Jul 12
The Dark Night of the Spirit - Part III
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:4-5
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46
“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:30
“And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.” Luke 23:46
Scripture says that children are the glory of the father. If that is true on Earth how much more so is it true in Heaven? Thus when the Scripture states, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5) we find that when the Light of the World was put to death, the Father’s heart was broken, the glory of the Son had been put to death, and the result was that the visible nature of the darkness of sin was exposed.
The above verses represent the three stages I am about to write about. I have no fascination with darkness. I do have a great desire to present the truth. Sometimes truth is uncomfortable, sometimes truth is delightful, either way to ignore truth does not change the reality of that truth. Many say you want a new day, new wine, new spiritual outpourings. For that to happen, the old must pass away. In this journey death to self must happen. Self must pass away. As Scripture states, every new day begins in darkness; sorrow comes in the night, but joy comes in the morning; and in creation the evening then the morning were counted as a day. There has never been a new day without darkness and chaos.
Here are three stages you will need to know so you can traverse the darkness and emerge into the glorious light prepared for you. Remember, you are the light of the world I am trying to help you come to place where you believe it. If you do not understand darkness, you will think you are losing. If you understand the matter of light and darkness - in time - you will shine.
THE FEELING OF BEING ABANDONED
The beginning of the Dark Night of the Spirit starts at the demarcation line of the Cross. If you decide to take Jesus at His word, and pick up your cross, you have volunteered for this journey. The deep darkness at the crucifixion was found between the sixth and ninth hour of the day, when for three hours, just prior to the death of Jesus, God darkened the entire Earth (Luke 23:44). An eclipse did not cause this triad of time. It was true, unexplainable darkness. It was during this moment that Jesus uttered three very important statements, the first being, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Why did Jesus say this? Because, the darkness He felt at this moment was more than the physical darkness everyone saw. He could tangibly feel the increasing morass of sin taunting Him and claiming victory. You may have heard the same taunt. The stench of the decaying demonic beings surrounding Him, jeering, and touting their own prowess would have overcome most of us. Hanging there in abject darkness, the natural spoke of the invisible. This painful statement was uttered with the full realization that Darkness was gaining an apparent victory and the Father’s Light seemed to be no longer present with Him. The Glory had departed. Jesus knew the Father had turned His face away. For the first time Jesus felt totally abandoned and helpless to accomplish the task for which he came.
Up to this moment, Jesus would see the Father acting on something and then He would do the same on Earth. Suddenly, the spiritual atmosphere changed, the Father was doing nothing and Jesus immediately felt it. With this you now understand more concerning the prayer of Moses and why it included the phrase, “May God make His face shine on you.” You may also be gaining greater revelation on the cost of taking up your cross. Very few take up the Cross today, they mistake the Grace of God as a substitution for carrying the Cross. However, if this perspective is true, why did Jesus say that if we want to follow Him we’d have to take up the cross to do it?
THE RECOGNITION OF INCAPIBILITY
While the Dark Night of the Soul is about being purged of the misguided thought that your agenda is God’s agenda; the Dark Night of the Spirit is about knowing God’s plan and finding that you are incapable of fulfilling it. This second phase, the recognition of your incapability, is depicted by the words Jesus spoke next when He said, “It is finished!” These words indicated that Jesus realized he had done all He was capable of doing. He had manifested all of the Father’s names to those He had been given (John 17:6). The human part was done. As He hung there on the cross, incapable of moving, or walking away, with all His disciples except John no where to be found, Jesus must have asked, was this enough? Yes it was, but hanging there the question must have lingered - was it enough? There was absolutely nothing left He could do, as a man He could do no more … Jesus was one breath away from dying, a plan that had been in place since before time began.
GOD MUST FINISH THE TASK HE SENT YOU TO DO
Jesus would take one more breath and whisper the third, and final phrase, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” This was the recognition that the Father must be the one to finish what He began. If, like Jesus, you pick up your cross, He must do the same in you, evidenced by this third dying statement of Jesus. In spite of what the enemy wants you to believe, death to self is not bad.
