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An Awakening

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Today Marks Day 34 of Counting the Omer – 16 Days from Pentecost. It was during that fifty day period between Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension that the disciples were commanded to stay in Jerusalem and seek the promise of the baptism of the Spirit. Luke 24:49 states: “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”  For two weeks they gathered in the same upper room where their feet had been wash by Jesus. The same room they had observed their last Passover with Jesus. The same room that marked the horrible events that led to Jesus crucifixion and death. Strangely now that same room was filled with hope and promise. Jesus had risen and appeared – to them, and five hundred others. Now there was an awakening of a promise as old as Moses himself. Numbers 11:17, 29 records the event: Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone…Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” Notice Moses’ desire: “Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets…” This is why Peter made reference to Joel when he recalled: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:17-18; Joel 2:28-29) Twice the prophecy states He would pour out His Spirit. Twice he states that they will prophesy. Twice he makes reference to what prophets do: see visions and dream and dreams.

Recently I read a disturbing passage in Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Jackie and I were discussing it in reference to Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. Jackie asked, Do you think all churches have a lamp stand? We discussed this for a time and the following morning when I was having my time with the Lord I read in “My Utmost For His Highest” the following: “The fountains from which love flows are in God, not in us. It is absurd to think that the love of God is naturally in our hearts, as a result of our own nature. His love is there only because it “has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit…” (Rom. 5:5) If we try to prove to God how much we love Him, it is a sure sign that we really don’t love Him. The evidence of our love for Him is the absolute spontaneity of our love, which flows naturally from His nature within us.” After reading this I knew the Lord was speaking. I chose to look up Romans 5:5: Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 

If we have truly been born-again – by the Spirit – then we can all give testimony to when the Holy Spirit shed abroad His love in our hearts. And here lies the key to returning to our First Love: return to the Holy Spirit. If you or I are ever going to experience Jesus as our First Love. If we are ever going to return to Him – once we had it and lost it – then the promise applies that what was lost can now be found again – simply by returning to the Holy Spirit. What does that look like? Make the seed of His Word count. Make bread from that dormant seed that has been sown in your heart. Obey His commands with all your heart. Seek Him through song, thanks-giving, Jesus-centered worship, and prayer. Desire the gifts of the Spirit. Desire to see visions and dream dreams. Desire to prophesy. Go to where you Know He is moving. Go to those you know He resides in and visits. Act like you are hungry and thirsty for Him. Did I say it? Pray. Pray that the Spirit would once again pour out His Love in your heart. Pray! Pray! Pray!

Come and See

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John 1:36-39 And he looked at Jesus as He walked along, and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God! 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Him. 38 But Jesus turned, and as He saw them following Him, He said to them, What are you looking for? [And what is it you wish?] And they answered Him, Rabbi—which translated is Teacher—where are You staying? 39 He said to them, Come and see. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they remained with Him that day. It was then about the tenth hour (about four o’clock in the afternoon).

Two questions, and one response: What are you looking for? Where are you staying? The answer: Come and see! Neither of the two disciples, Andrew and John, had any idea what they were going to “see”. Consider, John, who was taken up in the Spirit in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation 1 he is in the Spirit and turns to hear the Voice of Many Waters standing behind him. In Revelation 4 John responds to the invitation to “Come Up Here!” If all of that were not enough John is escorted by the Spirit up a high mountain in Revelation 21. Come and See?!

In Revelation 3:20 the Laodicean Church is invited to open the door and see. But the Door only opens to those who hear His Voice, and the steady knocking of the Spirit. It’s interesting to note the rest of John’s account in John 1:39 So they went and saw where He was staying, and they remained with Him that day. It was then about the tenth hour (about four o’clock in the afternoon). Oswald Chambers references this passage stating: That is about all some of us ever do. We stay with Him a short time, only to wake up to our own realities of life. Our self-interest rises up and our abiding with Him is past.

In John 10 Jesus refers to Himself as the Gate (or Door) for His Sheep, and the Watchman (the Holy Spirit) opens up Who, the Door is for Jesus’ sheep. Sheep, Jesus’ sheep, go in and out of this DOOR. They find pasture in Him. Sadly, most who read these words will not take the time to even go to the DOOR with the expectation of it opening. But the Book of Revelation states that it is, and has been, a long standing invitation for anyone who will take the time and open the DOOR; who will take the time to make Him room. As I write this I recall the child-like wonder I experienced as I read the Chronicles of Narnia as a teenager, followed by a re-reading with our children. You may recall that the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are the ones who stumble upon the enchanted wardrobe. Lucy, known for her bravery and kindness, was the first to walk through its door into the other worldly land of Narnia. It was her child-like heart that led her siblings to enter through the wardrobe, and to encounter Aslan. But her siblings took time to convince. Hebrews 2:11 refers to Jesus being our Brother. That’s is pretty awesome. (growing up I always wanted a brother) Yet there is one thing about our Brother that I believe He wants us to know: like Lucy, Jesus also has a child-like heart. He’s been trying to convince us that there’s another world waiting for those who will take the time to open His DOOR. A day with Jesus is not enough. He wants up to spend a lifetime with Him. The good news is His DOOR is open on this side of Eternity – for those who will allow the Spirit to activate their sanctified imaginations. Remember: What are you looking for? Where is He staying?

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.

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?