There is a process of sanctification and it takes the wisdom of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to discern and navigate our way when we are dealing with others. Are they babes in Christ? Are they immature? Are they our weaker brothers?
Forgiveness should always be readily available from us, given what great forgiveness we ourselves have received. Yet oftentimes, as the flesh is being killed daily, by the cross we take up daily, we exhibit its characteristics until, slowly but surely, little by little, precept by precept, death upon death, we become more Christlike.
The process never ends, we never arrive, but the genuine saint is always making forward progress, even when he stumbles, the very stumbling becomes one more lesson to him. He hates the stumble, he agonizes over the failure. And in the agonizing, in the fire, we are being shaped and molded. The great impetus for it all is the burning love of God that blazes at the center of who we are. Our love for Jesus, our love for the Father is so great, because He first loved us, that our singular desire is to never let Him down, never disappoint Him.
When we inevitably do, the work of the cross and the love of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit comes to bear upon us and we are changed. This is the genius of His love for us, we who are mere wretched creatures outside of Jesus. This is the astonishment of principalities and powers when the gaze upon us mortals and declare “What is man that you are mindful of us, and the son of man that you visit him?” ( Psalm 8:4)
They are astonished that our Father in heaven pays us any mind at all and visits us and loves us, even while we were yet in our sin. Astonished that He would sacrifice His very own son for us. We deserved nothing but hell and yet through His love and through His grace we received forgiveness and an eternal place in the heavenlies.
How indeed can we not forgive others in the blazing light of such forgiveness? Today is the day to forgive anyone, it’s such a thing of beauty and a reflection of the very God who forgave us!
Speaking of man, Paul says in Act 17, to men on Mars hill, that God has determined their preappointed times and boundaries of their dwellings. That is really quite a mouthful. What does it mean? Can it be true that we have a preappointed time set for us by God? Can it be true that we have boundaries that God has set over us in regard to our “dwellings.” A boundary is a limitation or a line set. In our lives as saints we have boundaries that we are called to live within. And so, where we abide is limited to Gods determination for us and how long we live, likewise. And in this there should be great peace. Yet, for the most part, we find that our boundaries are the source of most of our anxiousness and discontentment.
Is it not true that we lay down boundaries for our children? We determine where they can go and the times in which they can carry out their activities. We set curfews for them and discipline them in order that they would know and respect their boundaries. We do it with a loving heart and a desire to see them grow up into the best adults they can be. It seems to be universally true that most children despise their boundaries and long to go where they cannot. They want what their friends have. They want to do what their friends do. And in this they clash with the will of their parents. It often referred to as a “battle of the wills,’ and frequently exhausts parents. Some parents seem to be better than others in these matters. Some are too strict and some are too lax and some put down no boundaries at all. The end result of this is the society we live in.
When you were saved dear saint, God imposed boundaries upon you. He gifted you and then called you to live within the boundaries of that gifting. He has predetermined the number of your days which also constitutes a boundary. Now, the question is, are we at peace within the boundaries that God has set for us? Or, do we rage against them? Do we go to great lengths to go beyond the boundary of our gifting? Do we take extreme measures to try and extend the boundaries of the days of our lives? Can I suggest to you that the work of the flesh, our flesh, is to deny the boundaries God has set for us. We try and go beyond our calling and are jealous of others for the same reason that Adam and Eve took what they were told not to take. It’s sin and rebellion. And in this sin and rebellion there can be no peace. Only when we surrender to the boundaries God has set for each of us personally can we truly know the peace that surpasses understanding.
In the world we saw, back in the 60s, women discontent with their lot, wanting to have what men had. They were discontent with their boundaries and therefore simply pushed beyond them. They raged against their boundary. No doubt they were cheered on by any number of voices telling them they could be whatever they wanted to be and that they had no limits. It has become a virtue of the world. People who are not happy with their gender are told that their gender is not a boundary and that they can be whatever they want to be. They rage against their boundary. Men desire their neighbors wife. they want what they cannot have and they rage against this boundary. People are told that they are going to die and they go to every conceivable lengths to avoid this. They rage against the boundaries of time. Saints not happy with the gifting God has given them, strive to be something they are not. This is raging against the will of God for our lives, it is all sin.
