"Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." Ephesians 5:17-19 (emphasis mine)
Joshua 1:10-15 describes Joshua's command to the people to prepare themselves for three days before crossing the Jordan. In the Promised Land/Spirit-Filled Life illustration, crossing the Jordan symbolizes a second baptism (after the Red Sea). Jon Courson says he wrestled for three years with the question of whether baptism in the Holy Spirit was theologically correct and whether all the gifts of the Spirit are for today. But that time of questioning prepared him to encounter God in a fresh way that transformed his life and ministry.
I believe that God welcomes our "wrestling" if we are seeking His truth. He is not bothered or threatened by our questions. It means we are pursuing Him; not content to settle for other people's opinions or surface-level answers. I have spent a fair amount of time wrestling with the topic of Spirit-baptism and will share some of my present conclusions as they pertain to this study. I don't expect everyone to agree - it is a complex subject. But I hope we can all agree that as Christians, God's Spirit lives in us and wants to take us to deeper levels of intimacy and victory in Him. The question is...how deep do we want to go?
I take a broader view of the term "baptism of the Spirit" than some. Let me explain. Acts 1:4-5 says, "And being assembled with them, He (Jesus) commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which you have heard from Me; for John (the Baptist) truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." When the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, Peter confirmed that it was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy; the sign of the eschatological (end times) age ushered in by the Messiah. In other words, Jesus's mission on earth was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit began to indwell believers. It was a turning point in history, opening up new vistas of relationship with our Holy God. "Baptism of the Spirit" applies more in a corporate sense to the filling and empowering of the new body of Christ.
Now I know some of the questions that will arise around individual salvation and baptism of the Spirit. Three things are clear to me from Scripture. One is that believers can have subsequent fillings of the Spirit (see Acts 4:23-31). Second, that Acts covers a transitional time in the life of the church and shows different examples of how people encountered the Spirit, whether at the time of conversion or afterwards. Third, as New Testament Christians we are called to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18b) and "walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16a). In a pneumatology class, I learned that the phrase "be filled" in Ephesians 5:18 indicates a continual filling we are to seek which is not limited to a single experience. Thus, I prefer to use the word "filled" when talking about our life in the Spirit.
On one side of the Jordan, we have the wilderness - a place of wandering and self-reliance. On the other side we have the Promised Land - a place of purpose, empowerment and abundant, Spirit-filled LIFE. Every day, we choose which side to live on. Sometimes we may get stuck in the wilderness and need a fresh and powerful anointing, baptism, filling, dunking...whatever you want to call it...to get moving again. Some "fillings" or encounters with the Spirit may be so powerful that they become turning points in our lives. This would be analogous to crossing the Jordan. It doesn't mean we've arrived, but we are crossing over into a new way of life.
It's interesting that the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manassah chose to stay on the east side of the Jordan because it seemed good for their families and livestock (Numbers 32 and Joshua 1:12-14). The Lord wouldn't force them to cross the Jordan, but they weren't allowed to hold back the rest of the congregation. Later, they were the ones who were paganized. That side looked safe, but it wasn't. The Wycliffe Bible Dictionary states that "to this day there remains a distinct spiritual separation between the peoples on the east vs. west of the Jordan." This is a word of caution for us, to be sure. Taking the safe or easy road often leaves us vulnerable to attack.
In Joshua 1:16-18, the people answer Joshua, saying they will follow his lead as God is with him. And they reaffirm that he is to "be strong and of good courage". Our "Joshua" - Jesus - is more than able to lead us into the Promised Land of life in His Spirit. We can follow Him fully.
Questions: Are you wrestling with the idea of being filled with the Spirit? What does that look like to you? Do you have any pre-conceptions that aren't consistent with Scripture? Bring your thoughts and questions before the Lord and ask Him to show you His truth.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
In Spirit and Truth - II
"As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7a
Let's review God's exhortations to Joshua before the Israelites cross the Jordan into the Promised Land: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you wil have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:8-9
I would like to explore the command to "meditate" a bit more. Last week, we looked at the first definition of meditate - "to mutter". The second Hebrew word for meditation literally means "to chew the cud". That means that we take what we hear and "chew on it" in our minds and hearts until we extract every ounce of nutrition from it. Speaking it verbally helps in this process. Jon Courson states, "For example, Joshua 1:7 says, "Be strong and very courageous." Therefore, if I want to have good success, if I want to prosper, I am to go through my day muttering, "Lord, you want me to be strong. You want me to have courage. Thank you for the strength and courage You give." Biblical meditation is simply taking a phrase, a verse, or a small portion of Scripture and muttering it over and over. Meditation is different from reading the Bible. Reading produces information. Meditation produces transformation."
