We are walking in today: Weekend Meditation--Limiting Your Unlimited Potential
Witness shut up throughout the Bible: H6113 `atsar-- to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain; shut up
Witness shut up throughout the Bible: H6113 `atsar-- to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain; shut up
2 Chronicles 6:26 When the heaven is shut up, H6113 and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;
The Torah testifies...............
Deuteronomy 32:36 For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, H6113 or left.
The prophets proclaim..................
Jeremiah 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up H6113 in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
The writings bear witness...........................
2 Chronicles 7:13 If I shut up H6113 heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
Jeremiah 33:1 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up H6113 in the court of the prison, saying,
Limiting Your Unlimited Potential
The potency of your potential requires eternal life to be realized. As we discuss the awesome task of tapping our true and full potential, it is essential that we come to appreciate how important each one of us is and how special we are to The Most High. If you were aware of how much power and worth you have, the first thing that would be affected would be your attitude toward yourself. Many of us have a difficult time projecting a good attitude toward others because we feel bad about ourselves. Great positive thinkers and personal motivators, along with psychologists, all agree that if you feel good about yourself, then your attitude toward others will be influenced by that attitude. However, for many positive thinking programs, this is simply an attempt to convince oneself by mental assent that you are of value and worth. It’s an attempt to convince you of something you don’t believe. On the contrary, what we are discussing here is something different. We are talking here about a fact grounded in truth and reality, and established by the One who created you. Your worth, value, and potential have all been given by The Most High, and there is no formula, test, or scheme to measure the full extent of these qualities and abilities. Therefore I would like to reiterate some principles and concepts that were discussed in earlier chapters. It is essential that you understand these if you are going to tap into your true and full potential.
POTENTIAL UNLIMITED
A principle discussed in chapter 2 states: Everything that is was in The Most High. In essence, everything that exists came out of The Most High or proceeded out of His creative Spirit. He is the Source of everything. The first verse of the book of Genesis introduces The Most High as the Creator of all things… In the beginning The Most High created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). But I would again like to take you back before time began, before there was a creation. Let’s consider what I call the verse before Genesis 1:1. We’ll call it Genesis 1:0. Where was everything before creation came to be? I suggested that the first verse of the Bible could be written as follows: Before there was a beginning, there was The Most High. Before there was a creation, there was a Creator. Before anything was, there was The Most High (Genesis 1:0). The above verse means The Most High did not begin when the beginning began—He began the beginning. He did not start when start got started—He started start! There was no beginning without The Most High. He is the Source, Creator and Sustainer of everything. Nothing exists that He did not create. If it does not exist, it is because He has not yet created it. He is the ultimate Source of everything. Anything and everything that comes after the beginning has to come out of The Most High. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with The Most High, and the Word was The Most High. He was with The Most High in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:1-2). Before anything existed, The Most High had it in Him. That is the reason we ascribe to The Most High only, the term omnipotent. Potent is the word from which we derive the word potential. Omni is defined as meaning all or everything. Therefore the ascription omnipotent means one who is all potential or all power—all ability, seen or unseen, used or unused, manifested or yet unmanifested. The Most High does not only have potential; He is potential—and the Source of all potential. The source of all potential is in the Omnipotent One.
PRINCIPLE: The potential of a thing is related to its source.
The source of all potential is in the Omnipotent One.
This means wherever something comes from determines the potential it has. The degree or potency of that potential can be measured by the demands made on it by the one who made it. Therefore, the potential or ability of a thing is determined by the purpose for which the creator, manufacturer or maker made it. Every product is designed and engineered by the manufacturer to fulfill its purpose. Therefore its potential is built in. The purpose establishes the demands to be placed on the product, and the demands determine its potential. This principle is evidenced by all manufacturers who enclose a manual with their product detailing the expected performance and potential of their product. The manufacturer wants you to read the manual before using the product so it can tell you what demands to make on the product. They are confident you can make those demands because they have already built into the product the necessary components to fulfill the demands. The potential of a thing is therefore not determined by opinions, assumptions or prejudices, but only by the demands placed on it by the one who made it. Your true ability and potential should not be measured by the limitations of an academic test or an Intelligence Quotient score. Nor should it be determined by the social, cultural, economic and educational “norms” of your society. Society did not create you. You are not a product of your culture. You are not the offspring of your economy. You were not created by the Department of Education. Therefore, none of these has the right to determine how much potential you really possess. If you want to know how much potential you have, first discover who created or manufactured you. Then check the demands He is making upon your life. Whatever He is demanding of you, you can do.
PRINCIPLE: The potential of a thing is determined by the demands made on it by the one who made it.
WHAT ARE THE LIMITS OF YOUR POTENTIAL?
