The Day of New Beginnings

The Kindred Spirit – Part Two

 

What is the pattern by which we grow into maturity and thus fulfill God’s purpose for our lives? It is the Father-son relationship the Lord opens up with Himself. But how do we come into this Father-son relationship? Aren’t we already His sons by virtue of accepting Christ as our Savior? No, we are not. The apostle John said, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power (the right, the privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name…” Receiving Christ opens the door for His sonship to be formed in us. 
 
We enter into the Father-son relationship with the Lord through the Fathering ministries He raises up in the Body of Christ. The Word of Life has a unique manifestation through these ministries. The Word through these channels has the capacity to create in us that which is necessary for us to reach maturity. 
 
We have three excellent examples in the Scriptures that illustrate how this pattern works. The first is Moses and Joshua. 
 
Joshua became a great leader and general, leading the children of Israel into their inheritance. But how did Joshua become such a man of God? 
 
Ex 24:13* So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.
 
Ex 33:11* Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
 
Nu 11:28* Then Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, said…
 
In these three passages one thing stands out. Joshua served Moses. From Joshua’s youth he was Moses’ attendant. And where did this servitude lead?
 
Num. 27:
15 ¶ Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying,
 16* "May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
 17* who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep which have no shepherd."
 18* So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;
 19 and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight.
 20* "You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him.
 
De 34:9* Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.
 
De 31:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, the time for you to die is near; call Joshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting, that I may commission him." So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the tent of meeting.
 
Joshua had a unique calling upon his life, one that was far different from Moses’ calling. Joshua did not come forth to be another Moses. But he did realize his full potential because of his relationship with him. Joshua was filled with the same anointing, the same wisdom, because Moses imparted it to him. Joshua served Moses like a man serving his father and out of that relationship was reproduced the same Spirit.
 
Elijah and Elisha is our second example. As Elijah neared the end of his ministry, he was told by the Lord to anoint Elisha as prophet in his place. 
 
1st Kings:
15* The LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram;
 16* and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
 
Elijah, among other things, was the authority over the sons of the prophets in his day. So, when he anointed Elisha in his place, he was placing not only the mantle of anointing upon him, but the mantle of authority as well. When Elijah was taken up into heaven at the end of his ministry, Elisha received a double portion of his spirit. What was it that prepared Elisha for that?
 
1st Kings 19:
19* ¶ So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him.
 20* He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?"
 21* So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.
 
2Ki 3:11* But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?" And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.”
 
Elisha ministered to Elijah. He poured water over his hands. It is the same pattern as Moses and Joshua. It’s significant that it was a double portion of Elijah’s spirit that Elisha received. 
 
9* ¶ When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."
 10* He said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so."
 11* As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.
 12* Elisha saw it and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
 13* ¶ He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14* He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.
 15* Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho opposite him saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
 
It’s interesting that Elisha cried out, “My father, my father…” when the mantle of Elijah fell upon him. Elisha had served Elijah just as Joshua had served Moses.
 
Our third example is Paul and Timothy. It is this relationship that sheds the most light on the means by which we come into maturity. Paul said that he had no one else of a kindred spirit like Timothy.
 
Phil. 2:
19* But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
 20* For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.
 21* For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.
 22* But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.
 23* Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;
 
A kindred spirit was precisely what Joshua had with Moses and what Elisha had with Elijah. These relationships are types that show us how Christ’s sonship is reproduced in His Body. It’s significant that each of these men, Joshua, Elisha and Timothy, all entered into unique ministries and were not carbon copies of their spiritual fathers. It’s also important to see that where Christ’s fathering ministry is being manifested, there is the encouragement for the “son” to be all that God has ordained for him. In no way is there a suppression or restraint placed upon him. As a matter of fact, this is the true test. If a “father” cannot reproduce himself in others, he is false. He is like a mule, with no capacity to bring forth offspring. There are many mules ministering within Christianity today.
 
2Ti 2:2* The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
 
Notice how the true fathering of the Lord Jesus is in operation in the above passage. That which Timothy had received from Paul he was to entrust to faithful men that they in turn could teach others as well. What we have here is the perpetuation of Christ’s Lordship. 
 
2Ti 4:5* But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
 
Timothy had a ministry to fulfill, and it was Paul’s heart that he fulfill it. It’s interesting that Timothy was told to do the work of an evangelist. Mystically speaking, doing the work of an evangelist implies the conveyance of the kindred spirit that is created in the “son”. This is how many sons are brought to glory (Heb. 2:10).