What a difference it would make in my attitude and actions if I meditated on this one verse throughout the day. In Joshua's case, he needed to grasp the reality of God's presence with him as he led three million people into a new and challenging land. God commands Joshua to meditate because that is the key to moving in the Spirit and staying in the Spirit. Courson says, "If we don't understand this, though we might have an experience in Holy Spirit, it will soon dissipate."
David says it this way in Psalm 1:1a, 2-3...
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly...but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."
Anyone can make an occasional splash, but those who are "planted" by the river will continually draw strength and nourishment and bear fruit. We will not wither when hard times come. Meditation is key to abiding in the Spirit. It causes our roots to go deep in God so we will not be shaken by the challenges of life. We will experience the truth of Romans 8:37, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us."
Exercise: Choose one verse or passage to meditate on this week. Practice "chewing on it" and "muttering it" to yourself and others. At the end of the week, write down how God worked and what He showed you in the process.
Let's review God's exhortations to Joshua before the Israelites cross the Jordan into the Promised Land: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you wil have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:8-9
I would like to explore the command to "meditate" a bit more. Last week, we looked at the first definition of meditate - "to mutter". The second Hebrew word for meditation literally means "to chew the cud". That means that we take what we hear and "chew on it" in our minds and hearts until we extract every ounce of nutrition from it. Speaking it verbally helps in this process. Jon Courson states, "For example, Joshua 1:7 says, "Be strong and very courageous." Therefore, if I want to have good success, if I want to prosper, I am to go through my day muttering, "Lord, you want me to be strong. You want me to have courage. Thank you for the strength and courage You give." Biblical meditation is simply taking a phrase, a verse, or a small portion of Scripture and muttering it over and over. Meditation is different from reading the Bible. Reading produces information. Meditation produces transformation."
What a difference it would make in my attitude and actions if I meditated on this one verse throughout the day. In Joshua's case, he needed to grasp the reality of God's presence with him as he led three million people into a new and challenging land. God commands Joshua to meditate because that is the key to moving in the Spirit and staying in the Spirit. Courson says, "If we don't understand this, though we might have an experience in Holy Spirit, it will soon dissipate."
David says it this way in Psalm 1:1a, 2-3...
"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly...but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."
Anyone can make an occasional splash, but those who are "planted" by the river will continually draw strength and nourishment and bear fruit. We will not wither when hard times come. Meditation is key to abiding in the Spirit. It causes our roots to go deep in God so we will not be shaken by the challenges of life. We will experience the truth of Romans 8:37, "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us."
Exercise: Choose one verse or passage to meditate on this week. Practice "chewing on it" and "muttering it" to yourself and others. At the end of the week, write down how God worked and what He showed you in the process.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
In Spirit and Truth - I
"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:23-24
Last week, we looked at God's exhortation to Joshua to "be strong and very courageous" as he led the Israelites into the Promised Land. But Joshua is given another command on the banks of the Jordan: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8
This is a key to the Spirit-Filled life that we cannot miss. Please don't tune out thinking that this will be just another "read your Bible" lecture. There is more here than meets the eye. There is no better way to abide in the Spirit (listening and obeying every moment) than by being immersed in Scripture. I don't mean that we have to read constantly, but that our minds and hearts are filled with God's Word, so the Holy Spirit can readily speak to us and through us.
Jon Courson offers this insight, "God didn't tell Joshua that His Word was not to depart out of his hand or out of his back pocket, but that it was not to depart out of his mouth. The word "meditate" simply means "to mutter". Thus, biblical meditation consists of speaking the Scripture over and over. It is not a matter of thinking about the Scriptures because merely thinking about them allows our minds to wander. Meditation means to speak verbally, quoting Scriptures audibly, talking to others about them constantly."
Courson goes on to say, "Prosperity, success, and the abundant life are hallmarks of the Spirit-filled life. And the Spirit is inextricably linked to the Word..." Colossians 3:16-22 and Ephesians 5:18-22 & 6:1-6 describe very similar effects of letting the "word of Christ dwell in you richly" and being "filled with the Spirit". They are things such as "speaking to ourselves and each other with psalms and hymns, being submitted to each other, being the husband, wife or child we ought to be and the kind of worker that honors God. In other words, being filled with the Spirit and being filled with the Word are linked together." As we study, meditate and speak the Word, we will be "continually filled with the Spirit in fresh ways." Spirit-filled people are those who worship in Spirit and in truth.