After this final saying, Jesus breathed His last and gave up His spirit. Herein, Jesus recognized that it was not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of His Father that the conclusion of the task would take place. It was in the Garden that the soul of Jesus was broken, but it was on the cross He gave up the rule of His soul over His spirit. There He gave that rule to His father. Thus, if the Father did not back Him up in His coming decent into Sheol to confront Satan, Jesus would stay in Sheol with the rest of humanity who had died … and the world would remain lost.
This decent was not a journey that flesh and blood could take. This journey in the stench of gross darkness would have to be done in the context of a greater reality - the Eternal reality of the Spirit. Here, before Satan, the Spirit of the Father would attest to the sinless life Jesus lived. As a result, all who had been imprisoned in Sheol, and believed the good new Jesus spoke to them, would have their chains taken off. But, for that to happen, Jesus had to believe the Father would turn His face toward Him again and resurrect Him. At that final moment on the cross, Jesus in essence said, “Father, I am helpless, take me, you will have to take it from here … and He died. Notice, Jesus did not say Father in to your hands I commit my soul - He said “Father in to your hands I commit my spirit.” God, who is Spirit revived spirit in the Dark Night of the Spirit.
Again, I remind you, it was the Spirit of God who raised Christ from the dead and that same spirit dwells in you. You can stand with courage and faith in the midst of great darkness knowing you will not fail and the Spirit of God will raise you up.
DARK NIGHTS
Dark Nights are all about feeling helpless, and directionless, incapable, and that combined with the lingering question of failure or success can be quite daunting. However, this last Dark Night of the Spirit is the hardest of the Dark Night series. In fact, after it is over, you will most likely feel you never completely left this moment - you will seem to have one foot out of the Dark Night and yet one foot seems to be stuck there - a reminder that it is only through Jesus you can accomplish the impossible and become a truly spiritual person.
This lingering knowledge that darkness is lurking all around you is what true light is all about. If you are the brightest light in the room, when you look around at the room it will seem pretty dark. There is a paradoxical “Spiritual Law of Light and Darkness” and that is this, “The greater light you contain and radiate, the darker the room around you will seem so be.” Thus you feel you never quite leave the darkness. Please do no equate darkness to pessimism - they are not the same. Hope eliminates pessimism and there is always hope in God.
Think about this, if it were possible for the world to even try to descend and save themselves, they would immediately find themselves stuck in Sheol. Why, because they have already submitted to Satan and the sin in their life would trap and keep them there. There would be no advocate for them, the Holy Spirit would not do that. They would join the chained and imprisoned. This is why salvation comes only through Jesus. It impossible for a sinful being to save you from the captivity of another sinful being. This would be called a transfer, but the darkness would be the same.
By now you know that it is impossible to live a truly Spiritual life outside of God who is the One, True, Pure, Spirit. It is also impossible to approach God without coming to Him through Jesus, the sinless, only begotten son of the Living God. He made it all possible.
In God’s justice, those who emerge from this greater darkness, will find a greater glory, become a greater light, and demonstrate the names of the Father to a world who dwell in darkness. The scales of Justice will balance on your behalf and God will be all in all. The world is waiting for your victory through the blood of Jesus.
There is more ….
Blessings,
John Paul Jackson
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thank you pastor jackson….grateful, so grateful for your help
Hello everybody,
Thanks Shirley for the kind words. We have walked down this long road together thanks to Coffee Talk. The Lord is kind to shed light on our experience. This blog certainly brings the deep truth of the work of Jesus on the cross to light. It always brings tears to my eyes when I think about the cross. Such a sacred moment we are in as we contemplate the final moments of Jesus life here on earth, the significance to each of his last words. I shall ponder the cross and the holy work of the Lord now as I continue on my journey. I have done all in my humaness. Now its time to commit my spirit to him who is able to resurrect the dead. Holy Spirit, let each one here be in this moment with you as you bring life out of death. As we die to self and Christ lives through us we humbly acknowledge the finished work of Calvary in our lives. We thank you Lord Jesus for making the supreme sacrifice on our behalf. We accept you fully as Lord and Savior and now let you reign in our heart as King. All hail, King Jesus! All hail, Emmanuel! King of kings, Lord of lords, bright morning star. And throughout eternity we will praise you, and forevermore we will reign with him.
