A bit of my time with Jesus today...
I was reading about the Jordan River. The thing about the Jordan is that it became a dividing line. It was considered the River of the 'Jews", but to everyone else it was the river of offense. {For instance Naaman, didn't want to be washed in it, because of this}. But what do I want more...God's anointing or man's respectability? This is the same place where Jesus was baptized. Luke 3:21 talks about this. What I love about God is that in Jesus' place of weakness, the love of the Father met Him there. The same love that met Hannah in the temple. In her weakness and vulnerability, she cried out to God for a son. And the Holy Spirit met her in a place of weakness {through Eli the priest} and told her she would have a son.
And, with Jesus... it says in verse 22 of Luke 3 that "the Holy Spirit ascended upon Him like a dove...". First came the love of the Father "this is my Son in whom I am well pleased'....then came the 'upon' anointing. We have been baptized in that too! We stand drenched in the Father's love, and then anointed with His Spirit {our Great Helper}. It was only in that rooting of the Father's love that Jesus was then able to go out and be intensely tempted by Satan...and then come out of the wilderness with the Power of the Holy Spirit.
The anointing comes out of a place of intimacy.
Intimacy comes out of the Love of the Father.
And out of the Love of the Father comes the Kingdom of God.
In His presence we are refreshed. I feel it right now. A friend said this to me. In connecting with God we get the Rhythm of Life...and that is this {Seeking-Soaking-Going} :: Seeking: through His Word and His Heart. Soaking: In His love and presence. Getting filled to overflowing. & Going:Out of that overflow we can go out.
God's power on our life is meant to increase through difficulty. Just like Hannah's pain led to her to cry out to God. And Jesus' time in the wilderness, led Him to lean n God's truth. It deepened His experience with the Father, He got filled up, and came out of it in the power of the Holy Spirit.
I want to go to the unexpected {Jordan River} places, and be immersed...drenched in the goodness. To have the Love of the Father clothe me, and the "upon" anointing follow. I need this everyday. It is our lifeline. Through it comes the Rhythm of life. God's power does turn the drowning place into walking places. And we come out with the power of God. I love that He meets me in my vulnerability, and does His miracles. The Kingdom of God does not consist of words. So I wait to see, to experience, to be a part of it's goodness. Are we ready to go all in? Because eventually Naaman did. In 2 Kings it says, "Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his flesh became as healthy as a young child's and he was healed."
I am ready to go all in. God show me what that even looks like. I love how it says that Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God {Elisha}, and Naaman professed that the God of Isreal was real. Refresh us, Oh God. Dip us and cleanse us, that in coming up we are set free and anointed, ready to further the Kingdom that Jesus launched into action.
I was reading about the Jordan River. The thing about the Jordan is that it became a dividing line. It was considered the River of the 'Jews", but to everyone else it was the river of offense. {For instance Naaman, didn't want to be washed in it, because of this}. But what do I want more...God's anointing or man's respectability? This is the same place where Jesus was baptized. Luke 3:21 talks about this. What I love about God is that in Jesus' place of weakness, the love of the Father met Him there. The same love that met Hannah in the temple. In her weakness and vulnerability, she cried out to God for a son. And the Holy Spirit met her in a place of weakness {through Eli the priest} and told her she would have a son.
And, with Jesus... it says in verse 22 of Luke 3 that "the Holy Spirit ascended upon Him like a dove...". First came the love of the Father "this is my Son in whom I am well pleased'....then came the 'upon' anointing. We have been baptized in that too! We stand drenched in the Father's love, and then anointed with His Spirit {our Great Helper}. It was only in that rooting of the Father's love that Jesus was then able to go out and be intensely tempted by Satan...and then come out of the wilderness with the Power of the Holy Spirit.
The anointing comes out of a place of intimacy.
Intimacy comes out of the Love of the Father.
And out of the Love of the Father comes the Kingdom of God.
In His presence we are refreshed. I feel it right now. A friend said this to me. In connecting with God we get the Rhythm of Life...and that is this {Seeking-Soaking-Going} :: Seeking: through His Word and His Heart. Soaking: In His love and presence. Getting filled to overflowing. & Going:Out of that overflow we can go out.
God's power on our life is meant to increase through difficulty. Just like Hannah's pain led to her to cry out to God. And Jesus' time in the wilderness, led Him to lean n God's truth. It deepened His experience with the Father, He got filled up, and came out of it in the power of the Holy Spirit.
I want to go to the unexpected {Jordan River} places, and be immersed...drenched in the goodness. To have the Love of the Father clothe me, and the "upon" anointing follow. I need this everyday. It is our lifeline. Through it comes the Rhythm of life. God's power does turn the drowning place into walking places. And we come out with the power of God. I love that He meets me in my vulnerability, and does His miracles. The Kingdom of God does not consist of words. So I wait to see, to experience, to be a part of it's goodness. Are we ready to go all in? Because eventually Naaman did. In 2 Kings it says, "Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his flesh became as healthy as a young child's and he was healed."
I am ready to go all in. God show me what that even looks like. I love how it says that Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God {Elisha}, and Naaman professed that the God of Isreal was real. Refresh us, Oh God. Dip us and cleanse us, that in coming up we are set free and anointed, ready to further the Kingdom that Jesus launched into action.
1 comment:
Hey friend,
I had read this post before, but I read through it again in my RSS feed reader last night. I don't know what happened compared to reading it the first time, but something happened. Maybe it's just that the words you wrote are exactly where I am in my own heart? Perhaps. All I know is that God met me as I too have been reflecting on the power that comes from being in His presence and the revival of my own spirit that takes place rejuvenating me to see with new eyes, even if I have to do it a few times a day!
From Jesus' own baptism by John where John's account says that "the Spirit remained" or the story of Gideon who had the awesome experience of being "clothed" by God Himself, I...and we as people of faith in Jesus...cannot ignore the fact of His presence. It's something way beyond just reading texts, discussing theologies (and in doing so many times, creating our own mythologies), but it was a "rhythm of life" for Jesus. I want that rhythm. I need that rhythm. My life right now feels tired and simple put, mechanical—the processes mundane and lacking any risk or mystery that is so contrary to what the Kingdom and the King are all about.
So thank you friend. And thank you Holy Spirit for inviting us all to intimacy so our lives can be about ushering "on earth as it is in heaven".
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