I talk about encounters...a lot. It is something that has always been a driving force in my pursuit of God. Even when I didn't know how to classify it I know that it was something to go after. You see, each time you encounter Christ you are in the presence of His person. You are affected by Him because He is near you. Now you can think of people that you have been around for extended periods of time and can remember how you took on some of their mannerisms. You took on some of their speech and sayings, especially if you liked the person or what they were saying. Now this happens when we hang out with Christ a lot, but even deeper than that, Christ is like a black light.
Imagine that who you are is written and created in you with a fluorescent marker. God drew the plan for your life in fluorescent marker into your spirit. Now naturally we know that we cannot see fluorescent markers without a special type of light. So in order to see exactly what it is that is written we need a black light. Now here is where Jesus comes in because He is our black light. Every time that we encounter Him more of who we are is revealed. It may not all come out at once but the expectation can be that I am changed each time I encounter Christ.
When I use the word encounter I mean any experience with Christ where change has initiated and can be established. You can have an encounter by reading the word, praying, hearing the preached word, during praise and worship, during soaking, or meditation, or any time that you invite God into your midst. When an encounter happens your affect changes. You know and sense there is something different about what is happening. Your spirit man wakes up and you are more spiritually aware than most times. An encounter can also happen when you dream or have open visions. Like I said, it will initiate change and give you a point to establish it. You can have encounters and not change. But it is an opportunity to increase your spiritual capacity with God.
Now you may be saying, "I have encountered Christ before but I never felt or noticed a difference." That doesn't mean that you didn't change. This life that we live is based off of faith. We live by faith because we are believers so the majority of what we know is not in what we can see. If I throw you a ball and you catch it but then I take the ball back from you, because it's my ball, does that mean you never caught the ball? No, of course not. Something did happen and you know that it did but it may seem like you didn't have proof. But if I come around again to confirm that you caught it, even though no one saw it, there is evidence. So we get around Christ, something happens in us and we walk away feeling like it didn't. But when we get around Christ again then it is evident of the change. Christ will confirm the things that He does.
If Jesus is a black light and God has written the plan for our lives in our spirits with fluorescent markers then we have to stay in the black light in order to fully know how and where we are called. The amount of information we can receive just by being in His presence can be vital to the plan that God has for our lives. We don't always know where we should go but Christ knows all. Let's take a look at Colossians 3:1-4:
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid [concealed or kept secret] with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear [render apparent, manifestly declare], then shall ye also appear [render apparent, manifestly declare] with him in glory [honor]."
Each time we encounter Christ the "life [that] is hid with Christ in God" "shall appear!" It is truly that simple. Every moment that I spend in the presence of God I am allowing Him to reveal something new about myself to me. It will be something that I never knew before. Something that I never thought about before. It will be something life changing because my life is having an encounter with Christ. Jesus never went anywhere and did nothing! It is my expectation that every time he shows up in my life I will change. If I don't physically see a change then I know one happened by faith and will get back under my black light, Jesus, to reveal what has been written on me.
I know that an encounter with God can change the very fabric of my life. I endeavor, or chase after, or hard pursue, or seek an encounter with God that will change my whole existence. I want to fully see God the way I should see Him so that I can be exactly who He needs me to be. I should have what He wants me to have and experience His fullness, regardless of what I may think right now. I am constantly pursuing Him and in that pursuit I will continue to let Him shine light on me to reveal what I cannot currently see. If who I am is hidden in Him then I have to be found in Him in order to be revealed.
Know that the next encounter may be "the" encounter that will hurl you into destiny! Be bold and go after it today!
Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]
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