Hide and Seek

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A pastor phoned the home of some recent visitors to his church, and a voice on the other end of the phone answered with a whispered “Hello.” The pastor said, “Who is this?” The whisperer said, “Jimmy.”  The pastor said, “How old are you, Jimmy?”  “Four.”  “Well, Jimmy, can I please speak to your mom?”  “She’s busy.” “Well then, Jimmy, can I please speak to your dad?”  “He’s busy.” “Jimmy, are there any other adults in your home?” “The police.” “Can I speak to one of the police officers?”  “They’re busy.” “Jimmy, who else is there?” “Firemen.” “Well, Jimmy, can you put one of the firemen on the phone?” “They’re all busy.” “Jimmy, what are they all busy doing?” “They’re busy looking for me.”

1 Timothy 6:16 states: Who alone has immortality [in the sense of exemption from every kind of death] and lives in unapproachable light, Whom no man has ever seen or can see. Unto Him be honor and everlasting power and dominion. Amen (so be it). On the other hand Psalm 18:11 He made darkness His secret hiding place; as His pavilion (His canopy) round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. Psalm 97:2 Clouds and darkness are round about Him [as at Sinai]; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

On the surface this appears to be a contradiction. God dwells in unapproachable light, and clouds and darkness surround Him? Which one is it? It’s actually both. One describes the manifestation of God – the Light, and the other the hiddenness of God – the Dark. We’ve been exploring meeting Jesus outside the camp through prayer and seeking. Yet one aspect of the seeking is to realize that you will eventually have to encounter the horrors of the cross. Scripture records that It was now about the sixth hour (midday), and darkness enveloped the whole land and earth until the ninth hour (about three o’clock in the afternoon), While the sun’s light faded or was darkened; and the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit! And with these words, He expired. (Luke 23:44-46)

Jesus found Himself in the darkness. What’s more, Matthews Gospel records what Jesus was experiencing: Now from the sixth hour (noon) there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour (three o’clock). And about the ninth hour (three o’clock) Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?—that is, My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me [leaving Me helpless, forsaking and failing Me in My need]? (Matthew 27:45-46) Jesus was experiencing what some would call separation from God as the sacrificial Lamb of God, took on the sins of all mankind. This is a great mystery. How can Jesus, the Second Person, be separated from the Godhead? He can’t – but His flesh, soul, or carnal man can. His soul man felt the estrangement, but it is my belief that His Spirit Man knew where the Father dwelt. And it is through His Spirit Man that He prevailed by faith over His soul, or flesh.

Graham Cooke has spoken, and written extensively, on the hiddenness and manifestation of God. He states: A key part of God’s nature is the fact that He moves in two ways: hiddenness and manifestation. When we come to terms with this truth, we are set free spiritually to ebb and flow with whatever God is doing. We begin to acknowledge that there are times when God reveals Himself to us and times when he hides. And he has reasons for doing both. I think we all love times of manifestation. I love it when God is right in my face, speaking into everything He can.  But for every time of manifestation, there is a season of hiddenness, where God seems to move away from us. When God hides from us, He is trying to draw us into His presence. So while manifestation takes place in our reality; hiddenness happens in His. And hiddenness is what draws us into a new place in the Spirit.

If, and when, you are experience what St. John of the Cross called the Dark Night of the Soul (La noche oscura del alma) – know that your spirit man (or woman) is being drawn to where Jesus is. The conscious awareness of separation, or distance from God, is simply God’s way of making you aware that He is drawing you to where He is. It’s this understanding that allows you to cooperate with God instead of fighting Him off through it. Understanding is the key to growing through this process, and faith is the handle that will pull you through to the other side.

John Hancock

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Often when we ask for a person’s signature, we will call it their “John Hancock.” This is because of the fifty-six signatures on the Declaration of Independence, one stands out above the rest. That signature belongs to John Hancock. He was the first to sign the declaration and he signed it in a large and legible script so that the King of England could read his name without using glasses. Mr. Hancock wanted it to be very clear where his allegiance lay. His commitment to his country was so clear that when King George III offered amnesty to all who would cease fighting, John Hancock was among the select few who were left out of the offer.

A similar thing happened to Moses. Its found in Exodus 34:5-7 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

At first it appears to be pretty pompous of the Lord. But when we seek to connect to the Lord, listening for His still small Voice to teach us, He will lead us to the Truth, guiding us beyond what offends our natural minds. As I sought Him He surprised me with His answer. Numbers 6:24-27 “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’ “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.” God places His Name upon His people through His Word. Add to that this revelation: Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name! God magnifies His Word above His Name. Let that sink in. Reading this for the first time you immediately think of the Scripture, and that would be right. Yet consider that Jesus is the Living Word of God. In essence, God was exalting Jesus – the Word above His Name, and writing His Sons’ Name onto the heart of Moses. And don’t forget Acts 11:26 …and in Antioch the disciples were first called Christ…..ians. Jesus put His Word in their hearts along with His Name! The good news for us is that God writes His Name – Jesus, Yeshua – on our hearts through His Word. Through our obedience and surrender in our wilderness; and in our dying spiritually to ourselves through prayer, fasting, seeking, submission, and obedience. As we meet Him – the Word, outside the camp, at Christ’s crucifixion, He is, and will continue to write His Name – His Word – His Story – on our hearts. That’s pretty powerful.

Choices

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Dear Sir: I am writing in response to your request for additional information in Block #3 of the accident reporting form. I put “Poor Planning” as the cause of my accident. You asked for a fuller explanation and I trust the following details will be sufficient. I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work, I found I had some bricks left over which when weighed later were found to weigh 240 lbs. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor. Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 240 lbs of bricks. You will note on the accident reporting form that my weight is 135 lbs. Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel which was now proceeding downward at an equally impressive speed. This explains the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collarbone, as listed in Section 3, accident reporting form. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley which I mentioned in Paragraph 2 of this correspondence. Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold the rope, in spite of the excruciating pain I was now beginning to experience. At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground-and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs. I refer you again to my weight. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building.In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and severe lacerations of my legs and lower body. Here my luck began to change slightly. The encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain, unable to move and watching the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let go of the rope.

Choices. They determine the outcome of so many things. Some choices are weightier than others. Like who you marry, taking a job, buying a car or a house, etc. Then there are the lighter choices in life like, Do I want a third patty on this cheeseburger, buttressed by extra slabs of bacon? (Did I tell you I chose to do a Daniel Fast?) When you read the Bible you discover people making choices that have eternal consequences. Consider the temptations of Jesus in the Wilderness:

And the tempter came and said to Him, If You are God’s Son, command these stones to be made [loaves of] bread. (Mt. 4:3)

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and placed Him on a turret (pinnacle, gable) of the temple sanctuary. And he said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will give His angels charge over you, and they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone. (Mt. 4:5-6)

Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory (the splendor, magnificence, preeminence, and excellence) of them. And he said to Him, These things, all taken together, I will give You, if You will prostrate Yourself before me and do homage and worship me. (Mt. 4:8-9)

3 Temptations, 3 Choices. The first was occupied with life. What do you live for? The second, what would you die for? And the final, and third choice: Who or what do you worship? Jesus made it clear what we should live: You should live for every word that comes out of God’s Mouth. Another way of saying that is to say that we should be living for a relationship with God. The second choice, requires closer inspection to understand what Jesus was referencing. In Exodus 17 the people demanded water to drink. Moses took note that they were trying, tempting or testing God. But then he adds another nuance: Why do you find fault with….? Not only were the people trying God, they were finding fault with Him. Are we willing to die not finding fault with God? The third and final choice rested squarely in Eternity. The modern church understanding of worship is that it is a song or posture. Whereas Scripture’s definition goes much deeper than that. Worship involved who or what you served. It was a lifestyle of sacrifice.

What happens in the wilderness, in the praying, and the seeking? What happens when you choose to search for Jesus outside the camp? You discover what you are living for, what you are willing to die for, and what or who you really worship. What choices have you been making?

Under the Surface

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In November of 2016, The Christian Science Monitor wrote an article titled Mt. Saint Helens’ Cold Stone Heart. The article went on to say that: The 1980 eruption of Washington’s Mount St. Helens was the deadliest volcanic event in the history of the United States. But contrary to popular belief, there is no lake of magma within the explosive peak. Instead, geologists say, Mount St. Helens has a cold stone center. In a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature Communications, researchers suggest that the volcano actually siphons magma from a distant source.