It is within the boundaries that God has laid down for us that we are to seek Him who desires to be found. It is within these boundaries that we are told “He is not far from each one of us.” To go beyond our boundaries is to wander far from God. It is in our nearness to God, that we “live and move and have our being.” We cannot shape our own destinies and then call it God’s destiny for us. God is not like gold or silver or stone, something that can be shaped by art or the devices of men. It is He who lays down the foundations. It is He who determines the place in which we shall live and it is He who determines the number of our days on this earth and it is He who has appointed a day in which He will judge the world by the Lord Jesus Christ. Note the words used by Paul “determines, appoints, sets, boundaries.” Our God is a God of order and He calls us to His order. And this order, this peace, this joy, this contentment can only ever be found when we are found living within the boundaries He has set down for each of us individually.
Just to be clear, when I say “Protestant,” I mean all of it, all denominations and non-denominations. Its not that I think that there are no genuine saints there, there are, in probably all of them. It is just that I was looking for a river to be carry me to the throne, to be engulfed in, and I found, for the most part, semi-dried up creeks. I was born and raised a Catholic in a mostly Irish Catholic community on the West Coast of Scotland. My whole education was Catholic, as it was for all working class Catholics, and it was free. One night my mother came home and announced that she had “found Jesus.” She was one of those “born-agains.” I was seven. My non-practicing alcoholic Catholic father was freaked out by it…… I was fascinated. They talked about God in chapel, but here was my wee mother claiming to actually know Him. I too longed to “know Him.” One thing was for sure, she was changed and she was bold.
All hell broke loose in our house. My father raged against my mother. He seemed to instinctively know that he was no longer “in charge,’ of her. There was something more important to her now than him. So he tried to beat Jesus out of her. In wild drunken nights he would rail against the Jesus that she believed in and that had changed her and won her over so completely. Black eyes and a broken jaw and nights where he almost killed her. And after fifteen years of this, at the age of forty nine, he got down on his knees and repented and gave his life over to the Jesus that he had assaulted and assailed so many times in his proxy war. He never drank again and my mum and dad retook their marriage vows and he was baptized. Such a huge thing for a man, already baptized as an infant who was raised by a staunch Catholic mother (my grannie)
So as you can see, I had saw the battle. I had saw how religion worked. I saw a genuine saint lay down her life for Jesus and be beaten black and blue for His sake. I had a ringside seat to the battle for a mans soul. So when I came to the Lord at the age of 26 I was ready to dive right in. I had only ever witnessed all or nothing. There was no middle ground in the battle of the ages. If I had metaphorically dived in I would have probably broken my neck as the church was only a few inches deep. Yet lets face it, when you had walked for almost two decades in the desert and came upon any kind of water at all, you would rejoice. Maybe not swim, but certainly rejoice. And those few shallow inches seemed so good. I saw other people come into the Pentecostal church from no church backgrounds and from dead denominational backgrounds and they all thought it was wonderful……..for a time.
There was multiple problems for me. I had such a great desire for genuine fellowship and discipleship. I wanted to be “a part,” of what was going on in the Body. Ushering and toilet cleaner or parking attendant was not exactly what I had in mind, yet for the most part, these were the “positions,’ available. Complain about that and you were simply proud. What I had in mind was what I had read about in the Bible. I had read the Word every day with a fierce thirst and hunger since coming to the Lord. As I read about the Body and every part having a function in 1 Cor 12 I wondered why we did not have such a Body. I left one Pentecostal non denominational church for another. I attended a Baptist church for a year. I went to a conservative Bible College. I went to Nazarene church for six months and I also attended IHOP (International house of prayer) for a year. Two of the aforementioned churches I stuck out for eight years and and seven years. I never found the river to swim in, only a trickle in the shadow of a dam (the dam being the Word and the manifest presence)
I saw patterns emerge in all of these churches I attended. In all of them the order of service was pretty much the same. There were variations but all within a popular theme. None of them allowed for the participation of the saints. All of them were tightly controlled by one man. This one man would appoint, for the most part, yes men for elders. In the end I had to think to myself “is this really different from the Catholic church?’ I know that will sound radical to some people, but in the end the Catholic church is all about authority and who wields it, certainly not the poor folks who sit in the pew. And what I had read in the Scriptures was not about authority at all, outside of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And if Jesus and the Holy Spirit had told us that we were to gather in a certain fashion, I could not for the life of me figure out why this ultimate authority was ignored. I was looking for the river deep, that flowed from the very throne-room of heaven.
