Holy Spirit thou are welcome in this place 2x. Omnipotent Father has mercy on us thou are welcome in this place. Is not by power, is not might but my Spirit, praise the Lord. This mountain shall be remove 2x in Jesus name, this mountain shall be remove by my Spirit says the Lord. Holy Spirit be my comforter, Holy Spirit take control as am walking along the way the road is so narrow, Holy Spirit lead me home.
Our Father in heaven, we bless Your Holy Name, we exalt forever. Another miracle we have just witnessed again in the land of the living. Thank You for waking us up each time we lay down to rest a while, Father we do not take it for granted. Thank You for powerfully intervening in every issue of concerns to us, rescuing us from the powers of hell and setting us up on our high way to heaven. We cannot thank You enough even with all the hairs on our body becomes tongue, they will still not be enough.
Beloved, are you ready to part take of that meal that we eat only in His presence? Meal that leave you with such a satisfying feeling and gratefulness that you are partake of. O Faithful is our God, greatly to be praise for his abounding love and mercy.
This meal has some special features that characterize no other meal and yet very satisfying. You need not go to the grocery shop neither do you need a chef but all the items listed are supplied without you parting with a coin or a note; prepared sizzling hot and delicious.
On the invite, there is no dress code, no ID card, no searching or checking at the entrance, just come as you are, dearly beloved. Just as you are.
On arrival at the venue, always known by your chief host. The attendants are waiting to usher you in and take your orders as they come. There is no special order or accents but as it flows, solutions are being profound and your basket filled not minding whether you can pay the bill because the bill has been paid up front.
In the venue, there is no protocol, no order, you can start with last item on the program, it matters not; you can skip some of the programs still mattered not much. You can come with gifts if you have; even when you have none to offer you will be still be enriched before leaving.
But there is a condition precedent to all that were mentioned above.
Admission is not by proxy; you must be in attendant. Because this meeting is characterize by intimacy and immediacy. The feeding nourishes not only the body of the participants but also their spirits/souls. More so to avoid distortions, you must be presence as the meal is serve by order on arrival.
Come with me as we discover how to benefit more on this special meal:
“As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.” John 6:57
We live by virtue of our union with the Son of God. As God-man Mediator, the Lord Jesus lives by the self-existent Father who has sent Him, and in the same manner we live by the Saviour who has quickened us. He who is the source of our life is also the sustenance of it. Living is sustained by feeding. We must support the spiritual life by spiritual food, and that spiritual food is the Lord Jesus. Not His life, or death, or offices, or work, or word alone, but Himself, as including all these. On Jesus, Himself, we feed.
This is set forth to us in the Lord’s Supper, but it is actually enjoyed by us when we meditate upon our Lord, believe in Him with appropriating faith, take Him into ourselves by love, and assimilate Him by the power of the inner life. We know what it is to feed on Jesus, but we cannot speak it or write it. Our wisest course is to practice it, and to do so more and more. We are entreated to eat abundantly, and it will be to our infinite profit to do so when Jesus is our meat and our drink.
Lord, I thank thee that this, which is a necessity of my new life, is also its greatest delight. So, I do at this hour feed on thee.
Beloved, did noticed we were advised to feed on “Jesus” not His life, or death, or office, or work, or word alone but “Himself.” Most people try to imitate one or two aspects of Christ life instead of embracing Him in totality and that is where we usually miss it. Notice you also on the first paragraph that Jesus is not self- existing but depended solely on His Father, likewise we ought to be. We must depend on Christ to live like Him not to make choices on which of His virtue we live out. (Jn 5:30: 8:28 14:7; 10-14; 20; Jn 15:1; Jn 16:28 ;).
If Jesus can do nothing of His own except that which He sees and hear His Father do, how do you think it was possible for Him? Jesus did nothing of great task without first having an intimacy with the Father (Lk 6:12; 11:1; 22:40-44; Jn 11:41-43). Let’s imbibe same:
Intimacy And Immediacy
This week I had the privilege of spending a great deal of time with a seasoned, godly older man who has walked with God for sixty years. Observing this old war-horse of the faith, and reflecting back on others of his stripe, two traits seem to characterize their lives:
INTIMACY – I notice that they have cultivated the practice of moment-by-moment communion with Christ, when their minds are free from other obligations and demands. It is apparent that they have learned to bring Jesus into the little details of their lives. They seem in touch. The tone I pick up is one of sensitivity to His prompting, sensitivity to sin, dependency upon Him in the littlest of things, humility, gentleness, perhaps even brokenness. There is not the slightest air of superiority or self-promotion.
“I am the vine itself, you are the branches. It is the man who shares my life and whose life I share who proves fruitful. For the plain fact is that apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 – Phillips)
IMMEDIACY – It seems that they are forever, and everlastingly “at it.” Their antennas are up, aware, utilizing every opportunity to lovingly and graciously share the love of Christ with those who come into their orbit. Reflective indeed of Paul’s mind-set:
“So, naturally, we proclaim Christ! We warn everyone we meet, (evangelism) and we teach everyone we can, all that we know about Him, (discipleship) so that, if possible, we may bring every man up to his full maturity in Christ Jesus. This is what I am working at all the time, with all the strength that God gives me.” (Colossians 1:28, 29 – Phillips)
Perhaps their motto is: “if not you – who? If not now – When?”
In this sense of immediacy, there is no hint of pushiness or being overbearing. Notice the guidelines Paul gives, derived from Colossians 4:5, 6; 2 Timothy 2:24-26:
- Clever and skilled.
- Utilizing every opportunity. Immediacy.
- Gracious: Gentle, meek, humble, mild. Patient, enduring evil or ill-will.
- Salty: Pointed; not insipid; “an edge of liveliness” (Knox Translation)
- Correcting: Chastening, educating, teaching and training.
- Not quarrelsome: Not disputing or striving.
SUGGESTION: Can you take a moment and ask God, “Lord, if I am not walking intimately with you, why? And if I am lack a sense of immediacy in getting the Gospel to others, why? (Adapted from FOTM)
Beloved, our prayer life worth more gold and all the riches we can ever get. Let us make sure we pray always. Also, let us have maintain an attitude of intimacy with God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. We will never miss it if we are constantly in the His presence.
Someone is asking, “are we then to pray all through the day.” There is nothing bad if you choose to do for season. However, what is being said to us is about having intimacy with God. We must not be full of noise. Some people cannot be silent for 10mins. They either chatting, talking or playing. Always full of activities. Let us learn to meditate even on our busiest schedule you will see how the Holy Spirit will help you through. Am sharing with you what I have experienced not what I read in a book.
Finally beloved, Prayer is that “meal that takes on your order and deliver without receiving a coin or a note from you.” But like we say, it does not deliver by proxy because you have to state your order in other to take delivery. Don’t be among those that contracts prayers. Though we can pray for others, one another or pray someone to repentance but you only pray when you are committing into God’s hand all your undertaking not when you asking others to pray for you.
I decree into your life today that God will answer every prayer said or muter before His presence today in Jesus Name. God will also show up in all areas of your life where you need His intervention in Jesus Name.
Don’t leave this page without praying.
Remain blessed in the Lord.
