The Spirit of Abba

“Boy, Dad! You sure are dusty!” the young boy said to his father who worked at a local feed processing plant in Ohio by during the week and pastored a community church in Ohio at night and on weekends. This almost daily exclamation received in response a tired and sometimes weary, “Yes, I sure am dusty,” from the pastor, dad, husband, and man trying to do good for his family, his community, and his Savior.

One Saturday morning while out washing the car, the Dad saw his oldest 4-year-old picking up handfuls of dirt mixed with the gravel and grit in the driveway and rubbing them into his little pants.

“What are you doing?!” the Dad asked with a curious brow and grin.

“I want to be like you, Dad!” came the reply from the beaming but determined little boy making his britches dusty.

What Dad doesn’t want to hear that?! The greatest words spoken by a child of their parent in admiration and honor are the same...”I want to be like you.”

Father’s Day was even more special as Reid Phillips, my middle son, joined me to break the bread of the Word of God together and share it at Abba’s House. Rather than write each point, I ask you to please watch. Watch on YouTube or in the Abba’s House app.

Like my favorite ice cream cake that my mom, Paulette, painstakingly prepares (definitely delicious!), I can write all about it. I can even share a photo of it. But until you experience it for yourself, you’ll never know how good it is!

Watch. Observe, take in with your eyes, ears, and spiritual perceptions. Challenge yourself to ask how you relate to Abba – our Heavenly Daddy or Father. Honestly assess how you welcome the One Who God gave us to comfort, to act as our inner conscious for godliness and goodness, and to cover us in His protections.

Father’s Day hit differently for each person. Some reading this may have had an incredibly blessed day of worship at church, a delicious meal and fellowship with family, and maybe even a gift or card.

Others may have some distance between them and their family members. That distance is often created by our career choices, marriages that bring about a move, or just desires to live beyond our hometown.

Some may not have an earthly father to celebrate due to death, broken relationships, or even just not knowing their dad at all.

Relationships on this earth may be imperfect and even deeply flawed. But the relationship with Abba, our heavenly Father, is meant to be much different than those of this earth. To understand this relationship and to enjoy a love like nothing imaginable, let’s look at the love of God our Father that gave us, first, His Son, then His Spirit.

It’s as simple as what God did...He gave. For God, in His Most Holy, Highest Authority wanted His created life that was made in His image – with a spirit living in a fleshly body governed by a soul or will – to fellowship with Him. To do that, we must be made holy and with our sins covered. For God so loved the world to cover our sins that He gave His Son, Jesus.

Want to know what God would be like if we were to meet Him in person? Read the Bible. God’s Word was made flesh and His fullness – God’s entire essence – came in Jesus. God incarnate. Because of this great sacrifice and act of love, those who believe and follow Jesus are adopted as children (Galatians 4:6 and Romans 8:15). Not only are we adopted, but we are also given His Spirit.

God’s Spirit – the Third Person of the Trinity – mirrors the third aspect of our human existence. Remember, our spirit lives within our own flesh. But the Holy Spirit is just that — Holy. He has a distinct role as part of the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit is the very Spirit of God expressing His presence, will, and power in the here and now at all places and at all times. How? He is God.

If the Holy Spirit lives in you, so does the Father. He reflects the love of the Father and the finished work of Jesus Christ. All of this is so because the Living and Most High God loves you.

Like the young boy in the opening story, my son Reid has rubbed the gravel and grit into his pants like his dad, and granddad, Dr. Ron Phillips, Sr., to be a messenger for the Gospel. You may have a dad you’ve modeled. Maybe you’re a dad with eyes watching you for replication. Or maybe you’re in need, as we all are, of a Father.

Just welcome Him. Invite His Spirit to live in and through you. You may look down to see you’re rubbing the gravel and grit into your pants and becoming more and more like God the Father – love in its purest and highest form.

Does Your Heart Burn For Him?

Have you ever repeated something to emphasize the importance of your message and even repeated it with a little change to make sure the meaning is clear? If you’ve ever raised kids, coached, or worked in an environment with team dynamics, I know you understand!

