I can almost see Him, can’t you? Slipping into one of John’s speeches, quieting the storm, doing something few new the reason for.

The waters part, He descends across the lake’s floor, looking to John who in return insists, “The Holy One should baptize me instead”.

Now Jesus had learned carpentry from his earthly father, he had gone to the synagogue, done what most sons might have at his young age; learned a trade, obeyed his parents, helped with chores….

But when the water welcomes the embodiment of God incarnate, everything we do changes, our entire coarse, our mode of reasoning becomes transformed…and all that matters is following where He leads.

The person who walked like a man, rises from His baptism, dove descending, Him hearing audibly from God before being led by the Spirit into the dessert.

And some might wonder; a man who was forever sinless (John 8:46), a God-man conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35); why did His earthly ministry not begin until He was baptized with water and descended upon by a dove, (representing, the Holy Spirit)?

Another group of people huddle, hide, live bewildered about why the one they followed, worshiped, the one they anticipated being the Messiah had just been crucified?  But then Peter seeing the resurrected Christ was told by the fire, “Feed my sheep”.

Many saw the ascension, blessed by Jesus himself, encumbered great joy and praises…yet the church never grew, or spread, or became ignited by a fire transforming generations…that is until the Holy Spirit fell in Pentecost after followers gathered together to pray and fellowship.

And I wonder if the key is putting ourselves at His expense. Repenting like John, and preaching Jesus like Peter did. If it requires communion with our brothers and sisters first, walking to the water of our afflictions and drowning who we were before stepping into some kind of “good works”?  And isn’t it prayer that births true revival, fellowship in worship that lures power from a God asking if He can use us?

And I wonder why we think we can do ministry alone?  Why we formulate what we think God has called us to, and then take pieces of our purpose and somehow try to make sense of it all?  Don’t we have the same access to the Holy Spirit power that charged Jesus and the disciples into ministry, equipping and sustaining this gospel throughout history by His love, and grace, and His followers ministering as the church?

Yet, how many do we know have fallen, how many have been led into desserts and never come back because they have not been equipped by His Spirit, or have once known His fullness…but somewhere along the way began trusting their own instincts?

And I wonder if why we don’t crucify our flesh, abandon our ways, wait in the upper rooms of our souls for the power of the Holy Spirit because as modern day Christians we tend to turn from fellowship, repentance, waiting, and His Spirit leading us as we follow?  Why do we like so much to plan, know, calculate, determine our own life course? Like to master the ship of our own souls? Be the primary stock holders of our own estates, instead of trusting Him with the course of our lives…

When Jesus cried, “Leave it all and follow me”, The Spirit says, “Follow and let me lead”, God says, “I will not share my glory with anyone of these.  I am God and me alone.”

And I think we just get it wrong.  Somehow we have assumed that following God will be comfortable or easy, chaotic or imprisoning.  But God says where I am there is freedom. And those who love me will worship me in Spirit and in Truth.  We who abandon to His Spirit, will be led by His goodness, power, and truth.

Yes, we may not have earthly treasures, but we will be endowed with His Spirit….a power not for our pleasure, but a power that will equip us to do every good work He has called us to.

And yet throughout the world, so many try to do the work of God in their own strength, relying on their own power, determining their course by their own understanding.  As a result, the church can be weakened, like a dying corpse struggling for breathe, the Spirit of the Living God, Ruach Elohim; gasping for Holy Spirit power, the life giving air that sustains us when we can acknowledge our own helplessness.

Hands get feeble, many are falling out of the race; depending upon their own intellect or strength, wanting to walk in their own glory, or trying to find a grace apart from the same spirit that descended on Jesus that day He was baptized and launched into ministry.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to go out like those leaning on anything we as fallible human being may hold.  I don’t want to lift myself up thinking I can take one step, have one breathe, without acknowledging the God who has given this very life as a gift to do with as He wills.  I don’t want to run my race without His Spirit leading, His Word grounding, His still small voice directing my every step.

For in this time and place, none of us are exempt from living this Christian walk without the same Spirit that descended upon the son of God.  None of us need less than what those first disciples, those first cross-barers of God, had who spread the church into the fullness of what we have today.

For we need grace, yes.  We need holiness, absolutely.  We need righteousness, undoubtedly.  We need Jesus, fully.  We must have scripture rooting us, completely. But if Jesus didn’t start ministry until the dove (representing the Holy Spirit) fell upon Him…then how can we?

For it is freedom Christ died.  And this freedom of true life, is never found in us, never found in obeying or doing good, but is found in His presence, His comfort, His truth, His all equipping goodness falling on us as we align and continue to align our hearts with the fire of His presence…The Holy Spirit.

What has launched and is sustaining you in ministry?  Have you too been equipped with power from on High for ministry, like those in the early church?

UNITE Link Party

We are up and ready to UNITE?  Are you ready? 

Just place a post (any family friendly post) below, add a link back, then, comment on the post before yours.

Remember:  UNITE is an all inclusive, no-rules blog hop!

Alrighty, let’s get started!  Enjoy!