The Lord's Table

And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Rev 19:9)

A meal consists of both food and drink. Drink alone is not a meal, neither is food alone. What we drink is easily absorbed into the body as it requires no chewing at all to make it digestible. What we eat does require chewing, for if we were to gulp it down like a drink, we’d have a very difficult time digesting it into the blood stream.

We have a great deal to say about this, and it's difficult to explain... everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature--for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.
(Heb 5:11-14)

Infants must drink their meals because they have no teeth for which to chew solid food and their digestive systems aren’t fully developed. But when an infant becomes a child, they can no longer be sustained by milk alone and must begin to eat solid food.

The same is true in the spirit. If I hope to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and His Kingdom, I must learn to “chew” my spiritual food -- the word of God. This means to meditate before the Lord on the things I don’t understand, rather than simply spit them out like a child. And like a child, the one who spits out the strong meat because he prefers milk simply will not grow at the rate of his peers. For a healthy body requires both milk and meat.

Then they will come from east and west, from north and south, and recline at the table in the kingdom of God.
(Luk 13:29)

Faith vs. Acceptance

For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the (rhema) word of God.
(Rom 10:17)

This scripture clearly says I can’t have true faith until I’ve heard God speak to me. “Rhema” is a Greek word meaning “utterance”, as opposed to the Greek word “logos”, which generally refers to a “written word”. The bible is the “logos”, or written word of God. But faith doesn’t come by hearing or reading the “logos” it comes only by hearing the “rhema” word of God.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
(Joh 10:27)

It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
(Joh 6:45)

The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don't need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in Him.
(1Jn 2:27)

My “acceptance” of the truth of God’s word, no matter how strong, is simply not enough. Even when I add works to my acceptance it will not produce so much as a sprig of the promised fruit of the Spirit. And why not? Because God created me for intimacy, first with Him, then with others. It would be contrary to God’s own purpose to grant me my requests, no matter how well meaning they may be, when they are founded on acceptance of His truth rather than true intimacy with Him. This is why Jesus said…

…"For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. (Mat 17:20)

Whether my faith is born of a whisper from God (mustard seed) or a shout is not the issue. The issue is, did I hear from Him at all, because if I did, and I act on what I heard, The Lord says nothing will be impossible for me. But by the same token, if I didn’t hear God and act instead on what is written or what I accept or believe to be true, I should expect nothing from the Lord, which is exactly what I will receive, for His purpose trumps everything else, and His purpose has been and always will be -- intimacy.

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Rom 1:17)

For without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him. (Heb 11:6)