And so I left the “organized church,”which was a semi-dried up creek, looking for the freedom of the wild river. I had studied revivals and became involved in the revival ministry. This is where I met folks from all over the world who also had a longing to see, in essence, a 1 Cor 14 gathering where all of the members of the Body operated rather than one or two and the rest sat passively by until it was time to write a check or pull out their wallets. Think about it saints, why would we want to gather in any fashion other than that which the Lord lays down in His Word? Multiple centuries of tradition had transpired and conspired against the simplicity and authenticity of the earliest Church. Its the tragedy of the ages that the Body, with multiple parts, lies unused. Imagine a car without wheels, without gas, set up on blocks where people can only stare at it, for it has not the ability to fire up the engine or go anywhere. It becomes just a dusty heirloom, and we can only read about how it used to run.
I want to name some of my findings from my studies and experiences which may help to explain why there is a just a trickle in the creek as opposed to a mighty flowing river.
.1. The senior pastor. Not Biblical, a made up position.
2. The order of service, pretty much the same in any church. Not Biblical, man made.
3. The sermon that so dominates the “service.” Not Biblical, established by man.
4. The way we “break bread,” together. Not Biblical, established by man.
5. The clergy/laity divide. Not Biblical, established by man.
6. The church building. Not Biblical, established by man.
7. Ordination. Not Biblical, established by men.
8. Where is the “two or three prophets,’ who are to speak to us? (1 Cor 14:29)
10. Where are the two or three who would speak in tongues with interpretation? (1 Cor 14:27)
11. Where are the teachings (plural) and a psalm given or a portion of Scripture? (1 Cor 14:26)
12. Where are the Apostles, prophets, miracles and gifts of healing and varieties of tongues (plural) ( 1 Corinthians chapter 12:27,28)
I want to ask you brothers and sisters. Does the above describe your gathering? How can God bless something that is so far removed from what He Himself laid down in His Word? The church as we have known it is dying. It is devoid of power and passion, and passivity is the order of the day. Let Diotrephes speak and let the rest remain silent. And the rest are quite happy to dwell in a wilful ignorance. I say wilful ignorance because they can read the Word the same as you and me. They want their Moses to speak to God and for Moses to speak to them even if the mountain burst forth with earthquakes and trembling they would fall back from it.
Will you remain silent? Will you remain passive? Will you sit by and not even question the order of service you just sat through? Did that order of service resemble anything you have ever read in the Scriptures? Do you really even care? The Word of God says this is 1 Cor 12 starting at verse 7…..But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecies, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit work all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Do you see the richness and the depth of what has just been described. Now brothers and sisters, that is a river to swim in. That is no dried up creek. “The manifestation of the Spirit,” starts out the verse. When was the last time the Spirit of God manifested Himself among your gathering, your church, your denomination? I’m not talking about hearing a great sermon from a professional or being delighted with the professional music, I am talking about the manifestation of the Spirit. Notice that every part is “given,” by the Holy Spirit for the edification of all. These Scriptures are describing a masterful orchestra directed by the Holy Spirit Himself. Each part intimately conducted and carried out by the Conductor. It is no one man band, it is no mere trickle in a creek, but rather it is a symphony written by God Himself and it floods our souls and overwhelms our spirits and changes us as it takes us to where it wants to take us. No mere mortal can control it. Do you want to be part of the orchestra or do you want to sit by passively and listen to the tune of a one man band that entertains you for a moment?
