HIGH SPIRITED -5

Ministers today often know more about Calvin or Wesley or Aquinas than we do Jesus, who is the shepherd and bishop of souls.  These other men died, so we can forget them when we want but Jesus says, I stand at the door and knock, Rev. 3.20.  Catholics prefer a pope, Protestants treat the Bible as if it were philosophy, Pentecostals seek spiritual gifts.  In His day, Jews searched for a sign while Greeks sought wisdom.  But who welcomes Jesus?
  He was not like one of us, yet He was among us.  He was tempted by Satan and demons, we are demonized by cookies.  His food and drink was to do the will of the Father, ours is to have the most toys.  He fasted and prayed, we want fast cars and quick answers.  He spoke, we text.  He knew what was in man, we know what's in our pockets.  He knew who He was and where He was going, we have psychologists.
  We push Him away, yet we know in an underslung way we are excavated souls.  Our own emotions drive us to depression.  Our ambition drives us to immorality.  Our emptiness gnaws at us like worms in a grave, our drinking drenches us in dissolution, drugs scatter us senseless.  If any of these things worked even once, we could put them away...but they don't.
  According to John, the beginning was the Word.  Then that Word was light and then that Word became flesh.  That flesh showed glory, which the people of that day saw.  Once John brought Jesus into the Jordan, there would be no turning back.  God had come.  As Jesus of Nazareth, He asks us to come and you will see, John 1.39. 
  The Jews saw Him first.  A Jewish ruler came to Jesus at night.  Nicodemus was not a religious man but he knew Jewish law.  He knew there was something about Jesus.  But then Jesus said something radical.  He said a man had to have God in him, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God, John 3.21.  Nicodemus would not see the kingdom of heaven until God was in him.
  Paul came to meet Jesus later than John.  On a road Paul saw the light written about in John 1.4, he heard the voice Moses heard.  By the time Paul regained his sight, he knew Jesus was the Son of God, Acts 9.4.  John had written, as many as received him, He gave the right to be sons of God, even to those who believe in His name.  Understanding this, Paul wrote that all who are being led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God, Romans 8.14.  John said if we are sons of God, we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is, 1 John 3.2.
 This is the soft invasion of God.