UNION WITH GOD PART B
The hardest thing for us to give up is self. We want to have our way and do our thing. Some people like their personality so much that they think they feel they do not need the Divine Personality in them. We have so many reasons we do not want to give up the world. It may not be money, furniture, new trucks or cars, going first class when you travel, or anything like that. Maybe all that He needs to remove from us is the love of self. We need to yield up the fruits of the soul and cling to the higher life of the Spirit.
Unless you have felt such a love, you cannot imagine how consuming and overwhelming it is. It is so wonderful to think that He had a plan, so great and so filled with divine passion that He would be willing to endure even the death of His own Son to bring it to fruition. He looked at the death of Christ, not for the suffering that it brought to His Son or to Himself, but rather, He saw in it the freedom to manifest Himself to us. The sufferings of the cross were nothing compared to the joy of what He would someday realize in His Church. Our God is so lovely, so wonderful, and so gracious. I am feeling His overwhelming love for these truths even as I speak.
In 1989, I was going through a terrible trial. It was probably one of the most difficult years of my life. As it would turn out, He chose that time to give me a tremendous blessing. On Thanksgiving Day, while I was worshiping, the Lord gave me the following experience. The Lord appeared to me, looking five hundred pounds fat. Now, do not get offended. I do not want you to be one of those great religious folks who think Jesus would never do something like that because He will at times do some strange things to get His point across.
So, He appeared to me, and He was five hundred pounds fat. I started laughing. Wouldn't you? I exclaimed, “Jesus, You're so fat!” He smiled, but He did not change a thing. What He was emanating from within was living truth. It was not mere rote memorized Scripture, but living truths from the Word, pulsating with the very life of God. He was five hundred pounds fat with the Spirit of Truth. It was His Spirit that I was beholding.
After a few minutes, that reality began to move to the hidden place in Him, and Divine Love came to the forefront. I do not know how to help you to understand what Divine Love looks like, but it does have a certain look and an essence which you can perceive. This love was not anything like you and I experience in human relationships. Even in church services, the love of God that we experience flowing down over our hearts is on a different level. That is a kind of mushy, “ooey-gooey” feeling that makes you feel good all over. The love I was now beholding was more like Mount Gibraltar—a solid mountain of rock. It was not that it was hard, but rather that it was firm and immovable. His powerful love could not be shaken. No one could approach Him in prayer saying evil things about you and cause Him heart change towards you. His heart of love was immovable, unwavering, and so strong that His tender care could keep you standing through the worst kind of trials. It was amazing.
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