I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:16-23
Is there more than the logical left-brain rationalism of formulas, doctrines, and rules of the Christian life? The left-brain would encompass the academic study of the Bible, the etymology, hermeneutics, doctrinal and theological constructs, exegetical, the historical and cultural social and economic contexts of the words we are reading from ancient texts gathered in what we call the Bible. These are the methods used in academic seminaries.
So how does the right-brain connect with Christianity? The creativity, imagination, and soul connection with the Spirit of God? How do we actually encounter the Spirit of God beyond the rational left-brain? Art? Poem? Music? Deep meditation and prayer? Visions? Dreams? How did the original disciples and apostles connect with the Spirit of God after Pentecost? How did Peter, John, and Paul experience the Holy Spirit in their lives? How did they encounter Jesus after He left this earth?
We have to begin to learn to explore our soul, and spirit. That intangible part of us that we know is real but really don’t understand. There have been Christian ‘mystics’ since the first century and every century after that – right up till today. God WANTS us to encounter Him. Now Jesus is revealing Himself to Muslims at an astounding rate. Many, many Muslims are secretly converting to Christianity BECAUSE of their personal direct encounters, visions, and dreams with Jesus. How are you encountering Jesus? Are you desiring more of that kind of encounter with Jesus? Jesus still ‘visits’ people and tells them who He is.
Has Jesus given ‘gifts’ to the Body of Christ to help them encounter Him in deeper ways within our soul and spirit?
And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4:11-16
Can you name and discern those 5 different types of ‘gifts’ in those specifically close to you in your Christian circle? Can you tell who has those ‘high callings’ from God? Are they encouraging you and building you up? Are you doing the same for them? Or do you only ‘know’ (from afar) people that are from the institutional platform style of religious titles in the American structural model of the “Church”. Meaning you can only name the ‘pastor’ who stands on the platform and delivers the Sunday morning sermon.
Jesus’ gifts to you are ALL around you. Can you recognize them? Have you asked the Holy Spirit who they are? We need to encounter Jesus in our soul and spirit. We need greater connection with the Holy Spirit. We need to learn to ‘hear’ and discern His Voice within our soul and spirit. We need to connect to those people Jesus has given to us to encourage us. We need to connect with them – just like a body needs to be connected, all taking direction from the Head. This is obviously more than just a Sunday morning theater experience.
Ask the Holy Spirit who Jesus has put around you for the work of His ministry and encouragement to you specifically? Are you really connected to them? How much? Solidify those connections with deeper ties.
Let’s really experience Jesus in His fullness in every part of us! I crave that and want that too!