Another article from Earthscope.org entitled it: The Multi-Chambered Heart of Mt. Saint Helens in which it states that The most active volcano in Cascadia has a lot going on downstairs. Researchers at Mount St. Helens are working to gain a better understanding of the volcano’s innards. “A lot of people would have a cartoon of a volcano in their mind that has a balloon of liquid magma downstairs. Probably not too many volcanoes look like that,” says Dr. Brandon Schmandt, Assistant Professor of Geophysics at the University of New Mexico (UNM). Understanding the Mount St. Helens plumbing system has long been an objective of geologists. With enhanced imagery made possible through the considerable increase in seismometers near the volcano, they are starting to see that magma may occupy multiple chambers at various depths.

It’s interesting how a volcano can be compared to a heart, and that this “heart has a cold stone center.” How can something with a cold stone center spew molten lava, and turn everything in its wake into stone? Scientists describe the volcano as having a multi-chambered heart. We can discover a similar analogy in Exodus 34:1-4 The Lord said to Moses, Cut two tables of stone like the first, and I will write upon these tables the words that were on the first tables, which you broke. Be ready and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. 3 And no man shall come up with you, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mountain; neither let flocks or herds feed before that mountain.4 So Moses cut two tables of stone like the first, and he rose up early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tables of stone.

Following the worship of the golden calf Moses came down from his “mountain” meeting with God. When he saw what was happening he became enraged breaking the tablets into pieces. The Lord then instructs Moses to cut two new tablets – from stone. Why should this be of interest to us? Ezek. 36:26 compares our hearts to stone. It states, A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Jeremiah 31:33 states: But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says the Lord, I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. On both sets of tables of stone God had written the 10 Commandments. Even more interesting is the fact that Scientists and Doctors divide the heart into two main chambers: Upper and Lower Chambers. Moses was commanded by God to “cut” these stones. Jeremiah 4:3-4 states: For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: Break up your ground left uncultivated for a season, so that you may not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord and take away the foreskins of your hearts, …

I’ve never thought that my heart could be compared to a volcano. But aren’t the parallels interesting? In the wilderness Israel meets God at Mount Sinai, also known as Mt. Horeb. The etymology of both are quite interesting. One means piercing, or scourging, and the other means, sword. In the wilderness we are to ascend God’s Mountain to meet with God, ascending the flaming Sword of His Spirit and Truth. Which Mountain does your spiritual life resemble: Mt. St. Helens, or Mt. Sinai? Are you on fire with the Flaming Sword of Jesus and the Spirit? Do you want to be?

Has God Fallen Asleep?

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In the 1999 movie “Instinct,” Anthony Hopkins plays an anthropologist and primatologist, Ethan Powel, who is being held in a maximum security prison for the critically insane. Cuba Gooding’s character is an ambitious psychiatrist, Dr. Theo Caulder, who is asked to evaluate Powel. At one point in the movie, during a private session, Powel overcomes Dr. Caulder and holds him in a neck-breaking choke hold. Powel (Hopkins) demands that the psychiatrist tell him what he’s lost. Dr. Caulder responds by saying, “Freedom, I’ve lost my freedom.” Hopkins character tightens his grip and says, “Wrong, Bougerious! You have one more chance to tell me what you’ve lost. What have you lost user?” Dr. Caulder (Gooding) responds like a man defeated by truth, “My illusion, I’ve lost my illusion.”

WE find another seeming illusion in Mark 4:35-38: On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

These were seasoned fishermen acquainted with the storms of the Sea of Galilee that even recently have had waves reaching to heights of over 70 feet. Why would the Disciples feel the need to wake Jesus? Could it be that they were annoyed that while they were concerned about the worsening conditions of their plight – He was oblivious, or so it seemed. To those 12 Disciples it appeared that God’s Messiah had fallen asleep during their troubles, and peril. The truth of their circumstances was that the ship was going down! Jesus, God’s Messiah, was asleep and we all are about to die. But what were they basing their confidence in: what they could perceive through their senses; their experience as fishermen; their great wisdom; their understanding of Bible promises? While meeting Jesus out in the Wilderness, outside the camp, circumstances, feelings, your physical senses, perspectives, wisdom, experience, and knowledge – may all seem to scream at you that God has passed you by; that you are distant from the Lord; or even worse – God has abandoned or rejected you.

Yet, Truth never sleeps. His body may have nodded off. But the Truth of their circumstances was that Jesus’ Spirit Man was fully awake. They simply needed to hear Truth speak, trust Him, and watch as He changed their perspective regarding their circumstances.

What do you do when you find yourself in a similar circumstance? You ask several questions of the Lord:

  1. Where is Jesus – the Truth, in my circumstances, feelings, and experiences?
  2. What is Truth doing in and through my circumstances?
  3. What does Truth have to say about my circumstances?
  4. What is the Truth of my situation based not on my experiences, or feelings, but on what the Spirit says?
  5. What is God’s revealed Word, and revelation to me about those circumstances?
  6. Pray and ask, How can I cooperate with You Lord through my circumstances? How can I be pro-active and persevere through them?
  7. What would Faith do, and where, and on Whom would, and should it be focused?

In the wilderness the test is always about: Who and what is your center? A self-centered perspective responds through self-centered values, and interests. A Jesus-centered perspective responds in and through faith (fruit of the Spirit), knowing that Jesus is the Same, Yesterday, Today and Forever. He was right next to the 12 Disciples in the boat, and in charge during the storm of their crisis of belief. He is right next to you, and in charge through the wilderness of your crisis of belief situation. He is Yahweh – the Great I AM. Not I was, nor will I be. He is the same – He hasn’t gone anywhere. So who has moved? Who or what were you looking at? What were you looking for? Let Faith arise – by the Spirit. Live in His NOW. Turn, by Faith, to look to Jesus. Move towards Jesus – through the Spirt, and His Faith.

Abandoned By God?

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In the movie, ‘Faith Like a Potato,’ a farmer with anger management issues becomes a follower of Christ in South Africa. Surrendering His life to Jesus leads him to become a follower of His Word, and this leads him to take a bold, step of faith. Needing to bring in money for his family, he decides to plant a crop of potatoes. Being that his farm is in South Africa, the land is very dry. Most would think it was dead and no life could come from it. With no rain, he begins to question his decision to plant. So after a while of waiting, he and his farm hand decide to take a chance and dig, but first they pray. As he begins to dig, what is revealed is astonishing. The seed yields crops twice the size of what is expected. How is that? He was looking for signs of rain, signs of growth above ground. All the while there was water running underneath the ground.

When we begin seeking Jesus through prayer and fasting at first it feels dry, arid and lonely. Then you begin to wonder if He has passed you by – rejected, and abandoned you. But just under the surface a River is flowing watering the seeds of your faith as you cry out to catch fire with the Presence of God. What seems to be paradoxical, and a contradiction, actually makes perfect sense in the realm of the supernatural, Kingdom of God. How can water start a fire? How can life, come from something that appears to be dry, and dead? How can God be near when He feels so far away?

Following Israel’s idolatrous practices at the golden calf Moses receives some distressing news. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I destroy you on the way. (Exodus 33:3) Could you imagine being Moses? You have abandoned your way of life, and seen God do amazing miracles through you, and for His people. And just as it seems you are nearing the finishing line – God says He’s leaving you. You can hear his anxiety as you read some of the discussions he had with God: Moses said to the Lord, See, You say to me, Bring up this people, but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You said, I know you by name and you have also found favor in My sight. (Exodus 33:12)

And Moses said to the Lord, If Your Presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here! For by what shall it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your sight? Is it not in Your going with us so that we are distinguished, I and Your people, from all the other people upon the face of the earth? (Exodus 33:15-16)

And he said, If now I have found favor and loving-kindness in Your sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray You, go in the midst of us, although it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your inheritance. (Exodus 34:9)

Moses was sweating bullets knowing that if God abandoned them the watching world would begin to mock God, and His people. But God was working in that dry patch of wilderness. Something was happening beneath the surface that couldn’t be detected by the natural eye. In Exodus 33:14 it appears as if God is contradicting Himself, or at least appearing to change His mind, when He replies: And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. But notice that God didn’t say He would go with them. He said His Presence…would go with them. In fact God states in Exodus 33:2 that an Angel would go before them: I will send an Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, Amorite, Hittite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite. What’s odd is that this Angel represents God and His Presence. He speaks for God in the first Person as you see in other Biblical references to this Angel. The Amplified Classic Translation has the following footnote for Gen. 16:7: “The Angel of the Lord” or “of God” or “of His presence” is readily identified with the Lord God (Gen. 16:11, 13; 22:11, 12; 31:11, 13; Exod. 3:1-6 and other passages). But it is obvious that the “Angel of the Lord” is a distinct person in Himself from God the Father (Gen. 24:7; Exod. 23:20; Zech. 1:12, 13 and other passages). Nor does the “Angel of the Lord” appear again after Christ came in human form. He must of necessity be One of the “three-in-one” Godhead. The “Angel of the Lord” is the visible Lord God of the Old Testament, as Jesus Christ is of the New Testament. Thus His deity is clearly portrayed in the Old Testament. The Cambridge Bible observes, “There is a fascinating forecast of the coming Messiah, breaking through the dimness with amazing consistency, at intervals from Genesis to Malachi. Abraham, Moses, the slave girl Hagar, the impoverished farmer Gideon, even the humble parents of Samson, had seen and talked with Him centuries before the herald angels proclaimed His birth in Bethlehem.”

