Knowing Jesus the wrong way has cost people for centuries!
In The Old Testament, the Israelites suffered from the “law of familiarity” as they saw The Presence of THE LORD daily. They received the miracle of manna daily and began to complain of such a miracle. They also lost their gratitude for the deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
Moses recorded by The Holy Spirit in Numbers chapter 11:
4 Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?
5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;
6 but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”
7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium. 8 The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil.
9 And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.
What happened to the Awe of GOD? What happened to the memories of severe enslavement? They suffered from the law of familiarity! They forgot what walking in the Fear of THE LORD meant.
It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in Malachi chapter 3:
16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His Name.
17 “They shall be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels (MY treasures). And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.” 18 Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.
Oh, how I regret not recording every one of FATHER’S supernatural interventions in my life! I recall the major events but should have recorded all events where HE intervened so that I could reflect on them frequently.
Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 4:
16 So Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” [20] Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious Words which proceeded out of His Mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?“
Israel had been without any prophets, manifestations of Glory, without prophetic dreams that previously they were accustomed to, for 400 years. They had gone without the realization of GOD’S Presence that entire time. The only exceptions occurred at the birth of John and Jesus but were isolated and not celebrated by the entire population. This was 400 years of spiritual famine.
Though Jesus affirmed Isaiah’s prophecy before the ears of the people in the temple at Nazareth, they failed to acknowledge Him as the Son of GOD! They only viewed Him as Joseph’s son who grew up in Nazareth. Their unbelief cost them dearly!
How will those who know you respond when you manifest the power and authority of The Holy Spirit? Will the law of familiarity cost them dearly?