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Who Do You Say I AM?

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In the world of technology there is a new development called Hyper Sonic Sound (HSS). The inventor, Elwood “Woody” Norris, has engineered sound waves to travel like a laser beam for about 150 yards. This allows sounds to be heard by a person in a particular place but not by those immediately around them. You could be listening to music or specific instructions while those standing next to you would be left in total silence. If you move out of the tightly formed path of these unique sound waves you too will be unaware of any noise.

During our time of praying, fasting, and seeking Jesus outside the camp it may appear, or feel that you have wondered away from the path of what you originally sought to seek: a deeper relationship with Jesus, or catching fire with His Presence, or greater intimacy. Although, the truth is found in the path of sound. Weeks before His crucifixion Jesus asked His Disciples, Who do you say that I AM? That question is what’s tested in times of hiddenness: Who do you say Jesus is? As our culture get’s “woke” they have missed the irony that they are more asleep than ever. The only One Who can awaken anyone is Jesus, the Light! The Apostle Paul warned of this in the book of Ephesians: But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Eph. 5:13-14) As you have wrestled through, to breakthrough, wondering into the mystery of Christ’s hiddenness it may appear that you have fallen asleep. But what you don’t realize is that what’s actually taken place is your spirit man has awakened to listen to the Still Small Voice of Christ. The world and all that is in it screams for our attention while Christ asks, Who do you say that I Am? The hiddenness of God forces this to the surface. Now that you find yourself in this place, Who do you say Jesus is?

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?

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?