I was intrigued though ignoring me Jesus made His way towards a largish entrance in one of the many buildings that lined the road. It was bigger than an entrance for a normal sized door but smaller than a barn,
I followed Jesus into the building and could see there was a blacksmith busy making swords.
He was delicately sharpening a fine sword in his hand. In one moment he was aggressively placing the sword against the grinder which he rotated at great speed. When the two came into contact there was a great screeching noise as the sword gave of sparks almost like it was at odds with the grinder yet I could see the Swordsmith was turning something of beauty into something even more beautiful. Despite this relationship of violence of the sword being pushed against the grinder the swordsmith did this with the most delicate slight of hand I watched as His gentle touch and caress sculpted the sword into what is a weapon of extreme power.
I looked closely at the swordsmith as He did this. He was of average height yet quite stockly built. His right foot was attached to a foot pedal which was attached to a spindle which was attached to the grinder. In a careful smooth movement his foot would pump up and down on the pedal. Sat on a three footed stool which He seemed to be so much bigger for to either sit comfortably or do his job effectively. He wore dirty trousers that came to just below his knee with dirty great big socks underneath that made it difficult to tell where the socks ended and the trousers began mainly because both were covered in the same dirty dark sooty colour. A scarlet shirt hung over the trousers that at it's top had eyelets that were done up with what appeared to be a shoe string to the top that hung losely undone from the top eyelet. His sleeves were rolled up to just above his elbows and he sat on his stool hung over His grinder with the sword he was grinding delicately poised in his hands.
He had very thick fingers and strong hands attached to a strong arms and a strong stout body. I could see his fingers were very dirty much like his trousers and socks, his hands were cut and bruised and the odd bit of skin I could see was dry and course. Grit surrounded his nails and I could make out many small burns on his fingers that extended to larger but fewer in number on his hands and again larger but fewer on his lower arms.
He had long thick shoulder length dark hair that as he hung his head seemed to get in His way yet there was a resolute stare in his eyes that could see beyond it like it wasn't there. A thick short dark beard extended around his jaw which grew longer under his chin which protruded from His lips and seemed like if he just flinched a little would get ripped off by the grinder it hung over. A voice then spoke
This is the Master Teacher. He is a master teacher because He Himself makes Teachers. There are many teachers who sow listeners but their are not many that reap teachers. As Jesus said this I stared at the teacher and then exclaimed, He Is Jesus, He is you. Jesus nodded and acknowledged what I said saying and who he exactly was.
I am He, pausing he said I am the Master Teacher which is why you now see me and yes I am He. I am Jesus. Many ministries make servants, not enough make ministers. That's one of the many reasons why this Great Town will be destroyed and one of the many things I am here to show you. Paul exhorted those to copy his example and to become like Him, Paul had the authority to do this because he was making himself more and more like me each day.
Jesus then began to exhort me in in teachings of Paul, he continued...
But Paul made disciples of Christ not of himself, he only put himself up as a physical example of what to be because spiritually he was modelling me. There are too many that are made into slave hybrids of their masters ministires and then still less that are actually made to be disciples.
The goal of minsters of my ministry are to make disciples for me which is why Paul exclaimed that he was being passed from one degree of glory to the next making himself more and more like me. One of my minstries is as a Teacher'
I paused starring at what the teacher was doing while listening to what Jesus had to say.
Peering in deeper I looked around to find that the Swordsmiths building was packed with people. Young and old, small and large, male and female. Each had a sword at their side. Each intently watched the Master Swordsman at work all paying close attention and almost pausing, deliberately struggling not to breath. The swordsmith carried on as if no-one were there. There was a little girl standing beside who could not be older than 7 or 8. She seemed puzzled by what she saw the swordsmith doing. Distracted the Swordsmith looked up at the girl and beckoned her to join him. He shuffled back to make just enough room for her on the stool and as she came to him and sat on the edge of the stool he looked at her and appeared to whisper something to her. She paused for a second and then looking at a very small sword that was to her side she drew it from its sheath and then holding it with both hands presented it to Him. He picked her up and put her on His knee. Carefully he took her hands in his and delicately helping her began grinding the sword with her all the time explaining to her what he was doing.
Jesus again began addressing me as I watched this...
'A teacher is someone who will show first, tell latter. You are a teacher firstly because you show others what it is like to teach. Disciples learn by having a teacher show them not tell them. Only then if they are a little stuck and ask or require instruction does a teacher instruct them and then only do they tell with showing. Most of what you call Teaching in your generation is not worthy to tie the scandal on this little one's foot...'
I looked up at the master teacher with the little girl, it was surely a wonder to behold. I could not really see what the Swordsman was showing her but I could see the delight in her face as her puzzled look was replaced by understanding and as he slowly withdraw his hands from controlling hers without her even knowing it her confidence allowed her to take more control until He was barely there other than to give her an extra couple of feet in height.
I am He pausing again he continued When I ascended to my Farther I as it is written in scripture I lead captives in my wake.... he paused then continued
I also descended giving gifts to men, those gifts are primarily to my church. They are gifts from me and off me. They are my ministry, given so that when it was the right and proper time for my ascension that I also permanently descended so that my ministry and the ministry of the church can continue which is why Paul latter explains that I gave some firstly to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, others to be Evangelists and then some Pastor-Teachers. These are firstly gifts they are not ministries they are gifts to my church from me, they are not gifts to the ministers. Secondly they are Charis gifts, that is the are given by grace and grace alone. They are given because I choose to give them, they are given to whom I choose to give them, and apportioned to do what I choose to do with them by my own sovereign will. The actual ministers are actually innocent bystanders in all this. There is only this Master Teacher because I am the great master teacher which is why the Swordsmith you see is I and I say "I am He'. Little of your generation of ministers do I see myself in as I will show you.
