I love that the Lord leads us to a place of decision. The gospels are full of moments that take the disciples off guard and spin them into a simple choice. Trust Jesus. Or not. (His Name, Character, Nature and Kingdom rule and reign – Rev 3:12-13)
So often, we see people in the gospels making a very simple decision to rely on the revelation they have of the Lord Jesus. They step out in faith upon that revelation. Rather than their own immediate evaluation of the situation circumstance or doorway in front of them. They move toward Jesus. Their vision fills up with revelation of the Lord Jesus. They see their life through him and it leads to more revelation.
When a new weight of authority, prophetic destiny and identity unfolds in your life….It’s time to believe the impossible, fight hard, focus and trust the revelation we have of the Lord Jesus.
Revelation calls for action, motion, forward moving faith.
Why?
He is able to keep that which is entrusted to him
He is able to lead you
His voice will guide you
Jesus wants nothing in our hearts but him. All dependence and sustaining grace from him.
When seasons of expansion drop on us, it is easy to identify the uncertainty of what lies ahead. We feel uncomfortable for a reason. Everything is shifting down deep inside us and the things we have come to rely on, things that are not rooted the Lord Jesus, are going to shake. In these moments, we feel experience and come to know that our current paradigm is not sufficient to carry us into the promise or prophetic word out in front of us.
par·a·digm (păr′ə-dīm′, -dĭm′)
n.
1.
One that serves as a
pattern or model.
2.
A set or list of all the
inflectional forms of a word or of one of its grammatical categories: the
paradigm of an irregular verb.
3.
A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way
of viewing reality for
the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline.
Time to remember that Jesus is all sufficient and that HE is our paradigm. Yes. We know this in our mind, as a fact, a statement. Cold and calculated, but the rest of us, our soul, spirit and heart need to come together in a vision and revelation of Jesus that bonds them all together in love.
There is a restoration coming to the knowledge and understanding of Jesus, his love, grace and inheritance in the Saints. A move of the Spirit, now taking place.
Sadly, scripture is full of those who turned back at this point. At such a clear point of contact with God. The rich young rulers of our world look into the eyes of Jesus and say no. He certainly encountered the Lord. People make choices at the crossroads of encounter. You and I make the same choices all along the journey on the narrow way. The Way ahead is always progressing into deeper and richer understanding and revelation of Jesus. The process does not end in this life. The real disciple is following HIM.
Where Jesus breaks in, who is the Spirit, people let fear cloud their thinking.
Keep in mind,
2Cr 3:18
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Encountering Jesus is not the whole package. There is usually a doorway in the encounter. There is usually something to walk into, through, or leave behind. The narrow way is clearly seen and then we need to enter into it. At the crossroad where Jesus saved us, frees us, heals us, there is a doorway to enter into. When he prophetically encourages us or clearly says through miracle and circumstance, “I know you”, there typically are a few steps on the narrow way clearly visible. Herein lays the choice. Do we take the steps and walk in trust of the Lord Jesus in the current revelation? OR Live as though the encounter will carry you all the way to heaven? Are we in love with and following Jesus; establishing a deeper relationship daily in the revelation we receive? OR are we now adopting religion, self ability, and looking at what has passed to measure what is present?
Crossroads.....
Looking into the Promised Land
the 10 spies did not find enough to take the risk, enter in or go for the
promise. Enough what? What were they missing? Granted,
I am taking a stab at this. We all get to wonder at their choice,
their heart, and their revelation of God. These people saw many
miracles. They Followed the Cloud by Day and the Fire by
Night. They walked across the sea. They saw Egypt destroyed and were carrying all
the gold and blessings with them. Their miracles were
tangible. They could touch the gold and see it with their eyes. So
what did they lack that Caleb and Joshua did not?Enough of God and the courage to walk in the revelation they had at that moment. Their conclusion was that God was not enough. At least the measure of the God that was in them and known by them. Yet the God leading them was more than enough. In fact he loves the impossible and leads those who love him along the way of the impossible. In truth they did not internalize the miracles, provision, leading and love of God that He expressed for them through the desert. Was it more than that? Possibly. I think the Father has one chief core purpose. The Father is seeking after intimate relationship and a people who know him and who he knows (Ps 24). He is ever leading us to green pastures and good things (Ps 23). He wants to walk with us closely. He wants us to love him first above all things in this world. First love comes first. The Father’s heart drove Jesus to the sacrifice of love. He wanted to fulfill the Father’s heart. He did. Every creature in heaven goes silent when they see this or when it lands on their heart.
Yet the 10 Spies never translated the miracles and encounters into a love relationship with the Father. They let offense rise in their hearts (What God didn’t do, what they deserved, the why’s and what’s). The effect, they never learned the deeper truths provided by perseverance and endurance. They didn’t want to fight for the promise up against the impossible. It showed them the emptiness and lack of resources within them. Their faith focused on who they were relying on, themselves. The encounters did not connect to relationship. The revelation did not connect to the person of God. The Name was not known by them through all they encountered.
The encounters did not connect to relationship. Key: The Father’s ways are always leading us to know him more deeply, connect with him more fully and to unite us to his Father’s heart.
The encounter showed them what they “really had” as personal resources for a work of God. It showed them how well they knew God. Not very well. To those who learn to rest and abide in him, Christ is everything and all capable.
In the “eyes of their hearts” the Israelite resources were not enough. Interesting. Didn't they have upwards of a million people? Overwhelming numbers for the small city states of Canaan. Spiritual reality and revelation, what they knew of God, was not enough. Faith, Hope and LOVE were not enough. Not enough to confront those who possessed their Promised Land? In short God was not enough. They did not learn to trust the NAME. In truth, their strength, vision, and hope WAS NOT ENOUGH to fulfill the promise of the Great and HOLY God. It was a promise that found its life in HIM and its future in HIM. It is his promise that finds it’s life in you.
Much like heaven is to us today; Israel wanted all the stuff of the promise but not the very God of the promise. We want a god who fixes everything, makes our lives work in a particular culture, and brings us immediate answers for our 1.5 hours a week (mostly less than that, maybe 2x's a month) we may spend in church. And for some reason, the church keeps telling us this is the way of the God of the Bible. This is the promise. This is the way of abundant life?
I think the abundant life is way more radical. There is no ceiling on it. God is the God of the impossible. He leads his people along the narrow path with love and every step, if we will move toward him, leads us to deeper revelation, wisdom and understanding of the Father’s heart.
We are destined to be one with him.
Take
the risk of faith and walk past your understanding and into the Father’s Heart.
Don’t
waste encounter. Step off into the
narrow way and trust the NAME.
You
will never be the same and you will continually taste heaven.
ONE
with HIM. Our calling and destiny lies
in the Heart of the Father, through the work of the Lord Jesus, in the power of
the Spirit.
With
much love in Christ,
Jeff
Reynolds
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