It seems to me that the people who change the world and significantly impact humanity are those who have discovered the limitless nature of their potential. They are people who decided to take the word impossible out of their dictionaries. If you are going to realize and maximize your full potential, you will have to understand the true nature of your potential. But to do this, you must first understand the process of your creation and the Source from which you came. At this point, I wish to review a principle we shared earlier that is essential to understanding this process. When The Most High created the earth and made the fullness of its beauty, He used the following principles:
1. He purposed and decided what He wanted;
2. He then decided what kind of material substance He wanted it made from;
3. He then spoke to the substance or material from which He wanted it made;
4. And whatever He said to what He was speaking to came out of what He spoke to—exactly what He said.
5. Whatever came out of what The Most High spoke to was made of the same material substance from which it came.
In essence, whatever The Most High spoke to became the same material for the thing that came out of what He spoke it from. This process-principle is evidenced in the first chapter of Genesis. For example, when The Most High wanted to create plant life and vegetation, He said: “Let the land [dirt, soil] produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees…” And it was so. The land produced vegetation… (Genesis 1:11-12) When The Most High wanted to make stars, He said: “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky [the firmament of the heavens—the gases in space] to separate the day from the night…” And it was so (Genesis 1:14-15). When The Most High wanted fish or marine life, He said: “Let the waters [or the soil under the water] teem with living creatures…” So The Most High created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems… (Genesis 1:20-21) When The Most High wanted animals, He said: “Let the land [soil, dirt] produce living creatures…” And it was so. So The Most High made…all the creatures that move along the ground… (Genesis 1:24-25) If you examine these scriptures from Genesis, you will discover: Whatever The Most High wanted He spoke to the material substance from which He wanted it made. He wanted plants to be made out of soil or dirt, so He spoke them out of the earth. That is why, when a plant dies, it decomposes back to the soil. He spoke the stars from the gases in space; therefore stars are 100 percent high density nuclear gas explosions. When a star “dies,” it dissipates into gases and returns to its original state. (Scientists have discovered this to be true.) Because The Most High wanted animals made from the soil (dirt), The Most High spoke to the earth when He created them. Animals are therefore 100 percent soil (dirt). When animals die, they too decompose and return to the soil. The same process and principle is also true of marine life. Therefore, when The Most High wanted plants and vegetation, He spoke to the soil. When He wanted stars, He spoke to the gases. When He wanted fish, He spoke to the water. And when He wanted animals, He spoke to the earth. But when The Most High wanted you (man), He spoke to Himself. It is important to understand here that whatever The Most High speaks to produces what The Most High says and is therefore composed of the same material substance. So as plants are soil, stars are gases and animals are soil (dirt), even so man is spirit, because he came out of The Most High. Man does not have a spirit, he is spirit—because of the Source from which he came. I am gonna say that again, man does not have a spirit, he is spirit— because of the Source from which he came. This process-principle of creation also introduces us to additional principles that we must understand if we are to fully appreciate the nature of our potential. These principles are evidenced in nature and are scientifically sound. They are as follows:
1. Whatever The Most High wants He speaks to what He wants it made out of.
2. Wherever something came from, it is composed of the same material substance as where it came from. It is a composite of its source.
3. Wherever something came from, it has to be sustained and maintained by where it came from.
4. The potential of a thing cannot be fulfilled without being related to its source.
These principles are clearly demonstrated by The Most High’s system of creation in nature. The plants came from the earth and they must remain related (attached) to the earth in order to live and be fruitful. The stars came from the gases in space and must therefore remain in space in order to remain effective. The fish came from the water and must remain related (submerged) in water in order to live. The animals are products of the soil from which The Most High spoke them and must remain related (feed on) soil (dirt) products in order to live. This holds true for man also: Man (spirit) came out of The Most High (source) and must remain related (attached) to The Most High (his source) in order to live. Man came out of The Most High and must remain related to The Most High in order to live. As the plants need dirt and the fish need water, so man needs The Most High. If man is to realize and maximize his true potential, a relationship with The Most High is not an option--it is a necessity!!! If man is to become all he was purposed to be, The Most High is not an alternative for man, but a requirement. This point is crucial because it helps us understand the ultimatums of Yeshua and the emphatic demands of The Most High our Abba. The call of the Kingdom is not that we should be born of the spirit, but that we must be born of the spirit. Yeshua didn’t say, “I am a way,” but “I am the way” (John 14:6). It was also He who said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. …apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:2-8). This principle is also communicated in The Most High’s command to Adam in Genesis 2:17 when He stated: “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” The Most High really meant: “The day you rebel or detach yourself from His 613 principles, your instructions from your Source, you will cancel your full potential. You will never fulfill the purpose for which I created you.” Sin, therefore, can be understood as man’s declaration of independence from his Source. Please note that even as trees gradually die after having their roots separated from the soil, so Adam, after disobeying his Source, died spiritually. Though Adam’s spiritual death was instant, the physical effects of that death were not manifested until 930 years later. This is evidence that no matter how far man progresses or how much he accomplishes, he can never experience his full potential without a personal relationship with The Most High, his Source. The Most High’s concept of death is also defined in His words to Adam: “…the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16 NAS). Yet when Adam did eat from the tree, he lived physically over 900 years. Every man is born detached from The Most High—he is spiritually dead. So every man born of woman (male/female) has no awareness of his true potential, because the only sure way to know your potential is to know your Source. The key to knowing your true potential is to know your Source. You will never understand, realize or maximize your true and full potential without a relationship with your Source. A man without a relationship with The Most High (his Source) has limited his potential. He can never attain what he is capable of.
EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF MAN’S TRIUNE SELF—BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT
Man is a triune being created after the image and likeness of his Creator-Source. He consists of three distinct yet intricately related dimensions. Each dimension is designed to fulfill a specific purpose in The Most High’s plan for His creation. Each realm of man is designed with the potential to maximize its function and fulfill its intended purpose. But the potential of each dimension cannot be understood apart from its Source. Let us now take a closer look at each part of man and explore the untapped potential that lies buried there.
