March 1, 2001, Re-edited May 10, 2003, Edited again June 24, 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
The subject of circumcision is much more important than churches of our day have made it.
Some people have been drawn into the argumentation of whether the surgery is necessary or not, when a male child comes into the world, when in reality there is a far deeper truth that the churches are mostly missing.
Most all Old Testament practices that were done in the physical and natural were given as pointers to deeper spiritual truths for today. Can you see the deeper truth?? If you read on, I believe you will catch this rich truth for yourself, by the help of the Holy Spirit.
Long ago, as God's people wandered around the desert for 40 years they moved often. Many of their moves brought them near to one pagan society or another. When you have 2 million Jews loaded with the treasures of Egypt camped down the road; and you are a lost, sinful, pagan nation, full of every sort of dark sin, you send out your most attractive daughters to collect as much loot as you can.
God ordered all the men of Israel to receive God's mark of physical circumcision. That scar marked them for God in a part of their body that would cause them to think twice before they defaced the holy mark, by polluting it in sin. To profane God's "mark" would be a bit like picking up a Bible to swat flies, soiling the sacred Book with filthy insect remains.
My friend, Gary, who has a wonderful Internet Bible study ministry quoted a verse that says that today God wants our hearts circumcised:
"But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." [Romans 2:29}In other words, the Lord God wants the mark of holiness, today, to be in our heart. After all, that is the center of our being. That is the source from which good or evil beams out of us. If the heart has the seal of the Holy Ghost upon it...the mark of God Almighty...then we will, hopefully, think twice, even three times before we pour some dirty thing, some vain thought, some evil desire, some alluring graphic into the core of our being, to smear upon the holy mark of God.
The Holy Spirit is that mark...and for the Spirit-filled believer it is a terrible thing indeed to pour filth upon the precious Holy Ghost who lives within.
Oh, Christian brother and sister...what are you putting into the core of your being???? What words are you listening to? Doesn't it bother you when a sitcom on TV allows one of their characters to portray before you an evil, vile and alluring thought? Does it bother you when a wrong word comes out of the entertainment center, echoing upon the walls of your living room, and then ringing in your ears? You take that wrong word in, and it settles into your mind, and then it rains a filthy rain upon the precious Holy Ghost, who is trying to live in your temple. I've heard that believers say that they ignore the bad words and enjoy the movie.
I'm sorry to report this, but if you can ignore evil words you are probably getting hardened to them and used to hearing them. I can guarantee you that the Holy Spirit living in your being doesn't get used to hearing wrong words. Why are you making HIM listen to wrong words? He will not put up with it for long. He will quietly vacate your spirit and you will find yourself having lost ground spiritually. Of course I'm speaking of words that you have a choice about hearing. Out in the work place we often have no choice. In that case the Holy Spirit can touch you and insulate you. But I don't believe the Holy Spirit will put up with a rain of filthy words coming from our living room TV set. We have a choice about that. If nothing else we can leave the room.
When I hear wrong words it bothers me...and I must read much of the Word of God to get clean...for I hear these wrong things even in the work place. And so I try to stay away from those wrong things because I need plenty of Bible to clean me up after work each day...and I don't want to take a dirty shower from my TV when I get home. Nevertheless you cannot walk down the street without wrong things presenting themselves to your eye and your ears.
Lately I've been washing in John Chapter Seven and following....oh, how the precious Word of God touches and cleanses my heart. I have great need for more of the Lord...and I want my heart circumcised, marked forever for God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.
If you didn't know that God's Word has wonderful "shower power," look at Ephesians 5:26:
"That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,..."
I've discovered that listening to the Word of God is, for me, better than only reading it. I've discovered that I can listen to chapters and chapters...drinking it in...but when I try to read many pages, my eyes become heavy.
But, hearing the Bible, dramatized, allows the Word to come alive...suddenly I'm on the dusty road between Jericho and Jerusalem...and Jesus is leading the way...I am one of the disciples and I am walking as quick as I can to keep up with the Master's fast pace. He is a fast walker and a glorious talker. I am walking fast so that He doesn't get out of ear shot...I am drinking the Words into my being. We are climbing up a hill...but the Words from the Master's lips are so pure, so holy, they are a divine meal. I don't mind being out of breath as I walk with HIM.
I can't imagine why the other disciples are not as eager as I to take in Jesus' glorious words....then I remember it is because I know the end from the beginning...I know about the Cross and Pentecost. I have an unfair advantage over them....because I am a time traveler who has been brought to the dusty roads of Galilee and Judea by reading and listening to the Word of God through the miracle power of the Holy Spirit. And through a miracle I am transported into the stories. I want to awake the disciples to what they are missing...but I cannot....I can only listen and drink the Holy Words, from the Holy lips of the Master, as the Holy Spirit brings it all alive.
How can we sit and listen to a sitcom when the Word of God awaits us, anointed by the Holy Spirit???
Too many people drink the Word of God without seeking or asking for the Holy Spirit to bring it alive. This will hurt you! The Bible teaches that the letter of the Word without the Holy Spirit is death. "Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." [2nd Corinthians 3:6] It is like trying to drink powdered milk with no water when you take in the Bible without Holy Ghost help! Seek the in filling of the Holy Ghost. The Word of God will come alive if you are filled to overflowing!
When you are filled with the Holy Ghost you receive the mark of God in your heart. The in filling of the Spirit will do wonders for your heart, circumcising it. The Holy Scriptures are truly food for the heart and soul. You can't lose when the Holy Spirit anoints the precious Word of God, the Bible.
clint