What appeared as God’s abandoning His servant Moses, and His people, was actually a blessing in disguise. Pre-incarnate Jesus was going to be with them, and go before them, to prepare the way. In your walk with the Lord, there are times when it will appear as if God has passed you by, or even abandoned you. Don’t you believe it. Rise up in faith, pressing into the God of the unseen as if He is seen – trusting that He hasn’t gone anywhere. He is simply adjusting your focus and perspective to receive greater revelations of Who He really is. Don’t give up, and don’t give in – Immanuel, is near. The God Who called you to pray, fast and seek Him is the God that is planning a surprise party, and a bumper crop of His Glory and Presence.

Don’t Pass Me By

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A man recounts a time when he had to enter the military while the draft was still in place: I didn’t enlist in the Army — I was drafted. So I wasn’t going to make life easy for anyone. During my physical, the doctor asked softly, “Can you read the letters on the wall?” “What letters?” I answered slyly. “Good,” said the doctor. “You passed the hearing test.”

In the last meditation, The Call of the Wilderness, we discovered the call to seek God through prayer and fasting is a call to seek to join Jesus in the wilderness. This call turns into a series of tests similar to Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness. We see this “testing” taking place throughout Scripture. In Marks Gospel it states: And having seen that they were troubled and tormented in [their] rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night [between 3:00-6:00 a.m.] He came to them, walking [directly] on the sea. And He acted as if He meant to pass by them,…(Mark 6:48) In the Gospel of Luke another account is given of Jesus passing by: As He came near to Jericho, it occurred that a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he asked what it meant. They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. (Luke 18: 35-37) Another passage in Luke reveals a similar theme: Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the Prophets, He went on explaining and interpreting to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning and referring to Himself. Then they drew near the village to which they were going, and He acted as if He would go further. But they urged and insisted, saying to Him, Remain with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent. So He went in to stay with them. (Luke 24:27-29)

When we are seeking God through prayer, fasting, or simply trying to draw nearer to Him, it appears that Jesus has passed us by. Even more painful than this is the news of someone He hasn’t passed by. The news that he has healed them, come near to them, or performed some outrageous miracle – while you sit alone with no answer. Jesus has passed you by – or so it seems.

Truth, we know is more than a concept, but a Person – Jesus, the Christ. And Truth lies hidden in these moments in which it appears Jesus has passed us by. Truth lies hidden in the Gospel accounts that apply to all of us who may feel neglected, or hidden in the wilderness. In the passage of Jesus walking on the water there’s an overlooked detail. Jesus had sent His disciples to go ahead of Him in their boat to the other side so that He could pray. While praying a storm broke out. This storm was no ordinary storm. Many scholars believe it was demonic in origin. It is a known fact that the location of the Sea of Galilee, which is 686 feet below sea level, and surrounded by mountains (Mt. Hermon rises to the altitude of 9,232 feet), that unusual and violent storms break out on its waters. Waves have reached levels of 70 feet or more. While encountering this storm, seasoned fishermen assumed they were going to die. Just hours before they had watched as Jesus miraculously fed 5000 men (not counting the numbers of women and children) fish and bread. Now all of that seemed a distant memory as their small, sailing boat was tossed by the winds in the middle of the sea. Mark’s account suggests that, since they were sailing against the wind, they were “straining at rowing,” a word which conveys the sense of torture, or distress. They had endured this nautical torment for “three or four miles” (Jn. 6.18), and were still no closer to their ultimate destination. Both Matthew and Mark indicate that the disciples were still enduring this hardship “in the fourth watch of the night” — somewhere between three and six in the morning (Mt. 14.25; Mk. 6.48)! Yet, while they were at the end of their strength, Jesus appears, walking on the water. To make matters worse, it appears, He is going to pass them by. But take notice: they were at the end of their strength. When it appeared that the blind beggar was going to be passed by he cried out for the Lord to have mercy on him. The crowds attempted to silence his enthusiasm but this only encouraged him to cry louder. The disciples on the road to Emmaus were kept from recognizing Jesus and when it appeared that He was going to keep walking, they urged and insisted that He remain. They all passed the test. They didn’t give up in their seeking, and they didn’t give in to feelings of rejection and self-pity. A demonic storm, darkness, physical blindness, pressure from crowds to be silent, and the crucifixion, and death of Messianic salvation were not enough to prevent them from seeking.

In the silence of the wilderness what will you do? Will you keep rowing, crying out, and urging and insisting that Jesus stay with you? Our wilderness is not made for our soul, or carnal man. It is designed to cause our spirit man to rise up and be strong. Are you rising up to meet with Jesus? Are you passing the tests?

Call of the Wilderness

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In this short excerpt from a journal entry by the late priest Henri Nouwen, the author describes the need to make a significant change to his life during a very difficult period in his ministry. Nouwen senses the need to have a wilderness experience, free from the daily routines and busyness of modern life: You are living through an unusual time. You see that you are called to go toward solitude, prayer, hiddenness, and great simplicity. You see that, for the time being, you have to be limited in your movements, sparing with phone calls, and careful in letter writing….The thought that you may have to live away from friends, busy work, newspapers, and exciting books no longer scares you….It is clear that something in you is dying and something is being born. You must remain attentive, calm, and obedient to your best intuitions. (Taken from Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom, HarperOne, 1999)

I will never forget when the Spirit revealed to me that to seek God through prayer and fasting was to meet God in the wilderness. It was profound because up to this point in my life I had done everything to avoid spiritual wildernesses and valleys. What shocked me was how often I had sought to be with God through prayer and fasting. I realized through the revelation that I had really chosen the wilderness, or valley life. What kept me from realizing what I was signing up for was the desire to be with the One Who had called my name, and loved me to life. The Lord spoke to me through that revelation saying that He desired for me to get to the place in which I was so close to Him that I wasn’t conscious of the mountains or the valleys. All that mattered was being with Him.

Isn’ it funny how we put limitations and boundaries on a God who is every where? We all do it. We all have our limitations and stipulations of what we will and will not do for God. We limit ourselves based on our personality. Self-centeredly we will remark that we are extroverts, or introverts by nature, focus on our limitations, all the while excluding God from the entire conversation. I’ve even seen believers set limitations on obedience based on their supposed spiritual gifting. Often they will remark that they don’t possess the gift of evangelism, and cannot witness. Or they will proudly state that they are prophets, and can’t be expected to love God’s sheep like a pastor. It’s not my gift. We even erect walls to limit ourselves in our rituals. I’m referring to the rituals of quiet time, prayer, church attendance, worship, fellowship with the saints, ministry, missions, His Word and witnessing.

The writer of Hebrews addresses this issue in Hebrews 13:9-10 Do not be carried about by different and varied and alien teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and ennobled and strengthened by means of grace (God’s favor and spiritual blessing) and not [to be devoted to] foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no [spiritual] benefit or profit to those who observe them. We have an altar from which those who serve and worship in the tabernacle have no right to eat.