THE POTENTIAL OF THE BODY
As man, in his pursuit of knowledge about his world and environment (through the disciplines of science), explores the various aspects of creation, he reaches the general conclusion that the magnificent mystery of the human body still stands at the apex of all natural forms of creation. For decades, specialists have dedicated their lives to the study of the physiological potential of the human body—its ability to handle pressure; to adjust itself to varying environmental changes; to defend itself against disease, danger or threat; to maintain its stamina under physical exertion. Yet, despite man’s technological advancements and his scientific explorations of this masterpiece of creation, scientists continue to admit that they have limited knowledge concerning the potential of this mechanism of precision we call the human body. The human body has been described as 80 percent water (fluid), with a degree of calcium, fiber and tissue. But to fully appreciate the true potential of the human body, we must understand the purpose for its creation.
THE PURPOSE OF THE BODY
To understand the purpose of the body, we must understand the purpose for man. When The Most High created man, He created him a spirit being with a physical house (body). Then The Most High placed him on the physical earth. The Most High purposed and intended to rule and dominate the physical realm from the invisible realm through the agency of mankind. In essence, The Most High desired to control the seen from the unseen through the unseen living in the seen on the seen. The Most High desired to have His Kingdom extended from heaven to earth by allowing His Spirit to reign through man’s spirit as man dominated the earth through his soul and manifested His nature through the body. Therefore, the triune nature of man is designed for the following purposes:
1. Man’s spirit: To relate to The Most High (pick up the spirit world)
2. Man’s soul: To relate to the mental realm (intelligence) 3. Man’s body: To relate to the physical environment (pick up earth)
The human body was thus specifically designed to relate to and pick up the earth or physical realm. The Most High did not intend the body to relate to the spiritual or supernatural world. It is essential, then, that we do not judge our true potential by the abilities or limitations of our physical bodies. For this reason, our five senses are specifically designed to “pick up” our natural environment. Our powers of sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste are all related to the natural, physical world. The potential of our bodies is therefore governed by its physical capabilities. The Most High never intended man to be controlled or limited by his physical body. You were not created to be intimidated by your environment.
FROM REVELATION TO INFORMATION— FROM DISCERNMENT TO SENSE
Man’s original state in the garden of Eden, before the fall, was one of perfect union and fellowship with The Most High. He was designed to live from the inside to the outside, from his spirit to his body. The Most High designed man to be led by his spirit, not driven by his environment. Man was intended to live through spiritual discernment, not physical senses. But when Adam (the first man) disobeyed The Most High, he destroyed his fellowship and communion with the Spirit of The Most High (Genesis 3). The consequence was death. Death is isolation from the spirit world of The Most High. Through disobedience, man’s spirit lost contact with the source of heaven. As a result, man became a victim of his soul (mind, will, emotions) and his body (five senses). His life became governed by his external environment as his five senses controlled his existence. Immediately after Adam and Eve disobeyed The Most High’s command, “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked” (Genesis 3:7 NAS). The word knew comes from the concept to know, from which we get our word knowledge. In essence, Adam and Eve suddenly became aware of their external environment. They began to live life from the knowledge they gained from their senses. That was the birth of education. From that day on, man measured his life, worth and value by his environment. And the relationship between man and his environment gave birth to humanistic philosophy. In reality, the body and its sensual capacity became man’s measure of reality. Man started living and interpreting his existence according to the information he gained through the senses of his body, instead of the revelation received through his spirit from the Spirit of The Most High. Man’s fall placed his body in a position it had not been designed to occupy. This change has caused man to limit his potential ability to the capabilities of his senses and his physical body.
DIGNIFIED DIRT
No matter how majestic and wonderful the human body is, we must be careful to remember the reality of its composition. According to Genesis 2:7, the Manufacturer of this magnificent masterpiece made and formed it from the “dust of the ground.” The body is 100 percent dirt. The apostle Paul called the body a “[heavenly] treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7). The principle we discussed earlier— the potential of a thing is related to its source—must be considered. If the physical body is related to the earth, it must be sustained and maintained by the earth. The body must feed on soil (dirt) in order to live (plants, animals, fish, etc.). We must, therefore, understand that our bodies—though they have tremendous potentials, powers, capabilities and values—must never become the full measure of our potential.
