TRUE FELLOWSHIP

I am looking for the fellowship of the burning heart – for men and women of all generations everywhere who love the Savior until adoration becomes the music of their soul until they don’t have to be fooled with and entertained and amused. Jesus Christ is everything, all-in-all. A.W. Tozer

As I look at this quote, which has long been a favourite of mine, it brings me back to the great loneliness that many feel, even in the midst of the crowd and the events that are taking place around us.

Where are the burning hearts? Are they feeling alone and isolated simply because their hearts continue to seek only for true fellowship with Jesus Himself. They are not comforted by the words of man, or the worship that entertains and soothes the soul - no, their spirits are constantly searching, seeking, longing, for something that this world cannot provide.

In Luke 9:27 Jesus made an astonishing statement: I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God."

Perhaps those with the burning hearts are those He would say that same thing to? Perhaps they are those who long for the mountain experience with Jesus where He opens up things eternal before their eyes, and with their own ears they hear the voice of God the Father speaking about His Son.

The wonderfully exciting thing about Luke 9:27 is that in this moment we meet Prophecy Himself speaking, Jesus THE Prophet speaks of what is ahead, and yet what exactly it meant was probably not clear to any of those present.

Luke 9:28 goes on to tell us About 8 days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. I guess they had been on mountains to pray with Jesus before, and this would have seemed like another such occasion as they set out.

Luke 9:29-35 tells us what took place on the mountain top and it is amazing to read - the wonder of Jesus' whole appearance changing as He stood in the presence of the great prophets and the cloud of His Father's presence.

In these passages we also see that what Prophecy Himself prophesied came to pass as the disciples were there with Him and were enveloped in the cloud of God's presence - they saw His glory, and Moses and Elijah standing with Him.

An eternal kingdom was opened up before them on the mountain, a kingdom where God still was with Moses in the cloud, and meeting with Elijah on the mountaintop! A kingdom where the glory of heaven is seen and wondered at.

Will those with the burning hearts be forever dissatisfied until they themselves have also seen this Kingdom? Are they those who live their lives longing for that which is to come in order that it will come, and perhaps are they those that Prophecy Himself has chosen to take with Him on a very specific journey?

Peter, who was there on the mountain top with Jesus, speaks to us out of this experience in 2 Peter 2:16-21 and gives us wonderful advice that resounds through the ages since:

2 Peter 2:19-21 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Lord let our hearts burn with a longing for Your Word, Your Truth, and to be 'carried along' by Your Holy Spirit.

STANDING FIRM

Right now much of my blogging comes from a wrestling with where prayer is leading us, who it is leading us to be, how we are to be, in these days.

In some areas and thinking, prayer has become one more weapon in our arsenal against the enemy, or a way of getting what we have decided we should have, rather than the expression of our intimate, loving, friendship with the Lord.

I begin to understand why the long-standing praying communities had 'rules' or guidelines set by the founder to hold the members in their pursuit of Jesus, and their expression of that.

I do not read of those who have kept prayer alive down the centuries having to be THE prophet, apostle, or leader in prayer. In recent times we seem to have moved from having to be prophetic, to needing to be apostolic, and now prayer has become the thing of the moment, with each stream being taken hold of by a man to needs to make sure it grows and accomplishes great things!

God's thoughts on these things are expressed well in His speaking about Jesus (our model) in Matthew 12:18-21.

Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, til he leads justice to victory.

In his name the nations will put their hope.

How many bruised reeds, and smoldering wicks have been sacrificed under the feet of man's selfish ambition?

Much of the past warfare and 'breakthrough' prayer has used up a huge amount of human strength and ability. Now as God begins to reveal our weaknesses and human frailty, what will we draw on to fight? What weapons will He place in our hands?

If I am standing beside a giant who can conquer my enemies, tucked in under his great arm, I will feel safe and secure, able to join Him in laughing in the face of such enemies because He knows He cannot be defeated and I KNOW this to be the truth.

Does your prayer and mine bring us to this place of KNOWING our God, and therefore standing firm in the face of all opposition?

Culturally some will be warriors and others peacemakers, but we need to move into the culture of His Kingdom and life, for this is our strength and our hope,

Paul writes in Colossians 1

I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness - the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Is this mystery at work within you and I? Is this mystery at work in our prayer lives, and especially in the prayers that come forth from our lips?

Do we stand with the giant - the One who has overcome everything on our behalf and laughs in the face of His enemies, or do we feel as if there is something we have to do to help Him, or suggest to Him what He needs to do?

Surely this mystery Who dwells within us will be gloriously revealed if we will let Him have His way through and beyond ourselves, past our human noise and endeavours, and most especially in our prayer.

The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:11&12

So many want to DO (even with prayer), but so few want to BE (especially with prayer) - immersed in God in order that He might move.