Part 4 (2/2)

Hopefully you can appreciate that what we are seeing outworked here is a prophetic prefiguring of what was about to happen.

Therefore, when Jesus comes down to His disciples and observes their struggle rowing (see Mark 6:48), we see His current response to our own need when we are likewise working in our own strength. As eye-opening as that may be, what is even more remarkable is what Mark next records. ”Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have pa.s.sed them by” (Mark 6:48b). Did you see that? Jesus sees their struggle ”and would have pa.s.sed them by. ” What was He doing? Couldn't He see their need? What was He waiting for?

Before we offer an answer, let's consider also how He appeared to them on the sea. Mark says, ”But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out” (Mark 6:49 KJV). They perceived Jesus as a spirit, a point echoed in Matthew's Gospel, but they were mistaken because Jesus was physically walking on the water. It is no coincidence that their misconception is recorded because this is how Jesus pa.s.ses by us today, as the Holy Spirit. Stop and think about that for a moment. What is He waiting for? He is waiting for a faith-filled invitation (see Matt. 14:28) and a ceasing from our own works of the flesh (see John 6:21) before He enters into our boat.

Jesus reinforces this truth when He appears, unexpected and unrecognized, after His death, to two disciples on their way to Emmaus (see Luke 24:13-31). The Bible records, Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, ”Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. ” And He went in to stay with them (Luke 24:28-29).

How amazing! After achieving the greatest victory in the history of human-kinda”resurrection from the deada”here is Jesus awaiting an invitation before entering into communion with His disciples. Only in the light of the forthcoming ministry of the Holy Spirit can we fully explain this anomaly. It ill.u.s.trates the disciples' ignorance and emphasizes their need for sensitivity. The truth here is that although the Holy Spirit is incredibly powerful, we are in need of heightened spiritual awareness to commune with Him.

An Awakening to Relations.h.i.+p This is a lesson that is seen in the life of Elijah. Elijah had a tremendous victory on Mount Carmel, a victory that included calling down fire, killing 450 false prophets, breaking a three-year drought through prayer, and outrunning the king's chariot (see 1 Kings 18:19-46). Yet, in the very next chapter, we see G.o.d contrasting power with the inner voice of the Holy Spirit to break a wrong mindset within Elijah. The Scripture records, Then He said, ”Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord. ” And behold, the Lord pa.s.sed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-12).

Like Elijah, we can be so caught up with the ministry or the manifestation of G.o.d's power that we miss the need for relations.h.i.+p with Him. As in all relations.h.i.+ps, it is only in heart-to-heart communication that we truly hear what the other is saying. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is developed when there is less room in our own hearts for self. Elijah had a fixation that he was the last G.o.dly man standing (see 1 Kings 19:10,14). This was a wrong mindset, brought to the surface by Jezebel's death-threat, which took advantage of burnout due to his overwork in the ministry. G.o.d's mighty demonstration of power to Elijah highlights the need to appreciate the distinction between a manifestation of G.o.d and G.o.d Himself. In the light of this, we are always to remember that visions and dreamsa”as a manifestation of the power of G.o.da”are not an end in themselves and, though they lead us in the purposes of G.o.d, they are ultimately to direct us deeper in our relations.h.i.+p with the Holy Spirit.

Following this object lesson, G.o.d commissions Elijah to anoint two kings and Elisha. It is interesting to see that Elijah caught what G.o.d was trying to convey because, like Enoch before him, he was taken up as one who walked with G.o.d (see Gen. 5:24). Perhaps more revealing is the fact that Elijah did not personally anoint the two kings, Hazael and Jehu, as he was commissioned by G.o.d to do, but that Elisha, his understudy, did (see 2 Kings 8:13-15; 9:1-3). What does that say? It says that, in getting closer to G.o.d, Elijah lay down his life by pouring it into his successor. In doing that, he created and developed an unquenchable hunger and sensitivity for the Holy Spirit in Elisha. This hunger was openly displayed on the day in which Elijah was taken up. (If you haven't read Second Kings 2:1-14 recently, please stop here and take the time to familiarize yourself with its contents.4) This was an appet.i.te that would not stop for repeated offers of rest or be dissuaded by the voice of his peers (see 2 Kings 2:2-6). He would not settle for conversion (symbolized by Gilgal) nor be content at coming into the House of G.o.d (symbolized by Bethel). Under Elijah's training, Elisha developed such hunger that he would not be satisfied merely with a demonstration of G.o.d's power (symbolized by their trip to Jericho). He was prepared to lay down his life (Jordan, which means ”descender” or ”death”) and was rewarded with a double portion of the Holy Spirit!