Probably the most damaging feature of Calvin’s liturgy is that he led most of the service himself from the pulpit. Christianity has not yet recovered from this. Today the pastor is the MC, and CEO of the Sunday morning service-just as the priest is the MC and the CEO of the Catholic mass. This is in stark contrast to the church meeting envisioned in Scripture. According to the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ is the leader, director and CEO of the church meeting. In 1 Cor 12, Paul tells us that Christ speaks through His entire Body, not just one member. In such a meeting, His Body freely functions under His headship (direct leadership) through the working of the Holy Spirit. First Cor 14 gives us a picture of such a gathering. This kind of meeting is vital for the spiritual growth of God’s people and the full expression of His Son in the earth. ( George Barna, Frank Viola-Pagan Christianity-pg 59)
The liturgy or order of service is almost exactly the same in the vast majority of churches throughout the land, whatever denomination it is. Over the last several decades, some have flirted with allowing the Holy Spirit to move among them, but have inevitably fallen back on the order of service. To follow the instructions laid down by Scripture, almost all of the so called clergy would render themselves surplus to requirements. So the clergy have always been the keepers of the status quo. A union of hirelings who have usurped the actual workings of the Holy Spirit among the Body of Christ. I would think that the vast majority of them down through the centuries have been somewhat ignorant of the fact that there is simply no clergy in the Body of Christ, and that the Priesthood of all believers cannot function and be led by the Holy Spirit where the bondage of this system exists. We can have the clergy/laity system or we can have the Holy Spirit operate among us, but we cannot have both.
George and Frank say that this kind of meeting is vital for Spiritual growth, I would agree. How can we say that we have no need of the manna that falls from heaven, but rather we have our own means of feeding ourselves? It is delusional. Spiritual growth only comes from edification. A group can grow religiously under our present system, but they cannot grow spiritually. Stagnation, with occasional bursts of energy from fires of our own making is the best that we can expect when man is in charge of the service. The numbers attending “church,” are now in free-fall all over the world. Is this the inevitable end of a system that is collapsing under the weight of its own works? I would say yes. The church system worked in a mostly religious world. We no longer live in such a world. The paradoxical difference is that while the weight of men’s works crush people spiritually, the weight of Gods presence, His Holy presence liberates them and elevates them to high and lofty places and changes them. It exhorts them, it edifies them, it humbles them.
The Lord, in His manifest presence, always speaks to the whole. If a saint needs to be encouraged, then he is encouraged. If another needs to be humbled then he is humbled. If another needs to be lifted up from the valley floor of depression and discouragement then he will find himself flying where the eagles fly and his joy shall be complete. The sinner shall find conviction that he will have to bend to, or he will have to run into the night screaming. All of this and so much more comes when the Body operates as it is instructed to operate and where the CEO is the Lord Jesus Himself by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus must be preeminent. We must follow the dictates of the word of God or we shall simply be taken by the tide of this world and religion and be lost at sea. I would argue that for the most part, that which calls itself Christianity is lost as sea and the only way back is a strict adherence to the revealed word of God. It would not be a revival, nor would it be a reformation. It would be a revolution!!!, where the powers that be are upturned and the Lord Jesus takes His rightful place.
I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the LORD, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies lead them astray, which their fathers followed: But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem (Amo 2:4-5)
Amos is sent to a prosperous Israel. It was a time of national optimism. Business is booming and their boundaries had never been more enlarged. Yet all that shone was not gold. The hearts of the people were far from God and they followed the traditions of their fathers. No matter what God had sent upon these people, famine, drought and plagues, nothing could shake them from a security they had based upon the traditions of their fathers. Yet, despite their traditions, they “despised the law of God.” They were not keeping His commandments. The word despised in the Greek means to reject, to cast away, to refuse. They refused to follow what the Lord had laid down, rather they followed the traditions of their fathers.
Before we judge Israelite to harshly, do we follow the commands of the Lord? And if not, then do we not also despise the Word of God? We refuse to follow the instructions laid down on how we should worship, rather we worship in the manner of our fathers. Why are we different than the audience that Amos was sent to? Why should the Lord our God not send a fire among us? Amos drew no punches when it came to sin. He spoke to a people who were very proud of themselves, after all, were they not prosperous? They were indeed, rich in the things of the world, rich in tradition, but desperately poor in the things of the Lord. Poor in relationship, poor in love and mercy and justice.
What kind of fire should the Lord send among us brothers and sisters? Should not the dross be burned up? What has the spirit to fear from the fire of the Lord? Only the flesh burns in the fire. Only material things burn in the fire. Our ambitions and our traditions would be burned up in the fire. Our positions and our standing in the communities at large will be burned up in the fire. The fire of persecution is coming towards us like some monster hurricane. God’s remnant people will not be harmed by the fire, they may be killed by it but they shall not be harmed by it. Like the Hebrew children in the midst of the flames, there we shall stand with Jesus beside us. The world will see this. The religious world will see this. It will make them hate us all the more but we shall shine like the finest gold as we render not evil for evil. By the light of this fire the enemy will be illuminated. Our love will expose their hatred and the father of hatred and lies. Listen, can you hear the Lion roar?