I've noticed another effect of being filled with God's Word - it decreases my appetite for wordly things. It fills the space inside us that often seeks pleasure or entertainment to satisfy. It gives our minds and hearts something substantial to chew on and reduces our "junk food" cravings. I know we have all kinds of excuses not to read and meditate on the Word: "I don't have time...I don't understand it...etc.", but it really boils down to a lack of desire. We will make time for the things we value and enjoy. So ASK the Holy Spirit to increase your desire for the Word. ASK Him to increase your understanding. ASK Him to provide resources to help along the way (teaching, commentaries, websites, friends, etc.). He longs to interact with you through His Word.
A final quote from Jon Courson, "At the very beginning of his ministry, Joshua is told to meditate in the Word day and night because that is the key to appropriating the power of the Spirit he would need to accomplish that which God had called him to do." We'd all like to be "prosperous" and "have good success" as promised in Joshua 1:8, but are we willing to do it God's way? We must take hold of this key to the Spirit-filled life if we are to enter the Promised Land.
Exercise: Imagine what your marriage, family, friendships, etc. would look like if you were constantly speaking the Word to yourself and others. What steps can you take today to create that kind of dynamic? Are you making excuses for your lack of "fullness"? Be honest with yourself and ask the Lord to increase your appetite for His Word.
Last week, we looked at God's exhortation to Joshua to "be strong and very courageous" as he led the Israelites into the Promised Land. But Joshua is given another command on the banks of the Jordan: "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:8
This is a key to the Spirit-Filled life that we cannot miss. Please don't tune out thinking that this will be just another "read your Bible" lecture. There is more here than meets the eye. There is no better way to abide in the Spirit (listening and obeying every moment) than by being immersed in Scripture. I don't mean that we have to read constantly, but that our minds and hearts are filled with God's Word, so the Holy Spirit can readily speak to us and through us.
Jon Courson offers this insight, "God didn't tell Joshua that His Word was not to depart out of his hand or out of his back pocket, but that it was not to depart out of his mouth. The word "meditate" simply means "to mutter". Thus, biblical meditation consists of speaking the Scripture over and over. It is not a matter of thinking about the Scriptures because merely thinking about them allows our minds to wander. Meditation means to speak verbally, quoting Scriptures audibly, talking to others about them constantly."
Courson goes on to say, "Prosperity, success, and the abundant life are hallmarks of the Spirit-filled life. And the Spirit is inextricably linked to the Word..." Colossians 3:16-22 and Ephesians 5:18-22 & 6:1-6 describe very similar effects of letting the "word of Christ dwell in you richly" and being "filled with the Spirit". They are things such as "speaking to ourselves and each other with psalms and hymns, being submitted to each other, being the husband, wife or child we ought to be and the kind of worker that honors God. In other words, being filled with the Spirit and being filled with the Word are linked together." As we study, meditate and speak the Word, we will be "continually filled with the Spirit in fresh ways." Spirit-filled people are those who worship in Spirit and in truth.
I've noticed another effect of being filled with God's Word - it decreases my appetite for wordly things. It fills the space inside us that often seeks pleasure or entertainment to satisfy. It gives our minds and hearts something substantial to chew on and reduces our "junk food" cravings. I know we have all kinds of excuses not to read and meditate on the Word: "I don't have time...I don't understand it...etc.", but it really boils down to a lack of desire. We will make time for the things we value and enjoy. So ASK the Holy Spirit to increase your desire for the Word. ASK Him to increase your understanding. ASK Him to provide resources to help along the way (teaching, commentaries, websites, friends, etc.). He longs to interact with you through His Word.
A final quote from Jon Courson, "At the very beginning of his ministry, Joshua is told to meditate in the Word day and night because that is the key to appropriating the power of the Spirit he would need to accomplish that which God had called him to do." We'd all like to be "prosperous" and "have good success" as promised in Joshua 1:8, but are we willing to do it God's way? We must take hold of this key to the Spirit-filled life if we are to enter the Promised Land.
Exercise: Imagine what your marriage, family, friendships, etc. would look like if you were constantly speaking the Word to yourself and others. What steps can you take today to create that kind of dynamic? Are you making excuses for your lack of "fullness"? Be honest with yourself and ask the Lord to increase your appetite for His Word.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Take Courage
"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 4:6b
As God commissions Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan and possess the Promised Land, He offers reassurance and exhortation. God knows the journey is not going to get any easier, but it is worth it!
First, the reassurance in Joshua 1:4-5...
