The Father longs for intimacy with His children. He calls us to know Him better!
Knowing the Father Part 2
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John 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
Jesus operated on the revelation the Father was giving Him! What Jesus saw the Father do, Jesus did! The Father gave a showing to Jesus and Jesus acted upon what the Father had shown Him. Jesus saw the Father forgive sin, heal the sick, cast out devil, set the oppressed free, and raise the dead. If you want to know the Father intimately study the ministry of Jesus. What you see Jesus do is the heart of the Father for you and all His children. Have you meditated on Jesus' own words? “The Son can do nothing of Himself but what He sees the Father do.” Father let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Do you see those around you baptized in the Holy Spirit, do you see the sick healed, do you see those in bondage set free from their yoke, and do you see the harvest being brought in? What is it the Father is showing you? It is my prayer that we will develop our vision after the Father’s heart. Oh that we would know the Father better!
John 5:21 "For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 "that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
I write often, what you think of Jesus Christ determines your destiny. Yes for eternity and also for the here and now. Do you honor Jesus as the One who gives life, abundant life. Do you live in abundant life? It is God’s intended purpose for you. Who is it that has everlasting life? It is those who hear the words of Jesus and believe that He was sent from the Father. What you think of Jesus Christ determines your salvation, your healing, your deliverance from any bondage. Jesus is a life giving Spirit! His words are Spirit and they are life. Dare to let your expectations be raised to the level of the word of God. Your heartache, bondage, lack, and or your brokenness is not your lot in life. Jesus bore the grief of it all! He was wounded for our transgression and bruised for our iniquity. All our punishment was upon Him so we need not bear it anymore. The Father’s heart was to pour out His wrath for sin upon His Son so that you might gain His favor. Did you hear the words of Jesus in the 24th verse? You have eternal life; you shall not come into judgment, but you have passed from death into life. Life is in you and it is time to proclaim it! This is the will of the Father concerning you!
John 17:1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 "as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
The scriptural definition for eternal life is to know the Father and Jesus Christ whom He sent! The will of the Father can be found in studying the works of Jesus Christ! Oh, that we might know the Father better!
John 17:4 "I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 "And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 "Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 "For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
Have you ever walked in a room and you overhear a conversation of intimacy? Awkward! Here in John is just such a moment. The intimacy between the Father and the Son is unveiled in such a sweet way. Jesus left the glory of the Father in heaven to robe Himself in flesh. Here Jesus is declaring His desire to walk in the former glory He had with His Father. Jesus humbled Himself for the glory of the Father. He came to make manifest the Father and the Father’s heart to be reconciled to man again. Behold the love the Father has bestowed upon us that we might be called the children of God. Oh that we might know the Father better.
John 16:23 "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 25 "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 "In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 "for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 28 "I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."
Jesus speaks of intimacy with the Father which you are called to! When you come to know the Father in intimacy you can ask whatever you desire and it will be given to you. Many love to quote these verses minus the intimacy with the Father; it will never work that way. Intimacy with the Father is the essential ingredient. Oh, that we might know the Father better. The Father Himself loves you because you have loved Jesus! The greatest intimacy is found by receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit!
John 16:7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem , and in all Judea and Samaria , and to the end of the earth."
There is a receiving of the baptism of the Holy Spirit for every believer and it will bring you the power for intimacy with the Father.
Luke 11:5 And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 'for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7 "and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? 8 "I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
Here in Luke, Jesus is teaching us how to pray. He said to pray with persistence. Ask, seek, knock is the command. What is it that you are asking, seeking and knocking for? The Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. If it was an automatic at salvation we would not have need to ask. If God were not our Father we would not qualify for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Oh, that we might know the Father better.
Luke 24:49 "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
Ask, seek and knock until you are endued with power from on high! It is the Father’s will for all of His children. Keep asking, seeking and knocking with persistence, until you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Mark 1:8 "I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Luke 3:16 John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
John 1:33 "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
Acts 11:15 "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 "Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
Acts 2:33 "Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
When Jesus baptized in the Holy Spirit on this day they begin to speak in other tongues. “…this you now see and hear.” What did they hear; clearly they heard them speak in other tongues The baptism of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by the speaking with other tongues.
Acts 10:45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.
The Jewish believers were astonished that the Gentiles had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. How did they know…” “For they heard them speak with tongues”. It is for every believer; ask, seek, and knock it opens an intimacy with the Father.
1 Corinthians 14:14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
The only biblical definition in how to pray with your spirit is found right here praying and singing in tongues.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
Where ever repentance and remission of sins is preached the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit needs declared also. For the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to you, to your children and to as many as the Lord our God shall call. Oh, that we might know the Father better.
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