In the last days the prophets of old still speak to us. None more so than the prophet Isaiah. The prophetic word of God echos down through the ages. It spoke to its first audience and it has continued to speak down through the corridors of time. God has always had a remnant in the land and in these last days they still remain. They have ears to hear what the Spirit says. God is still instructing His sons and daughters through the prophetic word from thousands of years ago. In Ecclesiastes we are told that “to everything there is a season.” We are further told that “He has put eternity in their hearts.”
The Lord our God is doing a work in this, the last season and He is calling out to His remnant saints, the ones who have eternity in their hearts, to come forth from the world and stand. Isaiah stepped forth and cried out with a loud voice “send me.” He took the prophetic words from God to a sinful Judah who were surrounded by sinful nations. Today there exists a sinful Christianity which is surrounded by a fallen world. Shall you stand? Can you hear? Can you see the fallen world and the state of the church? In Christ alone there is truth and we stand upon His word which never changes.
This book journey’s through many of the chapters of Isaiah that stood out to me. The Lord spoke to my spirit and I put pen to paper. As the world grows ever darker and shakes it angry fist, the prophetic word of God becomes all the more vital. What is God saying to His remnant saints? What is He saying to those who refuse to bow the knee to the gods of this world?
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Having heard all the magnificent stories of the faithful saints down through the ages, the author then turns to us and says, “what about you?” Are you not part of this precious group of faith? And if you are then shall you not lay aside “every weight.” What is this weight? Every burden, every hindrance, everything external that would keep you from your reasonable service to God and your reasonable service to God is everything. Your life is not your own, it was bought with a price. It is no longer you that live but rather it is Christ that lives in you. You are a special person, a called out one, a royal priest. You have a duty that is higher than any other duty, that is to serve the King. This you must pursue no matter the cost.
Internally you have the sin that so easily captures you. It might be your temperament, crucify it. It might be your politics, leave that to the world. It might be the personal bias that you grew up with, kill it by the cross upon your back.You would train night and day if you were an Olympic athlete. While others slept, you would be up before the sun. When others were eating anyway they pleased, you would be following a strict diet. You would not be smoking or drinking and in some cases just prior to your race you would refrain from lying with your spouse.The sacrifices we are willing to make in order to get a gold medal, to get fame and fortune in this world are without limit. Isn’t your calling to God so much higher than any athlete?
Are you not running the race of eternal life for a crown that will not perish? A crown that you will cast down before the Lord’s feet because He deserves all the glory!How can we do all of this brothers and sisters? How can we be sold out to God in our lives? “Looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith.” His testimony was that for the joy of serving His Father and fulfilling His will, He willingly endured the cross, despising the shame and then sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Are we willing to endure? Are we willing to accept the discipline of the Lord? Jesus shall be our strength, the Holy Spirit shall be our guide. He shall be the lifter of our heads. He shall convict us and He shall give us the strength to follow Him, if it is our heart to follow Him. If it is our heart to run the race. If it is our heart to endure. If it is our heart to overcome. If these are our desires, He shall give them to us.
I believe we need to bring the Holy Spirit of God back into the church, back by prayer, obedience, and confession, until He literally takes over. Then there will be life and light and power and victory and joy and fruit in our lives. We can live on a different level altogether, a level never before dreamed possible. Every church has an obligation to regularly examine itself to see if what it is doing is on the solid foundation of the Holy Spirit. The tendency is to drift, as the Scriptures often warn us. I need to be careful that my life is solid on the foundation. If I am not building my life and ministry on the foundation of the Holy Spirit, I will not be pleasing or glorifying to God. (A.W.Tozer)
What a tragic statement from so long ago, that “we need to bring the Holy Spirit of God back into the church.” What is a church without the Holy Spirit? What is a life without the Holy Spirit? Well it probably looks like our own best efforts. And what will our own best efforts amount to? The very best scenario, a counterfeit to the living God. Some counterfeits are much better than others. The deadness in a lot of churches is as apparent as the nose on your face. Some hide the deadness much better. A lot of noise, a lot of shouting, dimmed lights, lifestyle sermons and motivational speaking. Yet, without the Holy Spirit, just as dead as the other churches mentioned. Tozer said “until He literally takes over.” I believe that is a bridge too far for most modern churches. How would the programs fit in? How long would the service be? “Hey, i did not hear my favorite guy speak this morning.” Toes would be stepped on and the tares would howl in protest and walk.
