Lockdown in Ecstatic Union With God.

Lockdown in Ecstatic Union With God

Listening to prophetic word that God is speaking to His people in a time like this is:

“I am in the waiting”

“reset”

“Incubation”

“time of new birthing awaits”

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord! ()

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust.” ()

Use this time for waiting on God. Like a photo that is developed in a darkroom, He is perfecting those who wait on Him. In this time of waiting He is building our faith, not in the things seen, but the things not seen. (; )

In times of uncertainty, affliction, lock-down, imprisonment, persecution, trials, tests, tribulation, we do not retaliate in the flesh but operate in the opposite spirit by drawing from the Holy Spirit to sustain us. (; ; ; )

by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, ()

KEYVERSE:

Being in the presence of Christ evokes a leap of joy.

Even the unborn John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb, being in the presence of Jesus. His mother was filled with the spirit. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. () Jesus leaped and rejoiced when seeing our ordinary men are doing great exploits in His name. () ἀγαλλιάω agalliáō; contracted agalliṓ, fut. agalliásō, aor. ēgallíasa, from ágan (n.f.), much, and hállomai (G0242), to leap. To exult, leap for joy, to show one's joy by leaping and skipping denoting excessive or ecstatic joy and delight. Hence in the NT to rejoice, exult. Often spoken of rejoicing with song and dance (Sept.: ; ; ; ).

Receiving the gift of salvation makes you gloriously happy!

On one occasion with Dr Brian Adams, it was his birthday. We were minstering the whole day, and by the evening I wanted to do something nice for Him, but the hotel did not obey my instruction and we only had a simple meal together… no cake, nothing special! When I wanted to apologise, he interrupted: “Jan I received all the gifts and joy I ever wanted, the day Jesus saved my soul! I was a wretched sinner on my way to death and hell, but he saved and redeemed me! That is all gift I ever wanted! In the midst of great persecution and affliction the believers were filled with joy in the Holy Spirit. ἀγαλλιάω agalliáō; contracted agalliṓ, fut. agalliásō, aor. ēgallíasa, from ágan (n.f.), much, and hállomai (G0242), to leap. To exult, leap for joy, to show one's joy by leaping and skipping denoting excessive or ecstatic joy and delight. Hence in the NT to rejoice, exult. Often spoken of rejoicing with song and dance (Sept.: ; ; ; ).

And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, () Receiving His righteousness, the pearl of great price, makes one euphorically happy!

Receiving the Presence of Christ

The two disciples who journeyed with Jesus as he was explaining the scriptures, and how it all points to Him, some joy burned in them. When the scriptures are opened and Christ understood, it lights a fire in our spirits. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” ()

Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit fills you with joy!

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Every time they were filled with the Spirit, they rejoiced, and was made happy! There is no opiate, no earthly substance, or experience that can compare with the Joy that comes from being in His presence. “being the presence of Christ” [1]

Receiving answers to our prayers makes our joy full!

“Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (, NKJV) A child has more intrinsic confidence in life, knowing they can rely on a parent’s support and physical help in times of need. We have a Father who cares and loves us. Who answers our prayers!

To obey His commands and instructions makes us full of joy!

““These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (, NKJV) Obedience to Jesus is not laborious, or hard. We love to obey Him! We are always ready to obey Him. Like Jesus, our food is to do the will of our father. Why? For it gives us strength to see that we have pleased our father. ()

The indwelling presence of God, is the presence of Joy!

“You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’” (, NKJV) The gift of the presence of Jesus. Christ comes in surprising ways—amazing ways. John Wesley described his heart being “strangely warmed.” Blaise Pascal, French mathematician and philosopher, referred to his dramatic spiritual experience with the words, “Fire, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, not the God of the philosophers and scribes. Certainty, certainty and emotion, joy, peace, God of Jesus Christ.”[2]

The joy of faith!

“whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,” (, NKJV) The experience of God’s manifest presence by the Holy Spirit, is what sustains our faith. And our active faith and reliance on Him is what helps us to keep our joy! Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ()

The Joy of fellowship!

that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. () Being part of Gods eternal church and heavenly eco-system fills one with Joy and thankful gladness! We are not alone, we belong to a Body! A wonderful eco-system of provision, harmony and genius!