I think back to last Sept when a friend of mine said to me “crossing the finish line”, I had wrote a blog on it, and did not think much about it afterward, but now I know there is more to what she said.
Some weeks back, just as the last vestige of this Dark time was ending, there was a TV program on, and I am watching this man running, and he is wrapped with a white bandanna around his head, and a white cloth around his mid section, I’m seeing people running behind him, and as he is running there is a banner with big letters that say the words “Finish” suddenly all these people are running past the banner, it took me a moment to realize they were crossing the finish line. prophetically I knew the Lord was speaking to me at that moment “It is finished.”
I have been on this journey with JP like most of you sense the beginning, and the past 22 months for me have been the most grueling, and most purging I have ever experienced in my life. I don’t even think directionless could describe it. I feel like Goliath swallowed me and spit me out before victory came, but it came!
The hard part for me to swallow is knowing it was good for me. I have learned and grown so much to the point I don’t know who I am:)
Glory be to God!
“Very few take up the Cross today, they mistake the Grace of God as a substitution for carrying the Cross.”- John Paul Jackson
A brilliant comment on the problem of ‘Cheap Grace’.
Mark 7:13a Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.
This past Saturday while passing through a town in TN I felt I was to go to a Christian bookstore. I found a phone book and got directions to the store. I knew God had a “treasure” for me to find.
At the back of the store–on an otherwise empty rack was the print,”Keepers of the Flame” by artist Thomas Blackshear. (It was marked down and when I checked out–the price was reduced again.
)
This print depicts Jesus as an illuminated flame. Below Him are a group of men representing various ethnic groups dressed in humble nondescript monk type clothing. They are in various prayer and worship positions. In the center (core-heart-spirit) of each of these men is a burning flame…
Around the outside border of the print it repeats: HIS WORD IS THE LIGHT TO YOUR PATHWAY. HIS PRESENCE IS THE GLOW OF YOUR COUNTENANCE… centered at the bottom of the print:
“KEEPERS OF THE FLAME” underneath it says “For with Thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.” Psalm 36:9
It is an honor and privilege for us to be entrusted by Daddy God to carry and be a keeper of the flame (Holy Spirit) to our world..That is the reason “dying to self” is so important.
As the message of the cross becomes our lifestyle and essence of who we are–it ceases being just words from some sermon. As we yield, the flame grows and God’s glory reflects on our countenance.
It is not easy to choose the “cross” and begin the process of “dying”…Once you start the process you will want to complete the process so you won’t be handicapped and unable to burn for Him to the fullest.
I answered the call to lay down my life for the cause of the cross in the 70’s and I am still in the process of dying… At some point on the journey you stop saying “Lord, crucify me!” It just becomes automatic. You stop fighting the process and go with the flow…
Like the monks and holy men and women down through the ages–we at some point will be trusted with the flame. Our outside shells will shatter and His flame will burst forth for the world to see His light shining in our lives. Hallelujah!!!
I googled Masterpeace Collection Keepers of the Flame.
Y’all can see this print at:
http://www.christiancenteredmall.com/stores/…/thomas_blackshear.html
Learning to carry His light,
Linda
PS> Welcome all you new bloggers and new friends to Coffee Talk.I’m glad you joined in…
The Promise
“a reminder that it is only through Jesus you can accomplish the impossible and become a truly spiritual person.” “It is also impossible to approach God without coming to Him through Jesus, the sinless, only begotten son of the Living God. He made it all possible.” “The scales of Justice will balance on your behalf and God will be all in all. The world is waiting for your victory through the blood of Jesus.” Amen… 1 John 1
cm - I agree with your assessment: “I have learned and grown so much, to the point, I don’t know who I am.”
