Stay Conscious of What You Carry

I love being a host.
I love entertaining.
I love having people over to my home, holding long conversations with those in whom I love, feeding them, offering gifts, and making them feel comfortable.

I suppose it’s a gift I’ve been given to host.. and I am learning the art of doing it well since our recent out-of-state move from my native homeland.

The word host means, by definition, this = “a person who receives or entertains guests at home or elsewhere; a master of ceremonies, a moderator, a person that provides services or resources.”

And more than being a good “host” for guests in my home, I want to be a good host of the Presence of Jesus.
One of the greatest desires of my heart is that when people enter my home, they sense the overwhelming presence of the One who has chosen to take up residence here.
I want the atmosphere permeated with grace, love, peace, and the joy of the Lord.

And the truth really is that when we, as believers, learn to “host” the Presence of the Lord in our own lives, this Jesus-filled atmospheric reality can be carried into any environment we encounter.

I heard it in a sermon once and I’ve never forgotten the words, “When the Spirit of the Lord rests IN a person it’s for them… but when the Spirt of the Lord rests UPON a person it’s for other people.”

And so you and I, as Christ-centered believers, have the opportunity to bring Jesus into the world around us.  Everywhere we go.

I get to carry Jesus with me into my job.
I get to carry Jesus with me into the grocery store.
I get to carry Jesus with me into my marital relationship.
I get to carry Jesus with me into the conversations I have with friends.
I get to carry Jesus with me into the schools I enter with my kids.

I am a steward of a person. 

I love reading about the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament.
It gives us great insight into how we, too, are carriers of the Ark - known now as His Presence.

Those who carried Him were summoned to, “…purify yourselves…so you can bring the Ark of the Lord… to the place I have prepared for it.”  (1 Chron 15:12).  “So the priests purified themselves in order to bring the Ark of the Lord to Jerusalem.”  (1 Chron 15:14).  “Then the leaders carried the Ark of God on their shoulders with it’s carrying poles…” (1 Chron 15:15).

We learn here that they purified themselves and carried it high above for all to see.  There’s even an observation given of God’s great aid to them AS they carried the Ark, “And because God was clearly helping the Levites as they carried the Ark….” (1 Chron 15:26).

As they carried Him… they were helped by Him.

And so it is with us.

We are to purify ourselves in order to be honorable carriers of His Presence.
(to purify means to make pure, free from anything that pollutes, or contaminates, to free from extraneous elements, to free from guilt or evil, to make clean.)
And then we are to carry Him on our shoulders.
Oh and we might remember something about “resting upon” with Jesus in the New Testament!
“As Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on Him like a dove.”  (Mark 1:10)
The Spirit came upon Jesus and in one version it says, “…He remained.”  (DRB)

We have the Spirit in us and upon us.  For those who purify themselves, we have a great manner of influence in the world.  We get to be carriers of His presence.  We get to carry Him into every broken environment bringing redemption to every hurting soul.

We don’t manipulate Jesus.  We don’t control Him.  We don’t direct Him or order Him to do anything.  But we do host Him.

And I must learn to live conscious of what I carry.

We must carry Him well, friends.  The world is watching.  Do they see Him in AND ON you today?