Let it all pale in comparison

What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Inside is much different than what is outside, is it not? Right now, Arizona is warming up and the temperature outdoors is hot, while the cool of the air conditioned inside is much more pleasant. Have you ever tried to take something inside that really needed what was outside in order to prosper and grow? In time, you found it could not adjust to the change and it either beckoned to be released outside again, or it died. We are coming to a peak and possibly the decline in this pandemic. What lies behind each of us with recent events? Some will have no job to return to because they were furloughed and now must find new work once the country 'reopens'. Others will realize they didn't even make a small dent in the cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and foodstuff they squirreled away against 'impending doom'. Still others will emerge with a stronger appreciation of family, friends, and even work! What lies behind is one thing - what lies ahead is another - but as Emerson put it so well, what lies inside of each of us is nothing compared with either of these!

He decided to make known to them His blessing to the nations; the glorious riches of this mystery is the indwelling of the Anointed in you! The very hope of glory. We are preaching Him—spreading the Word to all with equal amounts of wise warning and instruction—so that, at the final judgment, we will be able to present everyone to the Creator fully mature because of what Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King, has done. (Colossians 1:27-28)

God made something available to each of us in his Son, Jesus Christ - the indwelling of the very presence of God within our lives - ever present with us. It is that very indwelling presence that gives us the strength to go through what now lies behind each of us. It is also that very presence that gives us the ability to look forward and see the potential ahead of us. But...it isn't the past or the future God wants us to see as much as it is the present. In the present, he communes with us - he puts his light in each of us so that we can be strong, vibrant, and fulfilled. God's presence brings light - it illuminates our inner man. The events of the past are important to recall, learn from, and even celebrate. The ones that lie ahead give us hope and even challenge us to 'move forward'. Yet, it is the very presence of God within us that innervates our body, illuminates our soul, and ignites our spirit. No wonder the past and future pale in comparison to the present!

God comes into our lives - not like bringing something that belongs outside into the inside spaces of our lives - but as someone who really belongs right there. I think we sometimes think God can be 'external' in our lives - like a religious pursuit, but not a life-altering experience. Know this - God isn't an 'external' God - his place is clearly on the inside of each of us - with a special place for his Spirit carved out in each of our lives. We don't make this space - we don't bring him in - we don't even know this space exists! Yet, in asking him into our lives, we find he just 'fits' right there! Why? He created us with that 'space' for him. He only inhabits what was already created to hold his very presence. Why does he indwell his children? To help us grow into the liberty he brings into our lives by his indwelling presence. A liberty to live beyond sin - beyond what lies behind, beyond what may lie ahead - living in the present with liberating victory over sin. We lose sight of the past and stop longing for the future so much when we are at peace just enjoying what indwells us right here and now. Just sayin!

One is more than one

There is something that happens when God's people gather together. By the very experience of being together in one accord - no emphasis on differences, no focus on the inadequacies of each other, but simply being content to gather in his name, united in their worship - there is a door opened to heaven unlike any other time. We have lost the 'art' of being 'one' - it has become so easy to be divided, or critical of others that we just don't realize the power we are losing out on by not being 'one'.

When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them. (Acts 2:1-4)

Without warning, an event began to transpire that would result in the transformation of the disciples like no other - the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament is full of descriptions of times when the Holy Spirit "came upon" an individual and they were able to prophesy of the future events in the lives of God's people or do something out of the ordinary for the time. Here we see the transition of the Holy Spirit simply "coming upon" a few to the fulfillment of Jesus' promise that he would send another to "indwell" them - to be their guide, comforter, and teacher.

There were three manifestations that day - a sound, a sight, and a speaking - all served to not only get the attention of the disciples gathered, but also the onlookers as far away as those in the streets! The mighty wind, the cloven tongues of fire, and the various filling of the disciples with the ability to speak forth in what we hear referred to as "differing tongues" was reaching beyond the walls of their little upper room. If we recall the words of Christ just before he ascended to heaven, he had asked these disciples to remain in Jerusalem - because he was sending something (really someone) that would help them in their calling to be disciples to the nations. That someone was the Holy Spirit.

Wind and fire in the Old Testament are symbols commonly used to describe the Holy Spirit. Wind also was symbolic of the breath of God. Fire often referred to that which produced God's holiness by "burning up the chaff - in other words, it had a purifying effect. The Bible is rich in symbolism - God "tying" a symbol to a certain action or characteristic of his character. He does this because he knows we could never fully comprehend his holiness without some connection to the things we can see, feel, and can generally interpret with our senses. The Holy Spirit spread through their ranks - like a wildfire. This is an example of symbolism - as one was touched, others began to be touched - just like a small fire begins to spread out as it reaches new "kindling". These were readied hearts - they were just waiting for the spark to ignite the fire! 

 God has wonderful things in store for those who are first of all obedient - these disciples were waiting as they were told. He opens countless blessings to those who are yielded - their hearts were in one accord. His touch in the lives of his disciples has a multiplying effect - those near and those at a distance were impacted by this infilling experience. We are given the Holy Spirit to indwell us - be there every day of our lives as our comforter, guide, teacher - at the point of our welcoming Christ into our lives as Lord and Savior. There is a separate experience when we yield to the Lord, fully surrendering, bringing our hearts into one accord with his, and asking for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit - not of water, but of enduing power. This experience transforms like none other. It is an empowering, "cementing" experience that places us on a journey with Christ that is powerful and purposeful. If you have not experienced this in your own walk with Christ - perhaps today is the day. God is waiting - are you ready? Just askin!

We can fill up in a lot of ways

8 The psalmist tells about this, for he says that when Christ returned triumphantly to heaven after his resurrection and victory over Satan, he gave generous gifts to men. 9 Notice that it says he returned to heaven. This means that he had first come down from the heights of heaven, far down to the lowest parts of the earth. 10 The same one who came down is the one who went back up, that he might fill all things everywhere with himself, from the very lowest to the very highest.  

(Ephesians 4:8-10 TLB)

Christ came down from the heights, but his return to those heights made possible the "filling" - not with a temporary filling of power, but with a permanent presence of himself wherever we are and go. That means everywhere you are, if Christ's presence dwells within your heart, then Christ is right there in the midst of the present moment. Many times we focus on the coming of Christ, but forget there is a "remaining" part that actually was the purpose for his entire coming!

We have the evidence of God everywhere we look, but can others see the evidence of God everywhere they look? They can, especially if the see even little bits of him in you! The purpose of our filling is that we might show forth what fills us not just to capacity, but expands our capacity so we can keep on being filled.  I think this is often missed - the belief that once filled that is "enough", or all there is. The "filling" is ongoing and continual.

Sometimes we allow things to fill our hearts, occupying the space intended for the presence and peace of Christ. The sad part of this comes when we finally recognize, often with regret, just how much we would have "benefited" from actually abiding in that presence and peace all along. It is understandable that regret may enter in when we consider just how "lean" we ran during those times we didn't count on his filling, or take time to be refilled. We truly run much "leaner" than we were intended to when we push the presence of God to be back and allow anything else to fill that space intended for him.

Cottage cheese fills my stomach when I am hungry, but it doesn't always satisfy what I long for - the craving is different than what the taste or texture of cottage cheese can satisfy. In a much similar manner, things and people may fill the space in our lives, but will they ever satisfy quite the same as Christ's presence? Hardly! That space was designed specifically for him - even a clever counterfeit might attempt to fill that space, but the counterfeit lacks one thing - the ability to keep filling that space as it was created to be filled! Just sayin!