You could surmise that rituals place limits on God’s Grace. Whereas Grace is good for the heart, establishing, ennobling and strengthening it. Grace puts no limitations, boundaries or walls around the approaches to God. Grace simplifies and frees those approaches to go far beyond the limitations of our physical strength, mental prowess, or emotional stability. Grace, in fact, is the foundation to the altar that self-centered, ritualistic, legalistic “priests” have no right to partake of. Grace, the empowerment to do what only God can do. Grace, that calls us beyond all expectations, limitations, boundaries, and self-centered soulishness, leads us to what is humanly impossible. Rituals involve a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. Whereas to eat at the altar of Grace will involve going beyond the limitations, prescriptions, understandings, and boundaries. To find Jesus outside the camp will require getting outside of your rituals. It will require taking your “altar” outside – into an everyday work environment. Out into the marketplace, and everyday life. If you were going to approach the Grace available at the Altar of Worship, Praise, or Thanksgiving – you would go beyond the limits of your ritual. You would become extravagant, and rigorous at the same time. In fact the question could be asked, What limitations keep you from catching fire in your worship? What limitations keep you from getting into God’s Holy Fire? Jesus walked straight into God’s Holy Fire – for the joy set before Him, enduring the cross, scorning its shame – so that he could secure our salvation and sit down beside His Father in Heaven’s Kingdom.

Positioned For Presence

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Two paddleboats left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail’s pace of the other. Words were exchanged. Challenges made, and a race ensued. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South. One boat began falling behind because of insufficient fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped behind, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. Lightening their load, and renewing the fuel needed to keep the ovens burning, they won the race. But at what price?

Positioning your self to enter into the Presence of God’s Holy Fire will cost you everything – even your life. Dt. 4:11-12; 33;36 And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick gloom. And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.…Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you heard, and live?…Out of heaven He made you hear His voice, that He might correct, discipline, and admonish you; and on earth He made you see His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire.

Repeatedly Moses positioned himself to be consumed by God’s Holy, Fiery Presence: Ex. 34:2 Be ready and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. Although Moses was never physically consumed by God’s Fire, his sinful nature was. Numbers 12:3 states that Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.” And we know from Scripture that as Moses’ sinful nature was consumed his physical countenance began to glow with the Glory of God. Moses positioning himself to meet the Lord was more than an attitude. It also involved his willingness to go the extra mile to meet with the Lord. His efforts in hiking far outside the camp, ascending and descending the mountain on numerous occasions, demonstrate his faith and humility. When we read the Scriptures regarding receiving answers to prayer, healings, or miracles – often times their manifestation was the direct result of their willingness to go the extra mile to position themselves to receive. Personally I can recount numerous times of seeking the Lord for an answer to prayer that eventually led to my going the extra mile to meet with God to hear His response. Often I’ve prayed, and worshipped way beyond the limits I had set upon my worship; far beyond Sunday only Christianity. There is an unusual, and mysterious passage of Scripture that most have turned into a formula for answered prayer that I believe points way beyond our 2 dimensional understanding. It’s found in Mt. 17:21 And He replied to them, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting. Preceding this verse Jesus states something that sounds preposterous. He states that we could speak to a mountain to be uprooted and cast into the sea. Seeking to draw near to God is more of a mountain than many want to face. The truth and question that this text is asking, even requiring a response to is this: How bad do you want an answer? Are you willing to pray persistently? Are you willing to go to extra lengths in order to see it manifest it’s reality? The praying and fasting Jesus emphasized in this passage wasn’t a “one and done” formula for answered prayers. Not at all. It was a lifestyle of praying, fasting, and tossing into God’s Fire the cargo of our lives in order to win the “race.” Are you positioning yourself to receive the manifestation of Jesus’ Fire; seeking to see Him; to meet Him on His Mountain?

Tents, and Tables of Ascent

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We are told that when John Huss was arrested and informed that he would be burned to death for his faith, he purposely practiced holding his hand over fire to prepare for his final test. He burned himself in preparation. He wanted to be faithful to the end. 

The question I would like to explore today is, What preparations can we make to meet Jesus outside the camp? What visionary steps has the Lord given us to catch fire with His Glory and Presence? Faith, hope and trust are the obvious places to begin our search for the Lord. But what’s the next step to encounter His manifested Presence? Sunday many took the first step in drawing near to the Lord in facing their fear, removing their shoes, and humbling themselves at the church altar. Like Moses removed his shoes – you removed what you were resting, and trusting in, exchanging your filthy rags of self – righteousness for His righteousness. The next step involves fundamental disciplines, Jews, Christians, and other faiths have used for years to connect with God. The only difference being that our disciplines have been transformed by the manifestation of the Spirit of God Who causes them to come to life. For example, in Scripture, when it refers to someone seeking God there were two fundamental disciplines implied: Worship and prayer. Faith, humility, truth, and obedience were the fuel for their practice. But our main focus presently is, What can you prepare in order to meet Jesus outside the camp, and catch fire in His manifested Presence?

Moses provides us with a clue: Exodus 33:7 Now Moses used to take [his own] tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting [of God with His own people].…Exodus 34:1-3 The Lord said to Moses, Cut two tables of stone like the first, and I will write upon these tables the words that were on the first tables, which you broke. Be ready and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. And no man shall come up with you, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mountain; neither let flocks or herds feed before that mountain.

The steps, and disciplines, Moses practiced were: (1) Establishing a place to meet with God; (2) Removing all distractions; (3) Utilizing faith to call it a place to meet with God; (4) Cutting, or carving out time to meet with God; (5) Offering your heart of stone for cutting and carving by the Spirit of Truth; (6) Readying yourself to meet with God; (7) Rising up in the morning; (8) Presenting yourself to the Lord; (9) and Coming alone.

Hebrews 13:10 states: We have an altar from which those who serve and worship in the tabernacle have no right to eat. Another way of saying this is by saying that, We have a table from which they have no right to eat. Now the question begging to be asked is, How can we pitch a tent for His Presence, and cut a table from our spiritual disciplines, that will cause us to come into His Presence, and catch fire with His Glory? How can we find this outside of the ordinary, common, distracting life we experience inside the camp? How can our seeking God, through the disciplines, extend beyond the average, ordinary, common pursuits inside the camp?

Vision

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Sunday many of you responded to the call to seek God to catch fire through His Spirit. As a testimony to your desire to take off your old way of walking in order to turn to see God, and catch fire from the Burning Man – Jesus, you placed your shoes on the altar, praying a prayer of dedication. Yet, responding to the call is only the first step. What’s next? You have heard the Scripture, Where there is no vision the people perish. (Prov. 29:18)

To receive the vision from the Lord for the next step in your walk you will need to constantly keep in mind 6 principles of seeking: (1) The role of faith, hope, trust and perseverance; (2) Modes and means of manifestation; (3) Power and potential of positioning; (4) Addressing the boundaries and limitations of rituals through the power of Grace; (5) Understanding the call to seek God through prayer and fasting is a call to meet with Him in the wilderness; (6) and Passing the test of the illusion of being passed by, and rejection.

Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 states: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.…And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

To begin this new walk all of the principles of seeking have to be bound tight by faith, hope, trust, and perseverance. Romans 10:17 states that: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. In order to see the vision you must first seek God to hear how to walk. The Greek word used for “word” in Romans 10:17 is the word “rhema.” Rhema simply means “out of the Mouth of God.” It’s His revealed and inspired words. Faith, hope, and trust will lead you to seek the words of the Lord for the vision. Perseverance will lead you to continue on in your search. Through these meditations we have been asking, How can I meet Jesus outside the camp? Through faith, hope, and trust you begin to seek Him to answer the practical ways He wants you to accomplish this.

For example in Exodus 33:7 Moses pitched his own tent – for people to seek God. Then in Exodus 34:1-3 Moses proceeded to cut two more stone tablets, readied himself, ascended the mountain, climbed alone, and presented himself before the Lord. Moses took 6 practical steps to what he sensed and heard from the Lord. What’s interesting about both passages is that it doesn’t say why Moses pitched his tent. We can infer he simply had a sense to do this, and obviously a desire to pitch his tent – far outside the camp. Secondly it states that the Lord spoke to Moses but it doesn’t say how, or where? Did Moses seek God alone in His tent and receive this word, or did Moses come to the base of Mount Sinai to ask? It doesn’t say. What it does say is that the Lord spoke to Moses, and Moses proceeded in taking the steps he believed were from the Lord.

Thus the next step from the church’s altar is not only to continue asking, Lord, how can I meet you outside the camp, but to also begin asking, What practical steps can I take to meet you there?

