing to be obedient.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. We cannot even imagine the wonder of walking in fellowship with the living God. Yet we can possess this level of relationship now, today. We do not have to wait until we die and pass on to experience spiritual renewal. Paul went on to say (1 Cor. 2:10-16) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of this world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might freely know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things we also speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. Paul walked in the Spirit, just as Jesus did. We are called to press into the same relationship. When we grasp the full revelation of Christ, we will be changed into his likeness. Restoration of a right standing relationship to God is the inevitable result. May we seek the Lord with our whole heart, and mind and soul. He has promised that if we seek Him we will find HIM. May God's perfect will be done in our individual hearts, as well as be brought to full manifestation is this world.