THE LAW OF THE LID
March 27, 2007 by John Baw
The church has been conditioned to believe in limitations, or “lids”. Limitations become habitual, then they become the norm, then they become safe, then you are dealing with a stronghold. It becomes dangerous for someone to challenge the safety of the “lid” of what is possible in the Lord. The following video shows the training of fleas in a way that closely resembles traditional Christian conditioning – the observation of the “lid”.
What are some “lids” that may condition our walk as ambassadors of the Kingdom? Please view the video and comment away!
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That’s a very effective illustration, especially the part about the offspring will inherit the same - scary.
One of the biggest lids I observe is allowing others revelations to limit our own. There are many teachers of Scripture, who love God and who love Scripture, but who are afraid to listen to the Spirit and seek fresh revelation. God always has fresh revelation for us. It’s arrogant of us to believe that we and our forerunners and our books already know it all. I think He wants one generation’s ceiling to be the next generation’s floor - but without trusting Him we simply make their ceiling to be our ceiling also (just like the fleas). We must learn to trust the Spirit - within the safety of the right kind of accountability in our churches, i.e. “it seems good to the Spirit and to us”.
I recently heard of a church that didn’t believe in the gifts of the Spirit. They had some new Christians come to Jesus through them, with no other Christian influence or teaching, and start speaking in tongues and healing people. That lifted their revelation lid a bit and I’m full of admiration that they recognised, and started co-operating with, the work of God that went outside of their current doctrine. Now imagine, what might God want to reveal to us who are smug that we already knew that?
@Mark, awesome point! I had not thought of that. So in a sense what you are saying is that Revelation can easily become a “mold” rather than an invitation to encounter more. Wow! The implications of this are scary because that would mean that yesterday’s breakthough can become today’s lid. hmmmmm.
Excellent testimony regarding the church that did not believe in the gifts of the Spirit. It would take some real humility to ditch your theology in exchange for what God is doing……hmmmmmmmmm.
I think it was George Verwer who wrote a book called “Out of the Comfort Zone.” How true is it that we get accustomed to our way of doing things that those things become so comfortable that we will not change. Jesus upset the religious people of his day by valuing women, (speaking to a Samaritan adulterous woman at that), and by eating with the outcasts of society like tax collectors. Our Love for God can not only be in words, but it has to be expressed in actions and sometimes Jesus will lead us away from our comfort zones.
We must keep a love for God, a love for His Church and a love for the World in mind as a church.
We will not be entirely pleasing to God if we do not seek to bless his church and bless the world. We cannot love the church or the world if we do things in our own strength. We must go to God and receive from Him and love God so that we can love the church and love the world.
We cannot isolate ourselves from the church. We cannot love God and love the world properly if we don’t love the church for we are His body. Without a hand or a leg the body doesn’t function properly.
We cannot isolate ourselves from the world or we run the risk of becoming proud and being unreal. God loves the world. He wants to save sinners from their sins. He wants to give people joy and peace and love. He knows that only a relationship with Him will be able to satisfy our sinful aching hearts. It is this relationship with which he has blessed us. If we do not seek to love the world then we are not honouring God and our growth as a church will be limited by this.
We need to strive to be examples to those that follow. We must strive for excellence. We must seek to Glorify His Name in everything we do and seek His face in His Word. O Lord help your church. Lead and guide us this day into your truth by Your Spirit, touch our minds and not only our emotions. Bless us today, tomorrow, and everyday after until you come!
@Martin: Preach it Bro.! Preach it!
Fantastic, Martin. Thanks!