I Seek God!

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Chuck Colson in his book, Kingdoms In Conflict, wrote: Have you not heard of the madman who lit a lamp in the bright morning and went to the marketplace crying ceaselessly, “I seek God! I seek God!” There were many among those standing there who didn’t believe in God so he made them laugh. “Is God lost?” one of them said. “Has he gone astray like a child?” said another. “Or is he hiding? Has he gone on board ship and emigrated?” So they laughed and shouted to one another. The man sprang into their midst and looked daggers at them. “Where is God?” he cried. “I will tell you. We have killed him–you and I We are all his killers! But how have we done this? How could we swallow up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the horizon? What will we do as the earth is set loose from its sun?” (Friedrich Nietzsche, 1889). Nietzsche’s point was not that God does not exist, but that God has become irrelevant. Men and women may assert that God exists or that He does not, but it makes little difference either way. God is dead not because He doesn’t exist, but because we live, play, procreate, govern, and die as though He doesn’t.

But this was not the case with Moses. Although, Israel had survived the judgment of God, for “playing” before the idol of a golden calf, Moses wasted no time in setting up his own tent. Exodus 33:6-7 And the Israelites left off all their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Now Moses used to take [his own] tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting [of God with His own people]. And everyone who sought the Lord went out to [that temporary] tent of meeting which was outside the camp.

2 Things you can observe from this passage is that Israel got rid of their ornaments. In the Hebrew this literally means their “trappings.” Trappings are defined as the outward signs, features, or objects associated with a particular situation, role, or thing. Typically, most who seek and search after God begin and end at this place. Focusing on the negative, they seek to entice God to love them through their sacrifice and quickly wither away in their pursuit. Through their sacrifices they seek to earn the approval of God. Often with this focus we become the object of our pursuit and center of our worship. But Moses knew not to be satisfied with their outward expressions of regret, and repentance. Instead, he raised up an altar where those who were hungry to know God could seek Him to find and experience Him. The Hebrew word for seek or search in verse 7 means: to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after:—ask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for). It’s a peculiar word in that it implies its primary power appears to be that of touching, and feeling. We serve a God who desires us to reach out for Him to find Him. The amazing and awesome thing is that he doesn’t stop there but provides the ways and the means for us to experience the realization of our planned destination. As Nietzsche asked, Where is God? Many of us can say we are taking off the trappings that stand in the way in order to reach through the darkness to touch and be touched by God. Are you taking the time to touch Him or do you live, play, procreate, govern, and die as though He doesn’t?

During this time of praying and fasting are you seeking to touch God and be touched by Him?

What Are You Dying For?

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Once John Maxwell’s leadership word for the day was Warrior.  He said that a warrior is best defined as the character, William Wallace from ‘Braveheart’. Wallace had a cause that he was so committed to that he was willing to die for it. In essence that is a warrior. His life’s cause earned him the title of Braveheart. Franklin Roosevelt once stated: Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear. We see this courage on display as Jesus lived His life on earth. We see it demonstrated in what He was willing to live and die for.

In the first temptation of Christ it is revealed what He was willing to live for. In the second temptation what He would die for: Matthew 4:5-7 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and placed Him on a turret (pinnacle, gable) of the temple sanctuary. And he said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will give His angels charge over you, and they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt, test thoroughly, or try exceedingly the Lord your God.

1 John 4:18 states: There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].

Jesus had heard the Father thunder, This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased!” Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. God His Father had drawn near and Love led Jesus on though the fasting, the wilderness, the hunger and thirsting. Love led Jesus through His earthly life and ministry, and Love led Him to the Garden of blood soaked, sweat and tearful prayers. Love led Jesus through the darkness of man’s questionings, beatings, and trumped up charges. Love led Jesus through the scourge of the soldiers whip, the splintered, crucifixion tree, and the nails that pierced His hands and feet; thorns that pierced His brow. And as death closed His eyes, with its cruel grip, Love warmed His heart on Resurrection morn. This is the Love that found us and the same Love that calls to us. This ascent, His Ascent, is for those warriors who shake off the self-centered, proud-filled, fears for something else and Someone Else – more important than fear. Love calls us Home and Love calls us higher. Are you hearing the call of Love? The call to Love?

C.S. Lewis wrote in his book The Last Battle: I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now….Come further up, come farther in!”

Two Altars

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Before the days of natural gas grills the majority of us simply stacked charcoal briquettes in the form of a blackened Mayan pyramid. This was followed by liberally dousing the “steps” of the pyramid with copious amounts of lighter fluid. Opening a box of Penley Strike Anywhere Matches, or Ohio Blue Tip Matches, we retrieved a match, taking care to safely close the box. Turning the box sideways, we narrowed our focus on the striking surface strip, in order to drag the tip of the match quickly across its surface. Performed correctly the match would quickly explode into a flame. Seasoned grillers learned quickly that following the burst of flame they would toss the match onto the briquettes with one single flick of the wrist….and ran like the blazes. Many novice priests to the charcoal altar typically lingered longer than they should have resulting in a burnt offering of hair and flesh on the steps of the Briquette Mayan Altar. The “burnt offering” was typically received by the grill god resulting in various meats being eaten and jubilantly received by all.

Hebrews 13:9-10 refers to 2 different types of altar in which sacrifices were typically offered: Do not be carried about by different and varied and alien teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and ennobled and strengthened by means of grace (God’s favor and spiritual blessing) and not [to be devoted to] foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no [spiritual] benefit or profit to those who observe them. We have an altar from which those who serve and worship in the tabernacle have no right to eat.

One of those altars was reserved strictly for the Jewish Priesthood who dutifully offered the prescribed animal to its flames. This altar was one alien to most Gentile followers of Jesus ruled solely by rituals, fear and commands to be followed to the minutest detail. The altar of verse 10, however, was one of Grace that established, ennobled, and strengthened the heart of the worshipper. Both altars burned with fire. But only one altar caused your heart to catch fire. The former, simply left the heart of priest and worshipper weary from meaningless observance of ritual.

The question I want you to pray through today is, Which altar have you been sacrificing at? The Altar of ritual, commands, and lifeless observance or the Altar of Grace which causes its worshippers to catch fire with love, and a life for Jesus? Has your heart ever burned brightly for Jesus?

Humility of Hunger

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By the year 2030 30% of the inhabitants of Sub-Saharan Africa will have the highest rate of undernourishment in the world. In the documentary, The Most Dangerous Ways To School, Massai children, ages 4-11, are recorded as having walked from 10-20 kilometers (6-12 miles), one way – each day, in order to attend school. Many walk these distances with no food in their bellies, facing the constant threat of attacks from Elephants, Leopards, Lions, and alligators which inhabit the only source of drinking water for miles.

Jesus hungered following His forty days without food. When tempted to make bread from stones, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Cross referencing this passage of Scripture you receive greater insight into the purpose of fasting:  2 And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

Fasting reminds us to humble ourselves along with the worlds population that goes to bed hungry many a night. Fasting reminds us what we really should be living for – the Words that proceed out of the Mouth of God; Heaven’s Manna. Fasting reminds us what’s really in our hearts.

Yesterday I asked, How can we go outside the camp to meet Jesus? We meet Jesus outside the camp when we humble ourselves through prayer, and fasting, going without food in order that we might position ourselves to live only for the words that proceed from the mouth of God.

Going Outside the Camp

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When Jesus was filled with the Spirit following His Baptism He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to pray and fast in preparation for the launching of the Kingdom of God. You could say that he went outside the camp. Question is, What does this phrase mean and how does it apply to our time of seeking to draw near to Jesus with a whole-heart?

Exodus 33:7 Now Moses used to take [his own] tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting [of God with His own people]. And everyone who sought the Lord went out to [that temporary] tent of meeting which was outside the camp.

Moses took his own tent and pitched it far off from the camp. When you look at this symbolically you will quickly notice it was Moses’ tent, and no one else’s. The Apostle Paul referred to our earthly house, our bodies, as earthly tents (2 Cor. 5:1, 4). Symbolically speaking, you can apply the Exodus passage to your own spiritual life by asking the question, How can I take my own tent; my own spiritual house outside the camp to meet with God?

But that leads to another question: What is the Camp? What’s in the Camp that Moses was seeking to get far away from? Does this refer to just the day to day activities that took place inside the encampment of the children of Israel? Was Moses departure from the Camp focused only on physically removing himself from the circumstances of day to day life in the camp or was he seeking something more?