If the tendency is to drift, and it is, assuming there was a good starting point, where does that leave us today? Ask the average pastor how “his church,” is doing and he will tell you wonderful stories. On the whole he will be well pleased. If anything is to change there must be a revival of holy dissatisfaction. There must be desperation. Desperate times demands desperate measures. There must be honest assessments of where we are. And what blueprint shall we use for that? Do you know of another besides the Scriptures? There is none. The old paths is the Scriptures. The old paths is the Holy Spirit. The old paths leads to a place where the Holy Spirit “literally takes over.” Are we so far down the “new,” paths that we cannot even visualize what it would look like to get back to the Word and its description on how we gather and how we edify one another. When was the last time there was a manifestation of the Spirit in your gathering? Our traditions and our programs are all too often the last dying breath of what once was. They act as ventilators that artificially keep us breathing. And just as 90% of people die who go on ventilators in the world, the spiritual ventilators of our programs and traditions are spiritually killing people.
It is time for the Jesus people to stand up. Stand up brothers and sisters and cry out that the Holy Spirit of God would come back into the church, back by prayer, obedience, and confession, until He literally takes over. We were not created and born again to sit lifeless and mute and to drown in mediocrity. We were born again to be extraordinary. To be used by God to feed and to edify one another in the assembly of the saints. To cry out “Holy , Holy, Holy is His name.” What would happen in your assembly if, at the leading of the Spirit, you stood up and cried this out? Florrie Evans stood up in her Calvinistic church and declared publicly that she “loved the Lord Jesus with all of her heart.” And with that, just that simple, bold public declaration that must have horrified the religionists, revival fell. Not a revival of preaching mind you. Not a revival of programs. Not a revival of institutions, but a revival where the “Holy Spirit literally took over.” And down flowed the glory and up went the prayers. Up went the confessions and up went the unashamed declarations of Jesus. The glory fell and the tears fell and the world was changed. We worship the same God today as we did in 1904. What then hinders us? Perhaps we simply don’t want it?
Years ago I saw a documentary of a certain part of Africa. For 10 long months it sees no rain. First the mighty river dries up and then it becomes pools.Then the pools slowly shrink until they are nothing more than wet mud-holes. In this particular documentary, it showed a giant crocodile that had taken up residence right in the middle of a mud-hole. Despite its presence, deer and other animals risked their very lives in order to partake in the last of the water. A small number of animals, rather than taking up residence with the crocodile,undertook a long migration in search of water. Yet almost all the animals that were indigenous to this geographic location, refused to go in search of water and died before the rains came. Animals that in normal circumstances would never come within 100 yards of a crocodile, came right up beside him in a desperate attempt to get some satisfaction, from this drying mud-hole.
When God withdraws the rain of His presence from the church we see many strange things. The majority stay where they are and slowly die as they throw their lot in with their former predators.Others, like the deer that panteth for the water-brooks, are driven to make journeys they would otherwise never make. Driven out into the deserts and dry places in their desperate desire to find living waters. The tragedy for many in the “church” today is that they can live a life, devoid of His presence, and not even know that they are dying. Imagine that this ten months without rain is a season or seasons in Christendom. Generation after generation sucking on mud, barely surviving on the moisture that remains in the mud hole. Getting down and dirty in the mud, and being dangerously close to the world as they try to survive in the dry season. To try and operate in this world as a church without the Holy Spirit and the presence of the living God is to be reliant upon a mud-hole. Vestige of some by- gone days where once the river flowed. Talk of past victories but no present life. Living on memories and manna from a bygone age.