PHYSICAL HANDICAP—MYTH OR MASTER
There are millions of physically handicapped individuals who, because of their society’s concept of potential, have resigned themselves to a life of self-pity, depression and isolation. There are many who have confused their bodies with their true selves. They have mistaken the “house” for the “resident.” But history gives ample evidence of thousands who have freed themselves of the myth that their bodies should dictate their true potential. They have defied the limitations of their “dirt houses” and soared to the unlimited heights of their soul’s and spirit’s potential. Many have turned their wheelchairs into the cockpits of jetliners as they explored the heights of their capabilities. Others have used their walking canes to pole-vault them into positions that changed the world. Some transformed their world of silence to produce sounds that many are enjoying today. Still others have used their blindness to see beyond the physical. They have captured sights others long to see. Helen Keller refused to be blinded by others’ opinions of her ability—she changed the attitude of the world. Sir Winston Churchill refused to be muted by his speech impediment and physical handicap—while a member of the British Parliament and later the Prime Minister of Britain, he delivered some of history’s most life-changing orations. What is your handicap? Is it a wheelchair, a bed, a walker, the socioeconomic status of your family, or the color of your skin? Is it the ghetto, your parents’ lifestyle, the level of your education, or a terminal illness? Are you disabled by divorce, the absence of your parents, incest, or child abuse? Are you blind or deaf? Do you have a speech impediment or a poor self-esteem? Whatever your perceived handicap may be, you must never allow your true potential to become a victim of the limitations of your physical body or your environment. Reach beyond your grasp. Your body is not your full potential. I am gonna say that again--reach beyond your grasp!! Your body is not your full potential. I encourage you to develop and maintain a correct attitude toward your body. Learn to see it from the perspective of The Most High, its Creator, who (through the apostle Paul) calls it “the temple of the living The Most High” (2 Corinthians 6:16). The Most High admonishes you to keep your temple holy, clean and healthy. You are the steward of this precious earthly vessel. Its maintenance and effective operation are your responsibility. Like any essential equipment, your body needs regular checkups, proper amounts of fuel (food), periods of recuperation and recreation (rest, sleep, and fasting), and invigorating exercise. But do not allow your body to become the dictator of your potential. You are not your body. The biblical perspective on the body is revealed in a number of clear declarations: Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you…? …Therefore honor The Most High with your body (1 Corinthians 6:19). Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). Please note that the previous reference describes the physical body as being in a state of daily disintegration. If we determine our potential by the condition of our bodies—whether we are handicapped or relatively healthy and fit—we are still relying on a premise that is constantly dissolving. You and I must not allow any physical impediment or the natural aging process to immobilize the potential that lies within us. One of the greatest figures in history is described in the Bible as “the father of the faithful.” Abraham demonstrated the tremendous potential of the soul and the spirit, in contrast to the limited potential of the body. The apostle Paul writes, As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of The Most High, in whom he believed… Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations…. Without wavering in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead…being fully persuaded that The Most High had the power to do what He had promised (Romans 4:17-21). The key to Abraham’s success is related to his attitude toward his body. The demands made upon him by The Most High were beyond the natural capacity of his physical body. He was handicapped by age and his wife was handicapped by a barren womb. But they considered not their bodies and believed that The Most High had provided the potential to fulfill the demand being placed upon them. You must refuse to limit your true potential by the limitations of your physical body.
THE POTENTIAL OF THE SOUL
Some years ago a famous pop singer sang a song entitled “I’m a Soul Man.” That title became a common phrase throughout the Western world. I suspect he was referring to the cultural-ethnic orientation of the Afro-American artistic expression. But the statement communicates both a statement of truth and a myth. As we discussed earlier in this chapter, the soul is the triunity of the mind, the will and the emotions. The soul was created for the purpose of receiving revelation from the spirit-man to communicate it to the body and information from the physical senses to transmit it to the spirit-man. In essence, the soul was designed to be the “servant” of the spirit-man, and the body was designed to be the “servant” of the soul. Man is a spirit, lives in a body, and possesses a soul. But the fall of man changed that. Man is a spirit, lives in a body, and possesses a soul. When Adam disobeyed The Most High’s words, his spirit lost fellowship with The Most High’s Spirit and was paralyzed. The soul became a victim of his body and the physical senses. When revelation from the spirit-man was replaced by information from the physical senses, man became a victim of his environment with education as his primary goal. In fact, man was reduced to a “soul man.” Never allow a teacher’s opinion or the score on an academic test or the fact that you didn’t complete your formal education to dictate the magnitude of your potential. You are as potent as your Creator says you are!! The exercise of the soul can make you smart, but not wise. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 1:25: “The foolishness of The Most High is wiser than man’s wisdom and the weakness of The Most High is stronger than man’s strength.”
THE POTENTIAL OF YOUR SPIRIT
The measure of your true potential is your spirit. The Most High has always intended that you and I would live from the inside—from the spirit-man in communion with the eternal Spirit of The Most High. Without that relationship, you are limited to the potential of your soul and your body. The apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Rome wrote: The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6). Please note that the Bible says that the mind controlled by the Spirit is like a fountain of life gushing forth with the potential of The Most High through the Spirit of The Most High. Paul also writes: Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires (Romans 8:5). The Spirit of The Most High has some desires. I believe these desires are The Most High’s original predestined will for your life as written in the book described in Psalm 139:16. If you allow the Holy Spirit to fellowship with and minister to your spirit, and you remain hooked up to the Source of your potential, then you will live according to the knowledge of The Most High’s revelation of your true potential--found when we follow His teachings and instructions, the Torah!! There are things in The Most High’s mind concerning you that your soul can never receive, because it cannot discern them. The Most High has information on your ability and potential that will astonish you and your family!! Paul mentions this in 1 Corinthians 2:9-11: However it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what The Most High has prepared for those who love him”—but The Most High has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of The Most High. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of The Most High except the Spirit of The Most High. Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, black or white, a college graduate or a high-school dropout, you are still a treasure of potential. The measure of your true potential is hidden in the Spirit of The Most High. It can only be tapped by a relationship between your spirit and His. Go after the deep things in The Most High that are related to you as the deep of your potential calls to the deep of the Omnipotent One. Decide to discover The Most High’s concept of your potential, He gave it to us in His Torah!!!
PRINCIPLES
1. The key to knowing your true potential is to know your Source—The Most High.
2. Man is a triune being: body, soul and spirit.
3. The spirit is intended to relate to The Most High, the soul to the mental realm and the body to the physical environment.
4. Death is isolation from the spirit world.
5. Your body is not the measure of your true potential.
6. Your soul (mind, will, and emotions) is not the measure of your true potential.
7. The measure of your true potential is your spirit.
8. The Most High’s desires for your life are discerned by your spirit through fellowship and communication with the Holy Spirit.