Have We Forgotten the Cost?

Somehow, we read about the great exploits of Old and New Testament saints and even of Christ Himself, and yet we forget the cost. Considering Jesus for a moment, whilst we recognize and reverence Him as the G.o.d-Man, it is important to remember that He did not perform His miracles as G.o.d, but as a man. The miracles He worked were those of a man empowered by the Holy Spirit, to show us how it is done. Yes, that's right. He was as totally reliant upon the Holy Spirit for ministry as we are. Why else did He need to be anointed? As Luke records, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19).

And elsewhere it says, How G.o.d anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for G.o.d was with Him (Acts 10:38).

It is easy to lose sight of the fact that as a man (like all the Old Testament greats before Him), Jesus needed an anointing of the Holy Spirit to ministera” an anointing birthed and renewed in prayer. Again, in Luke, the Gospel that speaks about Jesus as a man, we read, When all the people were baptized, it came to pa.s.s that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended. . . (Luke 3:21-22).

The anointing is poured out in prayerful relations.h.i.+p. It is no coincidence that we see Jesus in prayera”in the wilderness (see Luke 5:16), before He chose His disciples (see Luke 6:12), before Peter's confession of faith (see Luke 9:18), at the transfiguration (see Luke 9:28-29), before teaching His disciples to pray (see Luke 11:1), and after feeding the 5,000 (see Matt. 14:23)a”and it should be noted that on the night of Jesus' betrayal that Judas knew where to find Him because He often withdrew to that place to pray (see Luke 22:39; John 18:2). It was not so much that He went to prayer because He was about to minister, but rather that His ministry flowed out of His relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d, as marked by prayer.

Not only does the Bible record that He prayed, but it also captures His desire for prayer, ”Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35). And on another occasion He ”continued all night in prayer to G.o.d” (Luke 6:12). Jesus was pa.s.sionate about prayer. It was like oxygen to Him.

Sadly, we lack that fervency today. Many mistakenly believe that it was different for Jesus and that we could never attain to His level of ministry. That is a lie that hampers our spiritual progress. For the most part, we are like the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane; our spirits are willing, but the flesh is weak.

When you meet someone genuinely pa.s.sionate for the things of G.o.d, it is truly inspirational. I have been fortunate to work with such a person on this project. In more than 20 years of ministry, I have not met another person who has the ability to consistently move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit like my coauthor. It is not surprising that the unction with which he moves has come at tremendous personal cost. Though he has already shared about his two-year investment praying in the Spirit, he hasn't told you about the 40-day fasts, or the countless nights on his face before G.o.d in prayer, or his prayer-partners.h.i.+p with his best friend, Todd. It shouldn't be any surprise, then, that his unquenchable pa.s.sion for souls and obedience to G.o.d will cause him to leave his office to minister to a dying soul on the other side of the city or to openly preach the Gospel on the city streets. It has also led him to encounter typhoons in the Philippines, to be eaten by fire ants in the jungles of Southern Mindanao, and to cause the churches in which he was ministering in India to be ”stoned” by Hindu fundamentalists.

So far in this chapter, we have confirmed the presence of the Holy Spirit with us today. We have discussed the need for increased sensitivity to commune with Him, and we have seen the difference between a manifestation of G.o.d and G.o.d Himself. We have also explored how this revelation comes with a call to a deeper personal relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d. This led us to recognize the cost of prayerful relations.h.i.+p for the anointing we seek.

