INTENSITY OF JESUS WALK

1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing".

1 John 2:6, "whoever claims to live in Him, must walk as Jesus did."

We must be totally dependent on the LORD, just as Jesus was dependent on the Father in Heaven. Like Jesus, we also can acquire a close connection with God through continual prayer and communion with Him.

Jesus showed perfect spiritual disciplines in its entire dimension. We may group these disciplines in three categories; inward disciplines, outward disciplines and corporate disciplines. Inwardly, Jesus was a man of meditation, prayer and fasting. He depended full from His Father. Outwardly, Jesus was a man of simplicity, solitude and service. He came to accomplish our salvation. In Corporate discipline Jesus was a man of confession and worship.

Though He was God who took humanity, Jesus is perfect modal for our walk. We can walk as Jesus if our connection to Him remains consistence for the whole of our life.

The Early Years of Jesus Christ

In 12 years in the temple: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" Luke 2:52.

"The Childhood and youth of Jesus were spent in a little mountain village. There was no place on earth that would not have been honored by His presence. The palaces of kings would have been privileged in receiving Him as a guest. But He passed by the homes of wealth, the courts of royalty, and the renowned seats of learning to make His home in obscured and despised Nazareth.

Wonderful in its significance is the brief record of His early life. ‘The child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. In the sunlight of His Father's countenance, Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man' Luke 2:52. His mind was active penetrating, with a thoughtfulness and wisdom beyond His years. Yet His character was beautiful in its symmetry. The powers of mind and body developed gradually, in keeping with the laws of childhood. As a child, Jesus manifested a peculiar loviness of disposition. His willing hands were ever ready to serve others. He manifested a patience that would never sacrifice integrity. In principle, firm as rock. His life revealed the grace of unselfish courtesy."

[EGW, The Desire of Ages, Ch.7 = "As a child", page.69]

At the start of Jesus ministry

Mathew 4:4, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God".

"Satan took advantage of the sufferings of the son of God and prepared to beset Him with manifold temptations, hoping to obtain victory over Him, because He had humbled Himself as a man. Satan came with this temptation, ‘If thou be the son of God, command this stone that it be bread.' He tempted Jesus to condescend to give Him proof of His being the Messiah, by exercising His power. Jesus mildly answered him, ‘it is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.'

Satan was seeking a dispute with Jesus concerning His being the son of God. He referred to His weak, suffering condition and boastfully affirmed that He was stronger than Jesus. But the word spoken from Heaven, ‘Thou art my beloved son; in thee I am well pleased', was sufficient to sustain Jesus through all His sufferings. I saw that Christ had nothing to do in convincing Satan of His power or of His being the savior of the world. Satan had sufficient evidence of the exalted station and authority of the son of God. His unwillingness to yield to Christ's authority had shut him out of heaven.

......... Christ is an example for all Christians. When they are tempted, or their rights are disputed, they should bear it patiently. They should not feel that they have a right to call upon the Lord to display His power that they may obtain a victory over their enemies, unless God can be directly honored and glorified, thereby if Jesus had cast Himself from the pinnacle of the temple, it would not have glorified His Father: For none would have witnessed the act but Satan and the angels of God. And it would have been tempting the Lord to display His power to His bitterest foe. It would have been condescending to the one whom Jesus came to conquer."

[EGW, Early writings, Ch = "The First Advent of Christ", pg 156 and pg 157]

In Jesus Life of Prayer.

"And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God." [Luke 6:12].

Jesus was powered by prayers. [Luke 4:14]

Whatever service Jesus was doing, being small or big it was preceded by prayers.

Look the following verses;

Mathew 14: 23 and verses 24 - 33

Luke 6:12 and verses 13 - 16

John 17 and John 18:1-3.

"No other life was ever so crowded with labor and responsibility as was that of Jesus; yet how often He was found in prayer! How constant was His communion with God! Again and again in the history of His earthly life are found records such as these, ‘Rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place and there prayed.'