The Torah testifies...............
Deuteronomy 32:36 For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, H6113 or left.
The prophets proclaim..................
Jeremiah 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up H6113 in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
The writings bear witness...........................
2 Chronicles 7:13 If I shut up H6113 heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
Jeremiah 33:1 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up H6113 in the court of the prison, saying,
Limiting Your Unlimited Potential
The potency of your potential requires eternal life to be realized. As we discuss the awesome task of tapping our true and full potential, it is essential that we come to appreciate how important each one of us is and how special we are to The Most High. If you were aware of how much power and worth you have, the first thing that would be affected would be your attitude toward yourself. Many of us have a difficult time projecting a good attitude toward others because we feel bad about ourselves. Great positive thinkers and personal motivators, along with psychologists, all agree that if you feel good about yourself, then your attitude toward others will be influenced by that attitude. However, for many positive thinking programs, this is simply an attempt to convince oneself by mental assent that you are of value and worth. It’s an attempt to convince you of something you don’t believe. On the contrary, what we are discussing here is something different. We are talking here about a fact grounded in truth and reality, and established by the One who created you. Your worth, value, and potential have all been given by The Most High, and there is no formula, test, or scheme to measure the full extent of these qualities and abilities. Therefore I would like to reiterate some principles and concepts that were discussed in earlier chapters. It is essential that you understand these if you are going to tap into your true and full potential.
POTENTIAL UNLIMITED
A principle discussed in chapter 2 states: Everything that is was in The Most High. In essence, everything that exists came out of The Most High or proceeded out of His creative Spirit. He is the Source of everything. The first verse of the book of Genesis introduces The Most High as the Creator of all things… In the beginning The Most High created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). But I would again like to take you back before time began, before there was a creation. Let’s consider what I call the verse before Genesis 1:1. We’ll call it Genesis 1:0. Where was everything before creation came to be? I suggested that the first verse of the Bible could be written as follows: Before there was a beginning, there was The Most High. Before there was a creation, there was a Creator. Before anything was, there was The Most High (Genesis 1:0). The above verse means The Most High did not begin when the beginning began—He began the beginning. He did not start when start got started—He started start! There was no beginning without The Most High. He is the Source, Creator and Sustainer of everything. Nothing exists that He did not create. If it does not exist, it is because He has not yet created it. He is the ultimate Source of everything. Anything and everything that comes after the beginning has to come out of The Most High. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with The Most High, and the Word was The Most High. He was with The Most High in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:1-2). Before anything existed, The Most High had it in Him. That is the reason we ascribe to The Most High only, the term omnipotent. Potent is the word from which we derive the word potential. Omni is defined as meaning all or everything. Therefore the ascription omnipotent means one who is all potential or all power—all ability, seen or unseen, used or unused, manifested or yet unmanifested. The Most High does not only have potential; He is potential—and the Source of all potential. The source of all potential is in the Omnipotent One.
PRINCIPLE: The potential of a thing is related to its source.
The source of all potential is in the Omnipotent One.
This means wherever something comes from determines the potential it has. The degree or potency of that potential can be measured by the demands made on it by the one who made it. Therefore, the potential or ability of a thing is determined by the purpose for which the creator, manufacturer or maker made it. Every product is designed and engineered by the manufacturer to fulfill its purpose. Therefore its potential is built in. The purpose establishes the demands to be placed on the product, and the demands determine its potential. This principle is evidenced by all manufacturers who enclose a manual with their product detailing the expected performance and potential of their product. The manufacturer wants you to read the manual before using the product so it can tell you what demands to make on the product. They are confident you can make those demands because they have already built into the product the necessary components to fulfill the demands. The potential of a thing is therefore not determined by opinions, assumptions or prejudices, but only by the demands placed on it by the one who made it. Your true ability and potential should not be measured by the limitations of an academic test or an Intelligence Quotient score. Nor should it be determined by the social, cultural, economic and educational “norms” of your society. Society did not create you. You are not a product of your culture. You are not the offspring of your economy. You were not created by the Department of Education. Therefore, none of these has the right to determine how much potential you really possess. If you want to know how much potential you have, first discover who created or manufactured you. Then check the demands He is making upon your life. Whatever He is demanding of you, you can do.
PRINCIPLE: The potential of a thing is determined by the demands made on it by the one who made it.
WHAT ARE THE LIMITS OF YOUR POTENTIAL?
It seems to me that the people who change the world and significantly impact humanity are those who have discovered the limitless nature of their potential. They are people who decided to take the word impossible out of their dictionaries. If you are going to realize and maximize your full potential, you will have to understand the true nature of your potential. But to do this, you must first understand the process of your creation and the Source from which you came. At this point, I wish to review a principle we shared earlier that is essential to understanding this process. When The Most High created the earth and made the fullness of its beauty, He used the following principles:
1. He purposed and decided what He wanted;
2. He then decided what kind of material substance He wanted it made from;
3. He then spoke to the substance or material from which He wanted it made;
4. And whatever He said to what He was speaking to came out of what He spoke to—exactly what He said.
5. Whatever came out of what The Most High spoke to was made of the same material substance from which it came.
In essence, whatever The Most High spoke to became the same material for the thing that came out of what He spoke it from. This process-principle is evidenced in the first chapter of Genesis. For example, when The Most High wanted to create plant life and vegetation, He said: “Let the land [dirt, soil] produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees…” And it was so. The land produced vegetation… (Genesis 1:11-12) When The Most High wanted to make stars, He said: “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky [the firmament of the heavens—the gases in space] to separate the day from the night…” And it was so (Genesis 1:14-15). When The Most High wanted fish or marine life, He said: “Let the waters [or the soil under the water] teem with living creatures…” So The Most High created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems… (Genesis 1:20-21) When The Most High wanted animals, He said: “Let the land [soil, dirt] produce living creatures…” And it was so. So The Most High made…all the creatures that move along the ground… (Genesis 1:24-25) If you examine these scriptures from Genesis, you will discover: Whatever The Most High wanted He spoke to the material substance from which He wanted it made. He wanted plants to be made out of soil or dirt, so He spoke them out of the earth. That is why, when a plant dies, it decomposes back to the soil. He spoke the stars from the gases in space; therefore stars are 100 percent high density nuclear gas explosions. When a star “dies,” it dissipates into gases and returns to its original state. (Scientists have discovered this to be true.) Because The Most High wanted animals made from the soil (dirt), The Most High spoke to the earth when He created them. Animals are therefore 100 percent soil (dirt). When animals die, they too decompose and return to the soil. The same process and principle is also true of marine life. Therefore, when The Most High wanted plants and vegetation, He spoke to the soil. When He wanted stars, He spoke to the gases. When He wanted fish, He spoke to the water. And when He wanted animals, He spoke to the earth. But when The Most High wanted you (man), He spoke to Himself. It is important to understand here that whatever The Most High speaks to produces what The Most High says and is therefore composed of the same material substance. So as plants are soil, stars are gases and animals are soil (dirt), even so man is spirit, because he came out of The Most High. Man does not have a spirit, he is spirit—because of the Source from which he came. I am gonna say that again, man does not have a spirit, he is spirit— because of the Source from which he came. This process-principle of creation also introduces us to additional principles that we must understand if we are to fully appreciate the nature of our potential. These principles are evidenced in nature and are scientifically sound. They are as follows:
1. Whatever The Most High wants He speaks to what He wants it made out of.
2. Wherever something came from, it is composed of the same material substance as where it came from. It is a composite of its source.
3. Wherever something came from, it has to be sustained and maintained by where it came from.
4. The potential of a thing cannot be fulfilled without being related to its source.
These principles are clearly demonstrated by The Most High’s system of creation in nature. The plants came from the earth and they must remain related (attached) to the earth in order to live and be fruitful. The stars came from the gases in space and must therefore remain in space in order to remain effective. The fish came from the water and must remain related (submerged) in water in order to live. The animals are products of the soil from which The Most High spoke them and must remain related (feed on) soil (dirt) products in order to live. This holds true for man also: Man (spirit) came out of The Most High (source) and must remain related (attached) to The Most High (his source) in order to live. Man came out of The Most High and must remain related to The Most High in order to live. As the plants need dirt and the fish need water, so man needs The Most High. If man is to realize and maximize his true potential, a relationship with The Most High is not an option--it is a necessity!!! If man is to become all he was purposed to be, The Most High is not an alternative for man, but a requirement. This point is crucial because it helps us understand the ultimatums of Yeshua and the emphatic demands of The Most High our Abba. The call of the Kingdom is not that we should be born of the spirit, but that we must be born of the spirit. Yeshua didn’t say, “I am a way,” but “I am the way” (John 14:6). It was also He who said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. …apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:2-8). This principle is also communicated in The Most High’s command to Adam in Genesis 2:17 when He stated: “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” The Most High really meant: “The day you rebel or detach yourself from His 613 principles, your instructions from your Source, you will cancel your full potential. You will never fulfill the purpose for which I created you.” Sin, therefore, can be understood as man’s declaration of independence from his Source. Please note that even as trees gradually die after having their roots separated from the soil, so Adam, after disobeying his Source, died spiritually. Though Adam’s spiritual death was instant, the physical effects of that death were not manifested until 930 years later. This is evidence that no matter how far man progresses or how much he accomplishes, he can never experience his full potential without a personal relationship with The Most High, his Source. The Most High’s concept of death is also defined in His words to Adam: “…the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16 NAS). Yet when Adam did eat from the tree, he lived physically over 900 years. Every man is born detached from The Most High—he is spiritually dead. So every man born of woman (male/female) has no awareness of his true potential, because the only sure way to know your potential is to know your Source. The key to knowing your true potential is to know your Source. You will never understand, realize or maximize your true and full potential without a relationship with your Source. A man without a relationship with The Most High (his Source) has limited his potential. He can never attain what he is capable of.
EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF MAN’S TRIUNE SELF—BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT
Man is a triune being created after the image and likeness of his Creator-Source. He consists of three distinct yet intricately related dimensions. Each dimension is designed to fulfill a specific purpose in The Most High’s plan for His creation. Each realm of man is designed with the potential to maximize its function and fulfill its intended purpose. But the potential of each dimension cannot be understood apart from its Source. Let us now take a closer look at each part of man and explore the untapped potential that lies buried there.