So, the question is; who are we becoming?
“In God’s justice, those who emerge from this greater darkness, will find a greater glory, become a greater light” - John Paul Jackson
1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Paul summed up his entire ministry in three words: “I press on”…[cf.Philippians 3:12 (NIV)]
He quite clearly had several dark nights:
2 Corinthians 11:23-28
23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
Matthew Henry in his Concise Commentary on Song of Solomon 2:9 said this:
“We see him through a glass darkly, as He manifests himself through the lattices. Christ invites the new convert to arise from sloth and despondency, and to leave sin and worldly vanities, for union and communion with him.”….and Paul knew exactly what this calling would mean…
Song of Solomon 2:9 My loved one is like a roe; see, he is on the other side of our wall, he is looking in at the windows, letting himself be seen through the lattices [the spaces.]
Acts 9:16 will show him how much he must suffer for my name
Paul gazed up through the spaces in His opened side on the Cross and saw…and the things he saw.
…I almost don’t even want to mess up what I feel with words. Your teachings always make me feel normal…or should I say fearfully and perfectly abnormal! You serve hard core truth in language I can dance to! “Suddenly, the spiritual atmosphere changed, the Father was doing nothing, and Jesus immediately felt it!”-JP ….that’s the DNA that says to me right now “You’re Mine”! The Father’s heart was broken and pleased all at the same time…and we were the joy set before Him in all of it! How humbling, Oh God, let YOUR reward be a joy set before me at my darkest hour of abandonment. I remember vividly the births of my sons…after my first son was born he literally did not breath for 9 minutes. Steve and I couldn’t even have a cognitive thought in those moments, it seemed like an eternity…the silence in the room was grossly deafening, but suddenly on the 9th min he cried out a very loud cry. We can have a head knowledge of deeper truth, but it’s only through our experience of it that we get the full authority to rescue nations?!!…seriously?! It’s like I can hear David, and Daniel, and Joseph, and Esther, all saying…”duh?”
My nephew is currently deployed…praying him through missions has taught me a lot about the realities of a breed of warrior who fully embraces what the rest of the country gets to sing about….”who more than self, their country loved, and mercy more than life!!”
I get what you’re saying but i’m lost between christ being sinless in order to be the sinless lamb and him becoming sin.how did he overcome?please help.
The reason why we are sinners is not because we sin, but because of Adam. Jesus on the other hand, was not begotten by Adam, but by God. Therefore, he had no sin. On the other hand, his mother was from Adam, so he still had flesh to contend with and being made in the likeness of sinful flesh. Now, Jesus was the very last Adam, on the cross Adam died and was done away with. He sacrificed himself for the sins of the whole world, he was not a sinner, he was the spotless lamb of God. Had he any spot whatsoever his death would have been for his own sin and would void the sacrifice that made him our high priest. Remember the words of John, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
“I get what you’re saying but i’m lost between christ being sinless in order to be the sinless lamb and him becoming sin.how did he overcome?”
Like this:
Psalm 32:2 Blessed is the Man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.
Our sins have always counted against us, but even when He became sin for us as the Son of Man, as the Son of God he remained sinless and it burst His heart open for us and simultaneously tore the veil in two and it forced Him to his knees in Gethsemane bent double in agony….
2 Corinthians 5:21 He, the sinless One, was made sin for us; so we, forgiven through him.
James:
Even though Jesus did not have any sin in Him, He knew its power and the affects of sin on the part of humanity and so with that He condemned its original purpose and power upon the soul of mankind through the shedding of His Blood on the cross,a perfect blood sacrifice because being the only begotten son of God, He was perfect in every way. This is why Jesus is often described as the word made flesh and the beginning and ending of all things. I am smelling the Smoke of His Presence once again, whoa. I hope that this helps.
Bless You!
Shirley C.
… now about that light.
I remember my brighter days when I would feel the intense presense of God, and the people around me started cussing more, getting more perverse, more abusive.
I know the brighter you shine the darker the darkness seems.