As someone who now lives in Kansas, a place that only gets about 33 inches of rain a year, I know how dry the ground can become and how deep that dryness is. At first when it rains the rain merely flows over the top surface. The ground is so hard it does not penetrate. It needs to consistently rain over several days for the ground to become saturated,to be thoroughly penetrated. Flash floods come and go very quickly and when it is gone, it is like it has never rained because it never penetrated. Yet, when it rains consistently over time, the effects are deep and lasting.There is a deep penetrating rain coming for Gods people. He has taken His people into the wilderness, the valley of death, the valley of decision. Because of the intensity of the battle that lies just ahead of us, it was and is necessary for the Lord to take His people into the desert place of testing. They have left the mud-holes of the world and the crocodiles behind. They refused to stay and die in a place of compromise. They have been driven into the desert and there they will find the Church, in a place where it seems impossible for anything to live, never mind thrive. Survival here does not depend upon traditions or past victories or the dusty heritage of religion. No, rather it depends upon the hand of God alone., A place where we once again cry out to the Living God for Him and Him only. Those who truly desire Him will stay in this place of testing. The Remnant of Gods people will prevail for our God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Yes there is an intensity of persecution for Gods people just appearing on the horizon. There are storm clouds gathering even as you read this. There is coming a time such as has never been seen before for Gods people. Yet with huge storm clouds come great rain falls. God will pour out His Spirit in a such a way that His children will stand in the pouring saturating rain of His presence. And despite the intense persecution and all out war that the old serpent will wage on us, we will rejoice and glorify and lift our hands on high. We will praise God for the rain that falls. The persecution will seem light in comparison to the eternal weight of glory that is to be experienced in His presence. God will inhabit the praises of His people who worship Him with their whole hearts. Gods people will only care that His presence is with them. As long as He goes before them, they will follow. They will follow Him right into the valley of the shadow of death. For they know that He will lead them to the pure waters of life.They will allow nothing to separate them from their God. Stay the course brothers and sisters, the rain is coming, and then comes the King.
Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
In Paul’s final words to the Ephesians, he addresses all the different groups that he had spoken life into. He had instructed them in ways that they could only carry out by the power of the Holy Spirit. Whether that was Husbands to wives, wives to husbands, children to parents and parents to children, bond-servants to masters and masters to bond-servants, if they were to walk in Christ and be obedient to Him they must walk in the Spirit. This was not just good “how to,’ advice from a life coach or a marriage counsellor, this was instructions from God that could only be carried out by His spiritual children. Now the question was “will you walk in obedience to these instructions?” Will you “put off,” and “put on,” the things aforementioned? If you are willing to do these things then finally brothers and sisters, you must be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Your obedience to God qualifies you to put on the whole armor of God. Do not be fooled, no disobedient servant shall put on this armor.
For this is a spiritual battle of unseen forces and this is where the victory will lie. As the days of this world wind down then the principalities and powers will rise up. The rulers of the darkness of this age and the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places shall come forward will great rage and boldness. They will attack truth from every imaginable angle and to the saints it will seem that we are being swamped and over run by the forces of darkness. It is, in effect, a last stand. Therefore saints, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the coming evil day and having done all-to stand. Truth will be your core, it shall be fastened to you at the very center of who you are. The righteousness of Christ shall be your breastplate. It shall guard your heart against the darkness of unrighteousness. Your feet shall be secure as it stands upon the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ of which we are not ashamed. Our trust in God shall protect us from the lies of Satan and his hordes, his threats shall not penetrate our hearts. And with our minds protected by our salvation and a sword in our hands then we shall hold our ground. We shall not move. We shall be an army of warriors who march upon our knees in prayer and supplication to the glory of God.
This stand, by the power of the Holy Spirit will fill us with boldness. We shall be bolder than we ever imagined. We shall be ambassadors for Christ even as we are shackled by the fleshly chains of men. Chained, perhaps, in this world, but free Sons and daughters of the world to come. This stand will of course, enrage the enemies of our souls. Think of the three Hebrew children. They may perish in the fire kindled by the hatred of men, but they would never bow down to the gods of this world. As we make out stand, as we refuse to bow down to the gods of this world, then we must expect the fire to come. Yet look again into the depths of the flames that surrounded the Hebrew children …….look…. can you see? The Son of man and the fellowship of the flames. We who worship Christ shall not burn, but rather we shall live forever in the glorious presence of our Lord and God. So brothers and sisters, lay down and put off that which hinders you from this fight and take up your cross. Put on the righteousness of Christ and the full armor of God and let us stand together. Back to back, side to side, lets us surround ourselves with our fellow saints and the Holy Spirit and let the battle of the ages begin, for Christ has already won the war!