THE POTENTIAL OF THE BODY
As man, in his pursuit of knowledge about his world and environment (through the disciplines of science), explores the various aspects of creation, he reaches the general conclusion that the magnificent mystery of the human body still stands at the apex of all natural forms of creation. For decades, specialists have dedicated their lives to the study of the physiological potential of the human body—its ability to handle pressure; to adjust itself to varying environmental changes; to defend itself against disease, danger or threat; to maintain its stamina under physical exertion. Yet, despite man’s technological advancements and his scientific explorations of this masterpiece of creation, scientists continue to admit that they have limited knowledge concerning the potential of this mechanism of precision we call the human body. The human body has been described as 80 percent water (fluid), with a degree of calcium, fiber and tissue. But to fully appreciate the true potential of the human body, we must understand the purpose for its creation.
THE PURPOSE OF THE BODY
To understand the purpose of the body, we must understand the purpose for man. When The Most High created man, He created him a spirit being with a physical house (body). Then The Most High placed him on the physical earth. The Most High purposed and intended to rule and dominate the physical realm from the invisible realm through the agency of mankind. In essence, The Most High desired to control the seen from the unseen through the unseen living in the seen on the seen. The Most High desired to have His Kingdom extended from heaven to earth by allowing His Spirit to reign through man’s spirit as man dominated the earth through his soul and manifested His nature through the body. Therefore, the triune nature of man is designed for the following purposes:
1. Man’s spirit: To relate to The Most High (pick up the spirit world)
2. Man’s soul: To relate to the mental realm (intelligence) 3. Man’s body: To relate to the physical environment (pick up earth)
The human body was thus specifically designed to relate to and pick up the earth or physical realm. The Most High did not intend the body to relate to the spiritual or supernatural world. It is essential, then, that we do not judge our true potential by the abilities or limitations of our physical bodies. For this reason, our five senses are specifically designed to “pick up” our natural environment. Our powers of sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste are all related to the natural, physical world. The potential of our bodies is therefore governed by its physical capabilities. The Most High never intended man to be controlled or limited by his physical body. You were not created to be intimidated by your environment.
FROM REVELATION TO INFORMATION— FROM DISCERNMENT TO SENSE
Man’s original state in the garden of Eden, before the fall, was one of perfect union and fellowship with The Most High. He was designed to live from the inside to the outside, from his spirit to his body. The Most High designed man to be led by his spirit, not driven by his environment. Man was intended to live through spiritual discernment, not physical senses. But when Adam (the first man) disobeyed The Most High, he destroyed his fellowship and communion with the Spirit of The Most High (Genesis 3). The consequence was death. Death is isolation from the spirit world of The Most High. Through disobedience, man’s spirit lost contact with the source of heaven. As a result, man became a victim of his soul (mind, will, emotions) and his body (five senses). His life became governed by his external environment as his five senses controlled his existence. Immediately after Adam and Eve disobeyed The Most High’s command, “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked” (Genesis 3:7 NAS). The word knew comes from the concept to know, from which we get our word knowledge. In essence, Adam and Eve suddenly became aware of their external environment. They began to live life from the knowledge they gained from their senses. That was the birth of education. From that day on, man measured his life, worth and value by his environment. And the relationship between man and his environment gave birth to humanistic philosophy. In reality, the body and its sensual capacity became man’s measure of reality. Man started living and interpreting his existence according to the information he gained through the senses of his body, instead of the revelation received through his spirit from the Spirit of The Most High. Man’s fall placed his body in a position it had not been designed to occupy. This change has caused man to limit his potential ability to the capabilities of his senses and his physical body.
DIGNIFIED DIRT
No matter how majestic and wonderful the human body is, we must be careful to remember the reality of its composition. According to Genesis 2:7, the Manufacturer of this magnificent masterpiece made and formed it from the “dust of the ground.” The body is 100 percent dirt. The apostle Paul called the body a “[heavenly] treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7). The principle we discussed earlier— the potential of a thing is related to its source—must be considered. If the physical body is related to the earth, it must be sustained and maintained by the earth. The body must feed on soil (dirt) in order to live (plants, animals, fish, etc.). We must, therefore, understand that our bodies—though they have tremendous potentials, powers, capabilities and values—must never become the full measure of our potential.
