An Encounter with Jesus

AN ENCOUNTER WITH Jesus changes everything. During a session at the School of the Circuit Riders in southern California back in 2012, I snuck out of the sanctuary into the foyer where I promptly fell on my face. As the oldest male attendee among a throng of youth and young adults, my heart was burdened. It had been a meaningful week as I witnessed firsthand the definitive work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of emerging voices and leaders.

As I prostrated myself before the Lord to better discern the burden on my heart, my attention was brought to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

This is one of those key passages that I had revisited consistently with insights over the previous two decades walking with the Lord. However, even the cumulative sum of those insights would pale in comparison to what was about to happen. While seeking God in prayer in the empty church foyer, Brian Brentt preached in the sanctuary to a rapt audience of young people.

However, I wasn’t prepared for what transpired next.

As one Brian preached under the anointing in the sanctuary; another Brian groaned under the Holy Spirit burden in the foyer. In a moment, the “Spirit of wisdom and revelation” (Ephesians 1:17) brought forth such a depth of revelation of the words in verse 19, which reads, “You are not your own.” Suddenly I saw it, clearly. In other words, I saw it as He saw it. I understood it as the Logos of God originally intended. Each word was weighty as I uttered them with much “trembling at [His] word” (Isaiah 66:2).

I kept slowly repeating each word before the Lord: I. Am. Not. My. Own.

Even though those were the specific words I kept repeating, it had a corresponding effect of unlocking the rest of the words in that sentence: “for you were bought with a price.” I was not my own because I was bought with the price of the precious blood of the “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). In light of the ravishing beauty of the Crucified Christ, I found myself joyfully surrendering my heart afresh unto the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16). The reality of those words sunk ever so deep within the crux of my core.

This was a holy moment.

My own heart was undone before the one who paid such a great price. Yet, there was more. In the flurry of groans as I once again revisited the cherished rugged Cross as a place of joyful surrender, I was equally mindful of this one thing: the yearning of the Father’s heart to mark the generations to come with the same revelation.

As I submitted myself unto Christ, I equally prayed for the same depth of revelation to mark the forthcoming generations. This included both the Millennials (1981-1996) and Generation Z (1997-2012) whom I interceded for during that holy moment in 2012. Whether you are in the twilight of your latter years in retirement or a mother anxious over her child’s wellbeing or a stressed out college student buried alive in your studies, you need to encounter the revelation of Jesus Christ. Empty, religious jargon or busyness won’t suffice. Watered down fluff that’s a mixture of ideologies packaged as enlightened spirituality is impotent at best, enslaving at worst. What we need all need is the revelation of the beauty, majesty, and splendor of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember this: Jesus changes everything when we acknowledge that we are not our own as we joyfully surrender our lives to Him.