"From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great River, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you." (emphasis mine)
When stepping out into new spiritual territory, all we really need to know is that GOD IS WITH US. How is He with us? In the person of Jesus (Emmanuel = God with us) and the presence of His Holy Spirit. We don't need to know exactly where we're going because we have the most amazing Guide with us - leading us every step of the way. We just need to listen and keep pace with Him. The lessons we learned in the wilderness about God's character will come into play. If we let Him "be with us" as He desires, there's nothing that can stop us. Practically, I think this comes down to trusting, listening and obeying on a moment by moment basis. We don't place any hope in our "might" or "power", but recognize that our lives are powered by His Spirit. This is tough for most of us who relish our self-sufficiency. But after a humbling time in the wilderness, perhaps we are ready to cross over into a new way of being with God in the land of Promise.
Next, a double exhortation in Joshua 1:7...
"Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law with Moses my servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go." (emphasis mine)
One of the definitions of "to be strong" in Vine's Bible Dictionary is to "take hold of". Joshua was to take hold of the promises, take hold of God's character and take hold of himself as he entered the new land. It is a new sense of purpose. We aren't going to be weak and wandering anymore. We're going to be strong and follow the Lord forward into whatever He has for us.
Two dictionary definitions of "courage" are "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear" and "able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching." I like that. Wouldn't it be great to be so filled with faith that we don't even flinch at the sight of danger? Most of us don't live in fear of physical harm, but we do tend to be very protective of our time, feelings, relationships and material goods. Moving into new territory might unsettle these precious things a bit. But rather than respond with fear, we can be courageous because God is with us. We can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He wants the best for us. If we experience any loss in the journey, He will provide something far more fulfilling.
One final thought...God was speaking to Joshua in a very personal way, but it wasn't just for him. He was the leader of the people. His attitude affected everyone in the congregation. So too, when God is leading us, it's not just about our progress. It's about our families, friends, neighbors or anyone else in our lives. Are we exhibiting strength and courage in our Lord for them to follow?
Listening Exercise: Ask the Lord what particular reassurances and/or exhortations He has for you right now. Write them down and pray them back to Him. His words may be the key to unlock new things He has in store for you this year.
As God commissions Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan and possess the Promised Land, He offers reassurance and exhortation. God knows the journey is not going to get any easier, but it is worth it!
First, the reassurance in Joshua 1:4-5...
"From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great River, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you." (emphasis mine)
When stepping out into new spiritual territory, all we really need to know is that GOD IS WITH US. How is He with us? In the person of Jesus (Emmanuel = God with us) and the presence of His Holy Spirit. We don't need to know exactly where we're going because we have the most amazing Guide with us - leading us every step of the way. We just need to listen and keep pace with Him. The lessons we learned in the wilderness about God's character will come into play. If we let Him "be with us" as He desires, there's nothing that can stop us. Practically, I think this comes down to trusting, listening and obeying on a moment by moment basis. We don't place any hope in our "might" or "power", but recognize that our lives are powered by His Spirit. This is tough for most of us who relish our self-sufficiency. But after a humbling time in the wilderness, perhaps we are ready to cross over into a new way of being with God in the land of Promise.
Next, a double exhortation in Joshua 1:7...
"Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law with Moses my servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go." (emphasis mine)
One of the definitions of "to be strong" in Vine's Bible Dictionary is to "take hold of". Joshua was to take hold of the promises, take hold of God's character and take hold of himself as he entered the new land. It is a new sense of purpose. We aren't going to be weak and wandering anymore. We're going to be strong and follow the Lord forward into whatever He has for us.
Two dictionary definitions of "courage" are "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear" and "able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching." I like that. Wouldn't it be great to be so filled with faith that we don't even flinch at the sight of danger? Most of us don't live in fear of physical harm, but we do tend to be very protective of our time, feelings, relationships and material goods. Moving into new territory might unsettle these precious things a bit. But rather than respond with fear, we can be courageous because God is with us. We can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He wants the best for us. If we experience any loss in the journey, He will provide something far more fulfilling.
One final thought...God was speaking to Joshua in a very personal way, but it wasn't just for him. He was the leader of the people. His attitude affected everyone in the congregation. So too, when God is leading us, it's not just about our progress. It's about our families, friends, neighbors or anyone else in our lives. Are we exhibiting strength and courage in our Lord for them to follow?
Listening Exercise: Ask the Lord what particular reassurances and/or exhortations He has for you right now. Write them down and pray them back to Him. His words may be the key to unlock new things He has in store for you this year.
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