PHYSICAL HANDICAP—MYTH OR MASTER
There are millions of physically handicapped individuals who, because of their society’s concept of potential, have resigned themselves to a life of self-pity, depression and isolation. There are many who have confused their bodies with their true selves. They have mistaken the “house” for the “resident.” But history gives ample evidence of thousands who have freed themselves of the myth that their bodies should dictate their true potential. They have defied the limitations of their “dirt houses” and soared to the unlimited heights of their soul’s and spirit’s potential. Many have turned their wheelchairs into the cockpits of jetliners as they explored the heights of their capabilities. Others have used their walking canes to pole-vault them into positions that changed the world. Some transformed their world of silence to produce sounds that many are enjoying today. Still others have used their blindness to see beyond the physical. They have captured sights others long to see. Helen Keller refused to be blinded by others’ opinions of her ability—she changed the attitude of the world. Sir Winston Churchill refused to be muted by his speech impediment and physical handicap—while a member of the British Parliament and later the Prime Minister of Britain, he delivered some of history’s most life-changing orations. What is your handicap? Is it a wheelchair, a bed, a walker, the socioeconomic status of your family, or the color of your skin? Is it the ghetto, your parents’ lifestyle, the level of your education, or a terminal illness? Are you disabled by divorce, the absence of your parents, incest, or child abuse? Are you blind or deaf? Do you have a speech impediment or a poor self-esteem? Whatever your perceived handicap may be, you must never allow your true potential to become a victim of the limitations of your physical body or your environment. Reach beyond your grasp. Your body is not your full potential. I am gonna say that again--reach beyond your grasp!! Your body is not your full potential. I encourage you to develop and maintain a correct attitude toward your body. Learn to see it from the perspective of The Most High, its Creator, who (through the apostle Paul) calls it “the temple of the living The Most High” (2 Corinthians 6:16). The Most High admonishes you to keep your temple holy, clean and healthy. You are the steward of this precious earthly vessel. Its maintenance and effective operation are your responsibility. Like any essential equipment, your body needs regular checkups, proper amounts of fuel (food), periods of recuperation and recreation (rest, sleep, and fasting), and invigorating exercise. But do not allow your body to become the dictator of your potential. You are not your body. The biblical perspective on the body is revealed in a number of clear declarations: Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you…? …Therefore honor The Most High with your body (1 Corinthians 6:19). Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). Please note that the previous reference describes the physical body as being in a state of daily disintegration. If we determine our potential by the condition of our bodies—whether we are handicapped or relatively healthy and fit—we are still relying on a premise that is constantly dissolving. You and I must not allow any physical impediment or the natural aging process to immobilize the potential that lies within us. One of the greatest figures in history is described in the Bible as “the father of the faithful.” Abraham demonstrated the tremendous potential of the soul and the spirit, in contrast to the limited potential of the body. The apostle Paul writes, As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of The Most High, in whom he believed… Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations…. Without wavering in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead…being fully persuaded that The Most High had the power to do what He had promised (Romans 4:17-21). The key to Abraham’s success is related to his attitude toward his body. The demands made upon him by The Most High were beyond the natural capacity of his physical body. He was handicapped by age and his wife was handicapped by a barren womb. But they considered not their bodies and believed that The Most High had provided the potential to fulfill the demand being placed upon them. You must refuse to limit your true potential by the limitations of your physical body.
THE POTENTIAL OF THE SOUL
Some years ago a famous pop singer sang a song entitled “I’m a Soul Man.” That title became a common phrase throughout the Western world. I suspect he was referring to the cultural-ethnic orientation of the Afro-American artistic expression. But the statement communicates both a statement of truth and a myth. As we discussed earlier in this chapter, the soul is the triunity of the mind, the will and the emotions. The soul was created for the purpose of receiving revelation from the spirit-man to communicate it to the body and information from the physical senses to transmit it to the spirit-man. In essence, the soul was designed to be the “servant” of the spirit-man, and the body was designed to be the “servant” of the soul. Man is a spirit, lives in a body, and possesses a soul. But the fall of man changed that. Man is a spirit, lives in a body, and possesses a soul. When Adam disobeyed The Most High’s words, his spirit lost fellowship with The Most High’s Spirit and was paralyzed. The soul became a victim of his body and the physical senses. When revelation from the spirit-man was replaced by information from the physical senses, man became a victim of his environment with education as his primary goal. In fact, man was reduced to a “soul man.” Never allow a teacher’s opinion or the score on an academic test or the fact that you didn’t complete your formal education to dictate the magnitude of your potential. You are as potent as your Creator says you are!! The exercise of the soul can make you smart, but not wise. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 1:25: “The foolishness of The Most High is wiser than man’s wisdom and the weakness of The Most High is stronger than man’s strength.”
THE POTENTIAL OF YOUR SPIRIT
The measure of your true potential is your spirit. The Most High has always intended that you and I would live from the inside—from the spirit-man in communion with the eternal Spirit of The Most High. Without that relationship, you are limited to the potential of your soul and your body. The apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Rome wrote: The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6). Please note that the Bible says that the mind controlled by the Spirit is like a fountain of life gushing forth with the potential of The Most High through the Spirit of The Most High. Paul also writes: Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires (Romans 8:5). The Spirit of The Most High has some desires. I believe these desires are The Most High’s original predestined will for your life as written in the book described in Psalm 139:16. If you allow the Holy Spirit to fellowship with and minister to your spirit, and you remain hooked up to the Source of your potential, then you will live according to the knowledge of The Most High’s revelation of your true potential--found when we follow His teachings and instructions, the Torah!! There are things in The Most High’s mind concerning you that your soul can never receive, because it cannot discern them. The Most High has information on your ability and potential that will astonish you and your family!! Paul mentions this in 1 Corinthians 2:9-11: However it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what The Most High has prepared for those who love him”—but The Most High has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of The Most High. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of The Most High except the Spirit of The Most High. Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, black or white, a college graduate or a high-school dropout, you are still a treasure of potential. The measure of your true potential is hidden in the Spirit of The Most High. It can only be tapped by a relationship between your spirit and His. Go after the deep things in The Most High that are related to you as the deep of your potential calls to the deep of the Omnipotent One. Decide to discover The Most High’s concept of your potential, He gave it to us in His Torah!!!
PRINCIPLES
1. The key to knowing your true potential is to know your Source—The Most High.
2. Man is a triune being: body, soul and spirit.
3. The spirit is intended to relate to The Most High, the soul to the mental realm and the body to the physical environment.
4. Death is isolation from the spirit world.
5. Your body is not the measure of your true potential.
6. Your soul (mind, will, and emotions) is not the measure of your true potential.
7. The measure of your true potential is your spirit.
8. The Most High’s desires for your life are discerned by your spirit through fellowship and communication with the Holy Spirit.
SHEMA Selah, we have to hear to listen and then with understanding--obey what the Most High has given us to do!!
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