The Battlefield - The Path and the Street
I followed Jesus into the building and could see there was a blacksmith busy making swords.
He was delicately sharpening a fine sword in his hand. In one moment he was aggressively placing the sword against the grinder which he rotated at great speed. When the two came into contact there was a great screeching noise as the sword gave of sparks almost like it was at odds with the grinder yet I could see the Swordsmith was turning something of beauty into something even more beautiful. Despite this relationship of violence of the sword being pushed against the grinder the swordsmith did this with the most delicate slight of hand I watched as His gentle touch and caress sculpted the sword into what is a weapon of extreme power.
I looked closely at the swordsmith as He did this. He was of average height yet quite stockly built. His right foot was attached to a foot pedal which was attached to a spindle which was attached to the grinder. In a careful smooth movement his foot would pump up and down on the pedal. Sat on a three footed stool which He seemed to be so much bigger for to either sit comfortably or do his job effectively. He wore dirty trousers that came to just below his knee with dirty great big socks underneath that made it difficult to tell where the socks ended and the trousers began mainly because both were covered in the same dirty dark sooty colour. A scarlet shirt hung over the trousers that at it's top had eyelets that were done up with what appeared to be a shoe string to the top that hung losely undone from the top eyelet. His sleeves were rolled up to just above his elbows and he sat on his stool hung over His grinder with the sword he was grinding delicately poised in his hands.
He had very thick fingers and strong hands attached to a strong arms and a strong stout body. I could see his fingers were very dirty much like his trousers and socks, his hands were cut and bruised and the odd bit of skin I could see was dry and course. Grit surrounded his nails and I could make out many small burns on his fingers that extended to larger but fewer in number on his hands and again larger but fewer on his lower arms.
He had long thick shoulder length dark hair that as he hung his head seemed to get in His way yet there was a resolute stare in his eyes that could see beyond it like it wasn't there. A thick short dark beard extended around his jaw which grew longer under his chin which protruded from His lips and seemed like if he just flinched a little would get ripped off by the grinder it hung over. A voice then spoke
This is the Master Teacher. He is a master teacher because He Himself makes Teachers. There are many teachers who sow listeners but their are not many that reap teachers. As Jesus said this I stared at the teacher and then exclaimed, He Is Jesus, He is you. Jesus nodded and acknowledged what I said saying and who he exactly was.
I am He, pausing he said I am the Master Teacher which is why you now see me and yes I am He. I am Jesus. Many ministries make servants, not enough make ministers. That's one of the many reasons why this Great Town will be destroyed and one of the many things I am here to show you. Paul exhorted those to copy his example and to become like Him, Paul had the authority to do this because he was making himself more and more like me each day.
Jesus then began to exhort me in in teachings of Paul, he continued...
But Paul made disciples of Christ not of himself, he only put himself up as a physical example of what to be because spiritually he was modelling me. There are too many that are made into slave hybrids of their masters ministires and then still less that are actually made to be disciples.
The goal of minsters of my ministry are to make disciples for me which is why Paul exclaimed that he was being passed from one degree of glory to the next making himself more and more like me. One of my minstries is as a Teacher'
I paused starring at what the teacher was doing while listening to what Jesus had to say.
Peering in deeper I looked around to find that the Swordsmiths building was packed with people. Young and old, small and large, male and female. Each had a sword at their side. Each intently watched the Master Swordsman at work all paying close attention and almost pausing, deliberately struggling not to breath. The swordsmith carried on as if no-one were there. There was a little girl standing beside who could not be older than 7 or 8. She seemed puzzled by what she saw the swordsmith doing. Distracted the Swordsmith looked up at the girl and beckoned her to join him. He shuffled back to make just enough room for her on the stool and as she came to him and sat on the edge of the stool he looked at her and appeared to whisper something to her. She paused for a second and then looking at a very small sword that was to her side she drew it from its sheath and then holding it with both hands presented it to Him. He picked her up and put her on His knee. Carefully he took her hands in his and delicately helping her began grinding the sword with her all the time explaining to her what he was doing.
Jesus again began addressing me as I watched this...
'A teacher is someone who will show first, tell latter. You are a teacher firstly because you show others what it is like to teach. Disciples learn by having a teacher show them not tell them. Only then if they are a little stuck and ask or require instruction does a teacher instruct them and then only do they tell with showing. Most of what you call Teaching in your generation is not worthy to tie the scandal on this little one's foot...'
I looked up at the master teacher with the little girl, it was surely a wonder to behold. I could not really see what the Swordsman was showing her but I could see the delight in her face as her puzzled look was replaced by understanding and as he slowly withdraw his hands from controlling hers without her even knowing it her confidence allowed her to take more control until He was barely there other than to give her an extra couple of feet in height.
I am He pausing again he continued When I ascended to my Farther I as it is written in scripture I lead captives in my wake.... he paused then continued
I also descended giving gifts to men, those gifts are primarily to my church. They are gifts from me and off me. They are my ministry, given so that when it was the right and proper time for my ascension that I also permanently descended so that my ministry and the ministry of the church can continue which is why Paul latter explains that I gave some firstly to be Apostles, some to be Prophets, others to be Evangelists and then some Pastor-Teachers. These are firstly gifts they are not ministries they are gifts to my church from me, they are not gifts to the ministers. Secondly they are Charis gifts, that is the are given by grace and grace alone. They are given because I choose to give them, they are given to whom I choose to give them, and apportioned to do what I choose to do with them by my own sovereign will. The actual ministers are actually innocent bystanders in all this. There is only this Master Teacher because I am the great master teacher which is why the Swordsmith you see is I and I say "I am He'. Little of your generation of ministers do I see myself in as I will show you.
The Battlefield - The Path and the Street