......... And it pass in those days, that He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

In a life wholly devoted to the good of others, the savior found it necessary to withdraw from the thoroughfares of travel and from the throng that followed Him day after day. He must turn aside from a life of ceaseless activity and contact with Human needs, to seek retirement and unbroken communion with His Father. As one with us, as sharer in our needs and weakness. He was wholly dependent upon God, and in the secret place of prayer He sought divine strength, that He might go forth braced for duty and trial.

In a world of Jesus endured struggles and torture of soul. In communion with God He could unburden the sorrows that were crushing Him. Here He found comfort and joy.

In Christ the cry of humanity reached the Father of infinite pity. As a man He supplicated the throne of God till His humanity was charged with a heavenly current that should connect humanity with divinity. Through continual communion the received life from God, that He might impart life to the world. His experience is to be others."

[EGW, The Desire of ages, ch.38 = "Come Rest A While", pg.363 and pg.364]

Intensity for Mission.

John 4:34: Jesus put His mission above all earthly things.

John 9:5: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

"The salvation of perishing souls so absorbed His attention that His physical wants were forgotten. But his followers anxiously entreated Him to eat. Still contemplating the great object of his mission, He answered them, "I have a meat to eat that ye know not of." His disciples were surprised and began to wonder among themselves ........., But Jesus explained," My meat is to the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work."

It was not temporal food alone that sustained Him in his arduous life; but the accomplishment of the work which he left the royal courts of Heaven to perform, strengthened Him for His labors and lifted Him above the necessities of humanity. To minister to soul a hungering and thirsting for the truth was more satisfying to the son of man that eating or drinking. He pitied sinners, his heart went out in sympathy for the poor Samaritans, who felt their ignorance and wretchedness and were eagerly looking for the advent of messiah, also would enlighten them and teach them the true religion.

Jews saw the field of grain, their tender green lit by the golden sunlight. Viewing the beautiful scene, He employed it as a symbol, "say ye not there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest!"

Behold I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest! Here he referred to the gospel field, to the work of Christianity among the poor, despised Samaritan. His hand reached out together them into the garner, they were ready for harvest."[EGW, The Spirit of Prophecy Volume II, Ch. X = "The woman of Samaria", pg. 147 and pg. 148]

Our Own Walk with God.

1 John 2:6, "He that saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also so walk as He walked"

Genesis 5:22, 24: Enoch walked with God. Consistence walks with God.

"We have before us the highest, holiest example. In thoughts, word, and deed Jesus was sinless. Perfection marked all that He did. He points us to the path He trod, saying, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me." Mathew 16:24

Christ unites in His person the fullness and perfection of the Godhead and the fullness and perfection of sinless humanity. He met all temptations by which Adam was assailed, and overcame these temptations because in His humanity He relied upon divine power. This subject demands far more contemplation than it receives. Christians strike too low. They are content with a superficial spiritual experience, and therefore they have only the glimmerings of light, when they might discern more clearly the wonderful perfection of Christ's humanity; which rises far above all human greatness, all human power. Christ's life is a revelation of that fallen human beings may become through union and fellowship with the divine nature.

Men and women frame many excuses for their proneness to sin. Sin is represented as a necessity, an evil that cannot be overcome. But sin is beset. He is a perfect pattern of childhood, of youth, of manhood.

The life of Christ has shown what humanity can do by being partaker of the divine nature. All that Christ received from God we too may have. Then ask and receive ...... Lets your life be knit by hidden links to the life of Jesus."

[EGW, The Faith I live By, Ch.8 = "Walking as Christ walked", pg.220]

CONCLUSSION SUMMARY

"It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit." [EGW, the Desire of Ages, p. 83]

John tells us that Jesus connection with God included actions. He looked for opportunities to share the water of life with others in places some were afraid to go. [John 4:1 - 35]

Jesus gives us a standard example of spiritual disciplines in all dimensions. Jesus strengthened Himself with communion with His father. In obtaining strength from above Jesus life manifested the power from above. His life meant a lesson for you and I, as He was depended to His Father even me and you we are connected to the source of power through Jesus Christ.

What barrier hinder your communion with God?