God did and does the same thing.

In Leviticus 6:8-13, Jehovah, or the great I AM, instructed Moses to keep the fire on the altar in the tabernacle burning. The key detail was the fact that the fire was never to be extinguished. Not only that, but it was supposed to be “kept burning.” Burning. Not a gentle glow with embers crackling quietly. The fire was to burn.

Why?

The fire was to represent the consuming nature of God Himself (Hebrews 12:29) – His very Presence. The altar was the designated place for offerings to be presented for the purpose of atonement or the forgiveness of sin. The consuming fire would accept the sacrifice offered as our reasonable sacrifice in view of the Most High God’s mercy, love, and grace.

Jehovah – the God of holiness and righteousness – would abide in the tabernacle with sin confessed, sacrifices made, and the consuming fire purifying flesh and sin.

The application in our lives over 3,000 years later is the fact that we are to burn, to be kindled, from the Source – Jesus’ Spirit. Our fire should not be of our own making, not from the fuel of this world which burns as stubble.

The blaze of our faith is no figure of speech. The New Testament demonstrates an Old Testament principle with Jesus Christ as the sacrifice offered for the atonement of sin, and the Presence of God abiding with those who invite Him to stay and tabernacle.

Turn to Luke 24. Jesus has been publicly scorned, flogged, then crucified on a Roman cross of execution used for criminals. Jesus was placed in the borrowed tomb – needed only for 3 days. Angels had appeared to the women coming to dress the body and honor their friend and Rabbi, Jesus. But the tomb was empty because the power of the Holy Spirit literally brought the dead corpse of Jesus back to life.

Jesus Christ was resurrected and alive.

He appeared along a seven-mile road to a group of men “hurling words” at each other in discussing and debating about the ministry of Jesus and the whereabouts of His body, while searching for meaning. Jesus was invited by these men to walk along this road to Emmaus. As the conversation turned to Jesus, He escorted these men along another road – the journey back in time from Moses to the prophets. Every account cited by the risen Christ pointed to the Messiah’s first coming and the events that had culminated with Jesus’ death and crucifixion.

As these men urged Jesus to abide and linger with them over a meal, their eyes were opened to see Jesus – the risen Savior...before He vanished. At that moment, these travelers said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”

Take the time to watch the complete teaching below, but take a moment now to see the parallels between Jehovah’s instruction.

Jesus was invited to abide. God first loved us and desires to tabernacle and abide with His people. Jesus was the sacrifice offered to atone for sins, as required for love, forgiveness, and fellowship with the Presence of God.

The never-ceasing fire burning in the Old Testament was at the altar. Our very lives are directed by that which occupies our hearts and minds. What occupies your altar, the space of your heart that holds your objects of devotion, your loves and obsessions, and the seat of your very being?

It’s time for you to acknowledge what Jesus already knows. Does your heart burn for Jesus? Is there a kindled fire that indicates the very Presence of Jesus Christ, the King, in your life that emanates from within your being? Has your heart ever burned for Jesus?

How can your heart burn for Jesus if you can’t answer these questions with a “yes?”

Make sure you have sacrificed self and accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Those are two separate ways to know Jesus! As Savior, we know Jesus as Redeemer who has saved us from the debt of our sin by purchasing us. Knowing Jesus as Lord is to know Him after dying to self and placing Him on the seat of your life’s throne for governance and rule (see last week’s blogpost, He Reigns...Well, Does He?)

If Jesus Christ is both Your Savior and Lord, your altar is set for His fire to burn. We have to invite His Spirit to abide and seek His Presence. The fire of Jesus burns in the hearts of the faithful. This fire burns in those overcoming failures, flaws, and the fights in the spiritual world. The fire of Jesus’ Spirit burns in the hearts of those living under an open heaven. The Spirit revealed Jesus through the healing of spiritual blindness and the understanding of God’s Holy Word.

Do you want to burn for Jesus? You have to get close enough to the fire to catch ablaze. The Abba’s House family of faith welcomes you and needs you. Come burn with us!