Hebrews 13:13 encourages all believers to get outside the camp when it states: Let us then go forth [from all that would prevent us] to Him outside the camp [at Calvary], bearing the contempt and abuse and shame with Him.

Here’s what I want you to pray towards during this time of fasting: How can I meet Jesus outside the camp? Ask the Lord to reveal to you how He wants you to meet Him outside the camp. Then watch, and listen for how He will answer you.

Sounding the Depths

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Ephesians. 3:18-19 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; 19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

This was part of a prayer the Apostle Paul prayed for the Christians in Ephesus. In the book Mere Christianity, its author C.S. Lewis remarked: A good many people nowadays say, “I believe in a God, but not in a personal God.” He adds that those who believe that God goes beyond personality are really saying that God is impersonal; something less than personal. We expect this kind of talk from unbelievers but not from followers of Jesus. Unfortunately our practice of spirituality reveals that we really view God as less than personal. More like a rug or a mat that we place on the floor and clean our feet or walk over – ignoring it altogether. We don’t expect much from the rug or mat.

Interestingly enough, physical truth often mirrors spiritual truth. For example, we think very little of a two dimensional world. But add extra dimensions to it and it becomes more than lines on a page. It becomes an object that we can interact with. Inside or outside of that object you can move three ways. Lewis adds: “you can move…to the left or right, backwards or forwards, up or down. Every direction is either one of these three or a compromise between them. They are called the three Dimensions. Now notice this. If you are using only one dimension, you could draw only a straight line. If you are using two, you could draw a figure: say, a square. And a square is made up of four straight lines. Now a step further. If you have three dimensions, you can then build what we call a solid body: say, a cube – a thing like a dice or a lump of sugar. And a cube is made up of six squares.

Now all of these lines converge to make something that is tangible and real. Even as you advance to deeper levels you never leave behind the simpler ones. You combine them to advance to something far grander than you or I imagined. Unfortunately, Western Christianity has resigned God to be a line or two. Nothing more than a mat or a rug.

Pauls’ prayer for the Ephesians, and I believe for us, is that we would know personally the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ experientially. That our mere knowledge, without experience, would be surpassed by experiences that build upon the simple lines that have been given to us in order to advance in our intimate, experiential, progressing relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

The majority of pew warmers in the West are still treating Jesus like a mat or rug. But you need to understand – there’s no accidents with Jesus. He has caused the infinite, eternal lines of Eternity to merge with yours. The question is, will you go wider, farther, higher up, and deeper in? Or will you simply keep walking over the mat? How could you ever miss a God so big?

Needing Nothing

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Revelation 3:17 For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing…

When we are hungry we recognize we are so by our stomachs alerting us to the fact our body needs fuel. This usually comes in the form of pains, tiredness, low blood sugar, and inappropriate noises coming from our stomach. If time permits we give attention to that need by looking for something to eat. The same thing is true of all our other needs: sleep, rest, water, adequate body temperature (hot or cold), adequate clothing, and shelter. When these needs are recognized we address them – if we can – through providing the resources that are necessary to fulfill that need.

Now the question we need to be asking ourselves is, Why aren’t we aware of our spiritual needs? What would be the symptoms that you had a spiritual need?

The Laodiceans were so blind and deaf spiritually that they couldn’t recognize their spiritual needs. They believed they had no need. This could have been caused by one of two things:

a) They were so wealthy in material things that it blinded them to their spiritual needs;

(b) They thought that they had arrived at the pinnacle of spiritual maturity and that there was no longer a necessity to grow.

Which raises a series of other questions, What spiritual needs do people have? How do you meet those spiritual needs? What are the basic tools or resources that we turn to in meeting those needs? Are we addressing those needs?

For example, your body can be hungry and instead of feeding it from the 5 basic food groups you actually starve it to death by feeding it chocolate candy bars. Even though you are eating you are not nourishing and sustaining it.

Many 21st Century Christians are suffering from the same spiritual malnourishment as the Laodiceans. Not aware that there is a problem we starve spiritually never addressing the problem.

Are you growing spiritually? If so how would you know? What are the basic spiritual needs that an individual has? How would you address those spiritual needs?

Stick in the Mud

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John 5:19 Now it was on the Sabbath day that Jesus mixed the mud and opened the man’s eyes.

You have heard the idiomatic saying, “don’t be a stick in the mud,” which refers to someone who is considered boring, due to unpopular or outdated beliefs. Oswald Chambers writes: “One of the greatest hindrances in coming to Jesus is the excuse of our own temperament, (personality). We make our temperament and our natural desires barriers to coming to Jesus. Yet the first ting we realize when we do come to Jesus is that He pays no attention what soever to our natural desires. We have to idea that we can dedicate our gifts to God. However, you cannot dedicate what is not yours. There is actually only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself.”

Recently we were praying at church and my wife observed that when the water is shallow it is easily muddied. Thus we began praying that God would raise the depth of the River of the Spirit in our Church, and in our people. In shallow water it is hard to float, and hard to enjoy. Attempts at getting beneath the surface are impossible being that you are already at the surface. Even if you could get beneath the surface, the water would be so muddy you couldn’t see a thing.

Jesus commanded us to “Come follow Me!” (Luke 18:22) He did not give us the choice to remain stuck fast in the mud of shallowness. Besides those who remain stuck fast, unwilling to change their beliefs, cannot see that their natural desires actually prevent them from seeing where Jesus is going. Remaining stuck in the mud, of spiritual shallowness, only gives you the illusion that you are following Jesus. But anyone who has waded from the shore of natural temperament and plunged beneath the surface will see that Jesus mixes up the mud of self-centeredness to free us from the crooked sticks that we are. In the depths of the Waters of His Spirit we are free to dive deep beyond the shallowness of surface living and see where, and Who Jesus is. Lastly, it’s nearly impossible for a stick to dive deep beneath the waters – for it will always have a tendency to float. But combine the weight of the Spirit upon it and the stick transforms into a vessel for the wonder and Glory of its Creator.

Wanderlust

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Have you ever been hiking through the woods and couldn’t wait to get to the next clearing? Have you ever seen a mountain you just had to climb? Then you may have been experiencing what some would call “wanderlust.” Wanderlust is defined as a strong desire to wander or travel the world and can be expressed through an intense urge for self-development by experiencing the unknown, confronting unforeseen challenges, getting to know unfamiliar cultures, and ways of life or behaviors.

Hebrews 11:8-10 [Urged on] by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go.9 [Prompted] by faith he dwelt as a temporary resident in the land which was designated in the promise [of God, though he was like a stranger] in a strange country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs with him of the same promise.10 For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God.

What would have happened if Abram had of disobeyed God and remained where he was, and as he was? We would be missing the greatest event ever to intersect human history – Jesus!

This morning Oswald Chambers stated: Are you thirsty, or complacent and indifferent— so satisfied with your own experience that you want nothing more of God? Experience is a doorway, not a final goal. (My Utmost For His Highest)

Imagine going to the base of Mount Everest and ignoring it, or traveling to the Grand Canyon, and taking a nap. Imagine someone traveling all the way to the beaches of the Great Barrier Reef only to remain on its shores building sand castles. Imagine being brought to the feet of Jesus only to say “I’m satisfied with my own experience and I want nothing more of You?” But, unfortunately that’s what many choose to do remaining tethered to the dock of their salvation experience, refusing to wade out into the depths of the River and Ocean of God’s Holy Spirit.

That day you surrendered to Jesus should have been the scariest event in your life. (Have you ever really, surrendered?) In that moment you made a commitment to let go of the keel of your life’s ship, and let Him take you out into the depths of the unknown. You did it then – who snuck up behind you and tethered you back to the dock? It’s time to unfurl the sails of your life, loose the ropes of familiarity and comfort, and let the wind of God’s Spirit blow you to worlds unknown.

Deeper

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Ezekiel 47:6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.

How deep are you spiritually? Our depth or lack thereof is simply the result of “spiritual reality.” Oswald Chamber states: “If you realize you are lacking, it is because you have come in contact with spiritual reality – do not put blinders of reason on again.” Many in the church are not convinced of their spiritual poverty when it comes to the depths of the things of the Spirit. They simply wait around to be raptured into it – not realizing they have a part to play in the depths they are willing to go. They are no deeper because they’ve chosen to stay at the bank and watch others experience the depths. As the prophet Ezekiel was asked, “Son of man, have you seen this?” The prophet was shown the depths of the River – but he still had to choose the depths that he would go.