Seeing Ourselves in the Mirror It has been long said that the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed. The premise on which this is based is that the New Testament opens Old Testament truth that was previously hidden from human understanding. While this is true, it is also worth noting that the Old Testament in its physical and positional ”types” opens to us deeper understanding of our spiritual standing in the New Testament. So that we can take this discussion farther, it is worth looking at two very revealing parallels in the Old Testament to appreciate where we stand in the plan and purposes of G.o.d today.

1: Moses, Joshua, and Judges Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, but it was Joshua who led them into the Promised Land. Though Joshua began to clear Canaan of opposition forces, the Bible also records that, . . .the children of Mana.s.seh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.

And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out (Joshua 17:12-13).

The Book of Judges follows Joshua and describes this same inability to push home the advantage gained through Joshua's invasion. We read, But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day (Judges 1:21).

The first chapter of the Book of Judges records this failure to drive out the inhabitants by the respective tribes: Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan (see Judg. 1:29-34). Why did they fail to take hold of all that G.o.d had promised them? In the next chapter we read, ”And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars. ” But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, ”I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their G.o.ds shall be a snare to you” (Judges 2:2-3).

The reason that Israel failed in their conquest was that they began to settle down and relax when the job was only half done. They embraced the values of the society around them and consequently paid dearly for their spiritual apathy.

2: Elijah, Elisha, and Gehazi As we have already discussed, Elijah pa.s.sed on the mantle to Elisha, who received a double-portion of the Spirit that was upon his mentor. Elisha had someone who he was likewise preparing to pa.s.s on the baton to. His servant and understudy was Gehazi. However, after G.o.d had healed Namaan the leper through the ministry of Elisha, Gehazi went after Namaan to receive the reward his master had turned down (see 2 Kings 5:20-27). On Gehazi's return to Elisha, his master's words to him are particularly enlightening. Elisha says, Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? (2 Kings 5:26) As is indicated by the words, ”Is it time,” Gehazi had no idea where he stood in the purposes of G.o.d. He also had no appreciation of the anointing he would have received if only he had not sought material security.

3: John the Baptist, Jesus, and. . . ?

Now, to bring this closer to home, Jesus said that the ministry of John the Baptist was a parallel to that of Elijah. Speaking of John, Jesus said, ”And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come” (Matt. 11:14). And He also said, But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him. . . Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:12-13).

So John held a parallel spiritual role to that of Elijah. It was not by chance that Jesus' baptism took place in the Jordan, the same place where Elijah pa.s.sed the mantle on to Elisha. And the Jordan was also the place through which Joshua would lead the children of Israel so that they could enter their Promised Land. Like Moses before him, John prepared the people by leading them in renewal in the wilderness so that they, likewise, could come into the Kingdom being opened by Christ (see Matt. 4:17, 12:28). It is no coincidence that the name Joshua is the Old Testament equivalent of the name Jesus in the New Testament. Are you getting this? Moses and Elijah are a type of John the Baptist. Joshua and Elisha were foreshadows ofJesus. Gehazi holds the same position as the children of Israel in the Book of Judges, but who holds this position today? Who did Jesus pa.s.s the mantle on to? Answer: the Church. Whoa!

Table of Parallel Roles Exit Entry Conquest Moses Joshua Judges Elijah Elisha Gehazi John the Baptist Jesus The Church Could it be that G.o.d was forewarning us that the Church, like the children of Israel, would be p.r.o.ne to embrace the world and stop short of G.o.d's intended goal?

Entry Versus Conquest I hear some say, ”But didn't Jesus do it all for us?” To answer that question, let's go back to Joshua's crossing of the Jordan River for a moment. The Scripture records that Joshua said, ”Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan” (Josh. 3:11).

What does the ark represent? Well, what did it have in it? It had the two tablets of stone containing the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod that budded, and a piece of the manna from the wilderness. The tablets represent the Word of G.o.d, Aaron's rod represents resurrection, and the manna represents the bread of the wilderness. Who is the Word of G.o.d, the Resurrection, and the Bread of Life? Jesus is all three! So the ark here represents Jesus. What does Jordan mean? Jordan means ”descender” or ”death.” So the ark entering into the Jordan represents Jesus pa.s.sing into death. What happened when the feet of those who bore the ark touched the waters of the Jordan? The Bible says, when the feet of the priests touched the water, That the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away [all the way back to] Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho (Joshua 3:16).

