The Ministry of Presence

"My basic problem has been my understanding of discipleship did not match His" (Jesus)

My over riding concern for years is how to be a disciple of Jesus and show others the goodness of God.  I thought I knew how to do that but what I am finding out about myself and by God's help is I have to go back to the school of the Holy Spirit and be taught what I thought I knew but really did not truly understand.  What does it mean to be a copy or imitation of Jesus?  As I am re-reading God's Word and particularly the gospels, I am learning anew what does it mean for my flesh to incarnate the story of God?

The story never ends nor does God calling on our lives.  The call is not given once but is given over and over again.  God is always calling us.  Do we have the spiritual ears to hear and the hearts to receive those calls?  All I know is God is like a mad man storming my gates and is calling me to fall madly in love with Him.  God is calling us all to radical obedience set ablaze by God's love.  This obedience means total surrender, complete abandonment, joyous celebration of our One King and Master.  For me, there is no going back.

God is calling me to be fully present to Him and to be fully present to others.  God is teaching me what it means to enter more deeply into a ministry of presence.  I know I speak as a fool but let me continue.  God is telling me to go lower with Him so I will be raised higher with Christ.  God is telling me my intentions must come from Him or I will miss divine opportunities in the moment.  The only thing that really matters is the life that Jesus taught us to live. I thought I knew but sometimes unknowing leads to knowing.  I realize I really don't know anything anymore. 

I used to think spiritual moments or seasons of God's presence and power and leading were just for short periods of time.  Now I am finding out that God's presence is always available to those who make themselves available to God.  Each time I thought God was ending a time of walking in His Spirit were actually times I simply went back into the world to enjoy my own comforts and to satisfy my own fleshly needs.  We deceive ourselves into thinking that God withdrew from us whereas it was really us that withdrew from God.  

The whole person is to be transformed by the Gospel of Jesus.  Jesus is leading us into a poverty of spirit and humility but do we really want to do that?  Jesus is taking us by the hand and we may like Peter be taking us a place that we really don't want to go to (John 21:18).  All of our intentions and actions must be determined by the gospel.  Jesus embodied the life of God and the gospel on earth and we are to imitate him.  Jesus lived his message before he spoke it.  People today no longer want to hear sermons.  They want to see the gospel of Jesus in action!

God is beginning to take me to long periods with Him in prayer, solitude, fasting, spiritual warfare, contemplation, and a deeper journey on meditating on God' Word.  My life is now hidden in Christ.  I am learning to be more courageous in trial, more faithful in prayer, and more zealous in love.  I know I am speaking as a child saying these things but God is making me more and more into His child.  God is writing His Word on my heart.  God is removing the veil so that I can see Christ in all his majesty and beauty.  I am no longer afraid of the fire for like Daniel, Christ is in the fire that burns with me.