I’m just waiting for the time when the light overtakes the darkness. Revelation 11:11
Two prophets who have fire comming from their bellies/mouths? Now there is an idea…
Its time to burn.
-Shaun
“This second phase, the recognition of your incapability, is depicted by the words Jesus spoke next when He said, “It is finished!” These words indicated that Jesus realized he had done all He was capable of doing. He had manifested all of the Father’s names to those He had been given (John 17:6). The human part was done.”-JP
This really spoke to me because in any battle after we’ve done all that we can do and was supposed to do, we stand:
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesian 6:13 NKJV)
What we stand in is the grace of God:
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this GRACE IN WHICH WE STAND, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2, NKJV)
Standing in this grace is saying to God, like John Paul mentioned, that unless you bring forth your unmerited favor to change this situation, I will lose. I think this can be very hard for us to do as believers because we always think that we should have a solution NOW and something must be done NOW or we’re not gonna make it. But God says “My grace is sufficient for you.”
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3-4)
We may not like, but it’s to perfect us for the task at hand, that His Will may be done in us as it is in heaven
I am not one who remembers my dreams often, but this morning I woke up with one that I remembered and wrote down…I didn’t know if I should write it here or on dreamblogr, but I figured someone would respond on coffee talk…..
!?!
I’m assuming I was in Africa, but I didn’t see a town’s name…I had just gotten off a plane with a group of people. Heidi Baker comes up to me and says, “You are Linda Burns, aren’t you? I’ve written out a prophetic word for you.” She hands me three sheets of paper with handwriting. When I start reading it, the words that pop out to me are I’ve called you to operate in My power and glory.”
As I am reading this, I think to myself–I’ve got to let John Paul, back in the states, know that Heidi Baker has given me a prophetic word.
The next scene is that I’m in some rustic store and I see a primitive wind chime hanging up on the wall. I hear God’s voice telling me to purchase this musical instrument (wind chimes) and present it to the tribal leader.
I need to find the price so I ask Heidi if she can tell me. She’s on the phone talking to someone in England (I don’t know how I know this.) She says it is $89–You get the wind chimes and also a box with a white robe trimmed in blue.
I think to myself–why do I need to purchase that box…Heidi looks at me and tells me children made the outfit and they will make $5.
I step outside to ponder. I don’t have any cash on me–will they take a check and how long will it take to clear back in the states? I think a few minutes then I decide to purchase all of it and I awaken remembering this dream….
****************************************************************
I don’t know Heidi Baker personally. It has been at least three years since I was in any meeting that she ministered at so I don’t know why she was in my dream…
Anyone have any clue???
I am really enjoying the “deep” thoughts that are being expressed recently. Have we turned some corner with these new posts? John Paul are you going to teach your 101 class this week? Hope it has a fresh anointing and those who participate gain kingdom knowledge?
Have a blessed week!!!
Love y’all,
Linda
Anyone who is a writer,knows that before you write a book, you need to have a idea. So you must sit back and in your imagination is where you start. It is all created first in the imagination,[ if you will, your image] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him. [ imagination]but he also wanted the man to be like he is.[ after his likeness] It does not mention the man being in his likeness unto after the transgression. Genesis 3 verse 22, And the Lord said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: So it was Gods idea to make us after his likeness and he used the subtil serpent to do the job. All are the Lords servants! All things were made by him and for him therefore fear thou not! Isaiah 45 verse6 and 7. Glory to God in the Highest
Comments seem to be slow this time round.. Hows everyone doing out there? JDC
Amiable post and this mail helped me alot in my college assignement. Thank you on your information.
does this dark night include going through intense mental and emotional anguish? Pressure is incredible. There has to be something deep in a person to just not give up. I don’t know if this is the dark night of the spirit nothing is clear right now. All I feel is intense pain and an incredible hunger to get closer to him. He seems to be hiding from me. I know he’s not far away He’s just not as close as I want him to be.
Thank you for sharing your insight. Hallelujah to the Precious Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world- Jesus Christ the Righteous One!