Ezekiel 47:1-5 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.3 And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. 6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.

The prophet had a choice. He had been shown the depths of the River – but after that he would have to make a choice regarding the depths he would go. Many have been shown the depths but are still clinging to the shore. No pastor, teacher, not even Jesus can make you wade out into the depths – you have got to take that uncertain, uncomfortable first step. Spiritual depth still requires a physical response. The question is, How long is too long to wait by the shore?

Launch Out Into the Deep

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Luke 5:4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

Yesterday’s message challenged us to launch out into the deep of the unknown but how many will let loose of the dock and leave the harbor of comfort, and security? This morning I thought it was appropriate that the devotional by Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost For His Highest” would have the following: Be determined to know more than others. If you yourself do not cut the lines that tie you to the dock, God will have to use a storm to sever them and to send you out to sea. Put everything in your life afloat upon God, going out to sea on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and your eyes will be opened. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself— begin to have spiritual discernment. When you know that you should do something and you do it, immediately you know more. …It is a dangerous thing to refuse to continue learning and knowing more.

My experience has revealed that most refuse to let go of the shelter of the dock to launch out into the deep things of the Spirit. Some will fool themselves into believing that they have already arrived, while others will continue waiting for the next high tide. Excuses will be made for their disobedience. Rationalizations will propose that when the conditions are right, and favorable – they will launch out. Don’t you believe it. You and I are not the kind of person to ever leave the safety and comfort of the dock, while the devil is quite happy to watch you waste away tied to your pride and fear. Don’t be mistaken, this invitation is Divine and the time is now. Will you launch out into the deep at the Master’s command, or will you continue sleeping safely in the harbor?

Non – Essential

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Essential is defined as absolutely necessary; indispensable; pertaining to or constituting the essence of a thing; noting or containing an essence of a plant, drug, etc. being such by its very nature or in the highest sense;

Many of us winced when our governor deemed alcohol and abortions essential, but not church. Yet we must face the painful truth and ask ourselves, Why has culture deemed it so? Where is the Power of the Spirit to set captives free and change continents of darkness into bastions of Light? Where is the power of the New Testament Church whose testimony included the following: Have you forgotten that the kingdom of God will never belong to the wicked? Don’t be under any illusion—neither the impure, the idolater or the adulterer; neither the effeminate, the pervert or the thief; neither the swindler, the drunkard, the foul-mouthed or the rapacious shall have any share in the kingdom of God. And such men, remember, were some of you! But you have cleansed yourselves from all that, you have been made whole in spirit, you have been justified before God in the name of the Lord Jesus and in his very Spirit. (1 Cor. 6:9-11, J.B. Phillips Translation)

Did you catch the bold faced statement? And such men, remember, were some of you! How is it that the NT Church had the power to deliver men, women, youth, children from hopeless slavery to these things but the modern church is powerless? May I suggest that part of the reason that we have become non-essential is that we have ceased aiming at Heaven. Our preoccupation has been too much with this earth, and we are reaping the results of our dereliction of love and duty.

C.S. Lewis states in Mere Christianity: “The apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth “thrown in”: aim at earth and you will get neither.”

Aiming to Please

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C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity: Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next.”

C.S. Lewis echoes the Apostle Paul when he stated that if we have really been born-again of the Spirit, our aim, or life’s focus, will not be on this earth – but on the things of Jesus’ Kingdom. Colossians 3:1-2 If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.

What are you aiming for in this life? What do your activities, and energies spent reveal? What do your fears reveal – about this life and the life to come? What do your fears reveal about who or what you really place your trust?

3 Times A Year

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Three times a year shall all your males appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed (Dt. 16:16 AMPC)

Tomorrow night we are going to celebrate Pentecost which is a holiday, or holy day celebrated by Jews and Christians every year. The Church holiday bases their date of Sunday, May 31 on the Gregorian calendar, whereas the Jewish date of Friday-Saturday, May 29-30 is based on God’s calendar. I say God’s calendar because if we believe the Word of the Lord to be true – from “Kiver to Kiver” (Cover to Cover) – then we also believe that God gave these feasts and festivals to His people for a purpose. Now when I say, His people, I am referring both to Jew, and those who have been ingrafted into the Fig Tree that Israel is through the righteousness of Abraham. We have become the circumcised of the heart and God’s Law has been written upon our hearts. The question is, How does all of this apply to the modern day saint in the 21st century?

Recently I was convicted by the revelation that in two out of the three feasts something significant happened. (I could make an argument for all three but I will spare you the details. Suffice it to say that an argument could be made that Jesus was actually born during the Feast of Tabernacles based on several prophecies regarding Jesus being Immanuel – “the God Who Tabernacles or Dwells with His people“) We know that Jesus was crucified during Passover, and the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost. It is my opinion that Jesus will return during the Feast of Tabernacles. Again this would take a great deal of time to explain but I’ll leave you with a little tidbit of information to consider: Why did the Jews lay down palm branches when Jesus was entering Jerusalem? (Palm branches were specifically used during the Feast of Tabernacles). My answer would be, that the Jews associated the Palm Branches with Tabernacles, or Sukkot, and with the coming of the Messiah. My conviction expanded into the realization that if God told His people that they had to gather on these three significant holidays, and on two of the three holidays Jesus appeared, then it would behoove us believers to also gather on the three holidays for Inspection (Passover, and Ridding ourselves of the yeast, or leaven of sin); for Dedication and Consecration (Pentecost was an offering of the very best of their first fruits from harvest); and lastly, for Preparation (Tabernacles was preceded by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in which the people sought to draw near to God, repent of sin, and prepare for God drawing near to them). Thus, by the Grace of God, and His Spirit our church will celebrate these three readying ourselves for Christ’s Return.

If we are practicing all three then we too will be prepared when the Trumpet Blasts sound from the Heavens and the saints are gathered to meet Him in the air. May the Spirit of Revelation set us free from the powerful delusion that has come upon the mainstream church that does not love the Truth, or know (ginosko) Him. Lord willing I will see you tomorrow night for our Pentecost meal.

Thank You’s, and Returning To Church

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Good morning Bethany Church family! I just wanted to send out a thank you to everyone who has brought or bought meals for our family following the birth of our grandson. We have eaten really well. (I’ve gained back the weight from the fast) As you can tell from the picture above he is growing up rapidly, causing his Papa (Grandad) to be envious of his ability to grow a full beard even though he is only 3 weeks old. (LOL).

Thank you, thank you for your love and support of our family during this time. It has meant a great deal to Stephen, Amber, Jackie and myself. We have the greatest church family!

Also I wanted to thank John David and everyone who came out to remodel our sanctuary stage and paint the lobby. If you get a chance, say a word of thanks to: JD and Charlotte Price, Vic Medlin, Mary Quinn, Matt, Kristan, Evan and Nate Wagenmaker, Jody Stowe, Ron Drogan, Art Meza, Rob Owens, Nate Manning, and Kent Lee.

By the time we return to worship this Sunday, May 24 we should have a new looking stage. Also on that note: the Governor of NC has lifted the restriction on churches gathering to worship. With that in mind please follow these guidelines:

If you have had a fever, or have a fever – for what ever reason – STAY HOME and watch the service online!

If you are in the at risk age group for the virus use discretion and practice caution in returning to church. I know it’s not the same as coming to church, but for now you watch the service online.

If you feel more comfortable in returning to church wearing a mask: wear a mask.

Those who want to gather for worship while taking the proper precautions are encouraged to do so. Chairs in the sanctuary will be placed approximately 6 feet apart, while couples, and families will obviously be encouraged to sit together.

Following the service Sunday morning we will be having Memorial Day Cookout. Bring drinks, dessert, and chips for you and your family – and enough for a guest. Our church will be providing the meat (Thank the Lord for meat!)

Lord willing we will see you all at church this Sunday morning, May 24.

Love Life Day of Prayer & Fasting

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This week is our Love Life week of prayer and fasting. Today we specifically pray and fast for the Lord of Hosts (Angelic Armies) to bring an end to the abortion industries abuse of women’s bodies, shedding of innocent blood, and the marketing of body parts from aborted fetuses.