When the anointed bearers of the Ark entered the river, the water retreated all the way back to a town called Adam. If we recognize that ”the wages of sin is death. . . ” (Rom. 6:23) and that it is no coincidence that the town was called Adam, we will realize that we are foreseeing physically a spiritual truth yet to happen in Christ's death upon the cross. When Jesus entered into death (the Jordan), the flow of sin was rolled back to Adam. Hallelujah! The children of Israel subsequently built a memorial with 12 stones, which represent the 12 apostles (see Matt. 16:18), and then symbolically cut off the flesh through circ.u.mcision before proceeding to take the Promised Land. Was the Promised Land given to them through the ark causing them to cross over on dry ground? Yes and No. Yes, G.o.d had made a way, and no, they had to clear the land as they were led by G.o.d (see Josh. 5:14-15). As we have already seen in the Book ofJudges, Israel failed to press home their advantage. Flanked by fear, they chose rather to embrace the society they were sent to conquer. Today, we can see whether Jesus has done it all for us by looking at the equivalent of land clearing and simply asking ourselves a rhetorical question: Are there still those oppressed of the devil and unsaved in our world?

Jesus would have pa.s.sed the disciples by, and likewise the Holy Spirit is walking past our boat right now. But could it be that, like Gehazi, we are p.r.o.ne to miss where we stand on G.o.d's timeline and find ourselves clamoring for superficial security in our homes, cars, and retirement plans?

Like Elisha before us, we cannot afford to be content to just arrive at conversion (Gilgal) or to stop at the house of G.o.d (Bethel) or be satisfied by a display of G.o.d's power (Jericho). Let us rather cut off the flesh (crossing over the Jordan) and push in to receive all of the Spirit that Jesus has for us! Let us not forget that Jesus has said, Most a.s.suredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father (John 14:12).

In these words, He is promising us a double-portion of His Spirit. Are we as hungry for the Spirit of our Master as Elisha was? Are we prepared like Elisha for the tests of perseverance? Or are we comfortable just to adopt the fatalistic stance of our peers?

We can and should get excited about dreams and visions, but we are not to settle here. G.o.d has so much more for us than we could ever imagine. Dreams and visions are but a catalyst to awaken and revitalize a sensitivity and hunger within us for the Holy Spirit. Lifting our spiritual eyes, we see that there is a Kingdom to be won and the offer of a double-portion anointing to lead us into complete victory. If this book does anything, let it create within you a pa.s.sion for the Holy Spirit that will not be satisfied with anything less than the fullness of G.o.d!

Summary: Chapter Eight.

a The Holy Spirit is exactly like Jesus and comes to complete the work that Jesus began.

a The Promise of the Father (the Holy Spirit) is available to everyone independent of distance and time.

a Wherever there is correct teaching, there will be accompanied doing of the works of Christ. The Book of Acts is confirmation that Jesus has not finished His ministry.

a The ministry of Christ outlines the ministry of the Holy Spirit today.

a One such series of events sets out: a Jesus broken as the Bread of Life a Feeding an innumerable group of people a Being proclaimed King a Going into Heaven a His physical absence from the earth a Praying for His disciples a The disciples struggling in their own strength across the sea of humanity a Christ coming to them as the Holy Spirit a The need for increased sensitivity in dealing with the Holy Spirit a Although the Holy Spirit is incredibly powerful, we are in need of increased sensitivity to commune with Him.

a The life of Elijah ill.u.s.trated the importance of making the distinction between a manifestation of G.o.d and G.o.d Himself.

a Dreams and visions are manifestations of G.o.d; they are not an end in themselves. They are to direct us into a deeper relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d.

a The miracles Jesus performed were of a man anointed by the Holy Spirit, to show us how it is done.

a The anointing is poured out in prayerful relations.h.i.+p.

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