(CWSB Dictionary) H5730. עֵדֶן ‘ēḏen, עֶדְנָה ‘eḏnāh:

A masculine noun referring to a luxury, a pleasure, a delight. Used in the plural, it means luxury, luxurious things (); figuratively, of the many splendid things and enjoyments God gives ([9]). It depicts the many enjoyments and pleasurable delights Israel had enjoyed previously (). A feminine noun indicating sexual delight, ecstasy. It refers to the enjoyment of intimate love with one’s spouse which in context implies the ability to become pregnant ().

The World has counterfeit false joy!

Those who have trusted in their riches, and luxury and indulgence will be judged. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. () It is my personal experience that some of the poorest believers are some of the happiest people I know! They have learned to make themselves happy in the Lord, for they have nothing.

Jesus wants us to be happy!

But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. () His joy!! His joy is different, that the joy one get’s for winning something, or getting something. This earthly kind of joy is temporary! His joy is permanent!

Healing and salvation revival brings great Joy!

And there was great joy in that city. ()

describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. () In the most difficult times, like after the Chicago fire, a new revival broke out the beginning of the Pentecostal movement, William Seymour.

Real Ecstatic spiritual experiences

Etymologically and literally the word ecstasy (from the Gr. ἔκστασις) indicates a displacement; in the sense here intended it means a psychic displacement and designates a state in which some normal functions are suspended and in which the consciousness is absorbed in emotional or mystic experience. The noun ἔκστασις is derived from the verb ἐξίστημι, to displace, drive one out of one's senses, lose one's senses. Both the verb and the noun occur in both the Septuagint translation of the OT and in the NT, though sometimes in the attenuated sense of simple amazement over some wonderful deed. However, the state of ecstasy may be present even when these words do not occur. In the OT ecstasy is sometimes indicated when it is said that the Spirit of the Lord came upon someone (; ; , ; ; ; Ez 3.14; 11.24), when Ezechiel is "led forth" by the Spirit (Ez 11.24; 37.1), and, in some cases, when an individual is said to "behave like a prophet" (hitnabbē', as in ; , , ; ). It would seem that in many of the OT examples the trancelike state is induced, at least partially, through natural means, such as the rhythm of liturgical dancing and singing. Thus, the group of prophets that Saul met coming down from a high place (where worship was offered in those early days) and in whose company he fell into a trance were carrying several kinds of musical instruments (); it is said quite explicitly that Elisae (Elisha) employed a minstrel to bring on a prophetic trance ().

In the NT, Jesus is depicted as experiencing a kind of ecstasy at key moments such as his baptism (Mk1.9–11) and his transfiguration (). Ecstatic visions or trances befall Zechariah (), Stephen (), Peter (; ), and John (Rev1.10). At Pentecost the gathered disciples are dramatically possessed by the Holy Spirit (). The most important NT ecstatic figure, however, is Paul. Luke clearly presents Paul's conversion and other key events in his life as ecstatic (; ; ;; ). Most importantly, Paul's description in of a man "caught up to the third heaven" where he "heard things that cannot be told" almost certainly refers to himself.[3]

Like a sniper who locks unto a target… so we set His joy as our target… “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” ()

[1] Being the presence of Christ, Daniel Vestal. A vision for transformation.

[2] Ibid

[3] Bibliography: T. Callan, "Prophecy and Ecstasy in Greco-Roman Religion and in 1 Corinthians," Novum Testamentum 27 (1985) 125–140. W. Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy in 1 Corinthians (Washington, D.C. 1982). p. michaelson, "Ecstasy and Possession in Ancient Israel: A Review of Some Recent Contributions," Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament 2 (1989) 28–54. A. F. Segal, "Paul and Ecstasy," Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers 25 (Atlanta 1986). R. R. Wilson, "Prophecy and Ecstasy: A Reexamination," Journal of Biblical Literature 98 (1979) 321–337; Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel (Philadelphia 1980).