If you haven’t done so – sign the commitment card found on your last Bethany Update, or follow this link: https://forms.gle/ZhDoMJe8rF3eMhXb6.

Download the Love Life App on your smart phone or computer to zoom in for the virtual prayer walk this Saturday at the Hebron Street abortion center at 700 E. Hebron Street, Charlotte.

Read 1 Kings 18 and pray the Scriptures prophetically, or symbolically.

1. 1Kings 18:1 – Lord send the Reign of Your Holy Spirit.

2. 1 Kings 18:13 – Lord end Jezebel’s reign over Charlotte, NC, America and the world.

3. 1 Kings 18:13 – Lord resurrect the Prophets and the prophetic voice in our city, state nation, and the world. Raise up an Elijah Company of prophetic saints in the Body of Jesus in our church and around the world. Remove the deaf and dumb spirit from the Body of Jesus so that they can pray, prophesy, and share their faith.

4. 1 Kings 18:18 – That true, heart-felt repentance would come to the Body of Christ in Charlotte, NC, America and the Nations – for breaking the commands of the Lord and bowing down to the altars of death, prosperity, materialism, secularism, atheism, and worldliness.

5. 1 Kings 18:20-24 – That God would bring about a showdown between the Elijah Company and the messengers of Satan.

6. 1 Kings 18:21 – That the Body of Christ would repent of wavering between two opinions: between Jesus and murder; between Jesus and the lies of death and destruction; between Jesus and satan; between Jesus and the idols of the land; between Jesus and pornography and sexual immorality. That the Body of Christ would repent of their duplicitous actions, immorality, idolatry, and sitting on the fence. Pray for them Grace to choose who is going to be their Lord and Master. That pastors would become prophetic voices to their people and no longer waver between two opinions.

7. 1 Kings 18:30 – That the Body of Jesus would repair the Altar of the Lord through prayer and obedience in their lives, and families.

8. 1 Kings 18:32 – That the Body of Jesus would begin building an altar of worship and prayer to Jesus and Jesus alone; tearing down the altars they’ve erected to the idols of media, entertainment, song, and dance.

9. 1 Kings 18:33 – That the Body of Jesus would offer up a sacrifice of themselves in time, daily worship and prayer. That the Body of Jesus would become an altar of sacrificial prayer.

10. 1 Kings 18:33-35 – That the Body of Jesus would flood that altar with the Water of the Word of God, and the Spirit – reminding God of His promises; beseeching Him to bare His Holy ad Righteous arm in behalf of the innocent children, and those held captive by Jezebel. That Jesus would come like a Man of War and break the chains of these captives, loosing His vengeance and justice on behalf of the women, babies, and the polluted land.

11. 1 Kings 18:36-38 -That the Holy One of Consuming Fire would send down fire from Heaven in response to the prayers of His people making us a sacrifice. That we would ascend through our prayers, and worship to the Presence of the Lord. That the Lord would baptize us and His Church in the Holy Spirit, Fire, and Power thrusting us forth to our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the world.

12. 1 Kings 18:39 -That the world would bow their knee to Jesus through this outpouring, and that a spiritual awakening would come to the Church and the lost, declaring that Jesus is God, and Lord!

13. 1 Kings 18:40 – That the Lord would either bring salvation to all the politicians, business owners, and employees of the abortion industry or that He would seize them and bring about His justice for the unborn, and the innocent blood that has been shed.

Fig Leaves and Face Masks

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1 Peter 4:17 For the time [has arrived] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will [be] the end of those who do not respect or believe orobey the good news (the Gospel) of God?

Through the stay at home orders of our state governors, and social distancing we have discovered how vulnerable we really are. In the midst of this revelation fear comes to the surface shining light on the fact that exposure seems to be at the core of the human condition. From Adam and Eve hiding behind fig leaves, or hiding behind a mask, our fears expose where our trust lies.

The recipients of Peter’s letter were no different as they faced an unseen enemy that caused great suffering, and death to all they loved. Suffering and death could be avoided through conformity to the fear, but delayed the inevitable suffering of eternal separation, and alienation from God and all that is good. Facing the fear, and the suffering could only be endured through the gathering called church. Church could be as small as 2-3, or as large as 5000 ( Book of Acts). Here at the Church, or the House of God, the members of the Family of God learned obedience and prayer. Obedience and prayer accompanied one another as sincere worshippers sought to identify with the sufferings, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus obeyed – they obeyed. He prayed – they prayed. Thus judgment began in the House of God as they discovered obedience. Obedience led to prayer, prayer to confession, and confession to repentance. Their sinful nature, and ours, was and is brought into the Light of Jesus’ sacrificial life. The avoidance of surrender to obedience and prayer only exalted what God had judged at Calvary’s Cross and ultimately will be condemned at the Great White Throne Judgment. The Final Verdict will be witnessed by all those who resisted, ignored and consciously rejected the call of God’s Spirit to identify with His Son. The question is, Are we identifying now with Jesus – or are we hiding behind a mask, avoiding the Final Verdict? Only identification, obedience, and prayer will reveal whether we chose His Blood or a mask.

Your Opinion of God

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Romans 5:5 Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. (AMPC)

What’s your opinion of God? What’s your opinion of Jesus, His Word and His promises? Do your words of praise match your opinions of Jesus and His promises?

For the past several months I’ve been pursuing returning to my First Love. This morning I discovered a key to it’s restoration: Romans 4:18 [For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become…

Abraham became who God destined him to become through the Love of God being poured out in his heart. We become who we are destined through His Love. How did Abraham become? Romans 4:20 No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God,…

This love was shed abroad in his heart as he did not allow unbelief, or distrust in the promises of God. In fact it says that his faith was empowered as he gave praise and glory to God. But how was Abraham to give God praise without Bethel Music, Youtube songs, special effects, and smoke machines? The key is found in the Greek meaning of the word, “praise.” The definition of this word in the Greek surprised me. It did not mean what I thought. Praise here is defined as, giving your opinion, or estimate of something or someone whether good or bad. In Romans 4:20 it specifically means, “Giving Glory to God by not distrusting His promises.” That definition convicted me. How many times have I let my fear, and distrust over ride God’s Word and promises? My fear, and distrust actually reveals that I don’t have that high opinion of God or of His promises. That is my praise. I either trust, or esteem the truths of God’s Word or the lies of the evil one.

What have your opinions been saying about your praise?

Where Are You?

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Isa. 56:7 These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Just a quick note to let you all know that God’s House of Prayer is open. Many of us are meeting to pray from 6:30-9:30 every night in the sanctuary. At the same time we are practicing social distancing, concluding the evening with a good dousing of the chairs in lysol.

Last night during prayer the Lord prompted me to ask, Where are you? It took me some time to see but as I continued looking I saw Jesus standing at the bow of an old masted ship, or clipper with sails. He was being sprayed by the waves crashing around the ship but was unmoved, looking ahead. As the waves rolled and crashed about the ship I kept seeing Jesus shift from wearing a robe to wearing a pirates outfit. I thought that maybe my unconscious mind was superimposing this onto the vision until I thought of Luke 11:21–23When the strong man, fully armed, [from his courtyard] guards his own dwelling, his belongings are undisturbed [his property is at peace and is secure].22 But when one stronger than he attacks him and conquers him, he robs him of his whole armor on which he had relied and divides up and distributes all his goods as plunder (spoil).23 He who is not with Me [siding and believing with Me] is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me [engage in My interest], scatters. (AMPC)

I realized that Jesus is setting out to plunder the strongman in His Church – His Bride. He is setting course through these storms to rob him of his armor, and to divide up his plunder.

The other Scripture I thought of was Mark 4:38-40 But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing?39 And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness).40 He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)? (AMPC)

Jesus isn’t asleep during this storm but is setting out to lead His Church, and His Leader-Ship through this storm. He is not slumbering or sleeping but is plunging head first into the enemies plans. It is time to have faith and listen. Fear implies no faith, or trust. Look to Him and join Him in the “bow.” Where is Jesus? He is in the “bow” – in prayer. You will find Jesus in prayer – if you will pray and seek Him. Could it also be implied that “He who is not with Me [siding and believing with Me] is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me [engage in My interest], scatters?”

Gather with 2-3 to pray with Jesus each night preparing for His great awakening, or join us at church, but don’t be standing against Jesus in these storms.