I believe God will ignore most of the Evangelical churches standing today. They have what they want, they are satisfied with what they have, and there is no room in their program for the Holy Spirit to do His thing…………………to go forward requires that we go backward to rediscover and reclaim our spiritual roots. We have abandoned our roots and are wandering helplessly in a spiritual desert………what is happening across the board cannot be salvaged from a spiritual standpoint, and the chances are pretty high that God may have to start all over again,my prayer is that it happens quickly…..I am not sure this can begin in todays church. I am absolutely sure it cannot begin in most denominations (Tozer- Alive in the Spirit)
Now can I suggest that since this was written over fifty years ago, brother Tozer could be even more emphatic than his above statements. In Psalm 11 David asks “What can the righteous do in the foundations are destroyed?” What will happen when the average Evangelical church has exactly what it wants but is given over to leanness? ( psalm 106 13-15) Can dimmed lights replace leanness? How about musical concerts? Smoke machines? What disaster has befallen us? We are exceedingly lean people wandering lost in a desert of our own request and all we have to encourage ourselves is crowds? Somehow, if we have many folks walking through the doors and three services on a Sunday then maybe no one will notice the leanness? If they do we just need to make it darker or increase the entertainment value. Lets start to teach them how to live and somehow ignore the fact that the Holy Scriptures first teach us how to die.
Our spiritual roots which Tozer advises us to go back to can only be found in the Scriptures. If the programs have become the service then the service has to end until the only program available is the Holy Spirit’s program. What? If we shut down the programs who is going to pay the light bills and the staff’s salary. Someone might whisper “maybe we could just meet in our homes,” and upon overhearing this the professionals howled in protest. Now if we are to return to our spiritual roots where would a man give a word of wisdom? Where would a woman give a tongue? Where would one give a prophecy? Obviously not in the professional gatherings, only the ordained experts and trained worship leaders can be heard there. No scripture for that but lets not let that get in the way of the fact that this is how we have always done it for decades and centuries. Tozer goes on to say ” the next generation or two will face a challenge that cannot be overcome in the natural. Throughout history God has selected certain people to come out of the established church and start over again using biblical authority. What is happening across the board cannot be salvaged from a spiritual standpoint.”
Tozer gave a dire report on the state of the Evangelical church and its denominational counterparts fifty years ago, since then they have plunged down into the depths of leanness and depravity. One could only imagine the horror of men like Tozer and Ravenhill and even Wilkerson if they saw the depths to which the established church has fallen. Lean churches produce lean leaders who produce lean converts and that’s the best of them. The others will cross land and sea to make one convert and make them twice the child of hell than themselves. What can we do if the foundations are destroyed? We must discover anew the proper foundation that is laid down in Christ and the Apostles and the prophets. We must raise spiritual walls using only the Word of God. We must be found in these days of danger in our high towers. The righteous run into to it and they are safe. The high tower, the fortress, the deliverer, my shield in whom I trust. Upon Christ alone and upon His word we must go forward, baptized in the Holy Spirit that emboldens us to stand in such a day. This is our spiritual roots.
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
There is a King and His name is Jesus, and His name is above all names. He holds my heart and in the depths of who I am, He reigns. He holds the fabric of my life together, He’s the smile you’ll see upon my face. And even now in the depths of winter He is my everlasting warm embrace. The truth is high and lifted up and when it is spoken in love the whole world shakes. It puts to flight all lies and cuts through the darkness. Shall we not be filled with this love and speak the Truth? In doing so we grow in all things related to our Lord. And when everyone of us begin to move, when the whole Body moves together then the earth begins to tremble for the army of the Lord is on the march. If we shall grow, individually and corporately we must speak the truth in love. If we shall rise up and go deeper into the Father’s heart, we must speak the truth in love and walk there in. If we shall be one even as He and the Father are one it can only happen in truth and in love. They go together, no one can separate Christ into individual parts.
“The whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does it share, causes growth of the body, for the edifying of itself in love.” (Eph 4:16) This is an explosive scripture. The Body is knit together by what every joint supplies. It is only effective when every part does its share. This is the only way for growth. Despite what charlatans and hirelings and wolves might tell you, adding numbers to a gathering is not growth. Speaking the truth in love is growth. Edification and discipleship is growth. Fruits of the Spirit is growth. Sanctification is growth. When we have put off our former conduct, that is growth. Growth is about the inner man, not how many services you have. Growth is about endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Only in Christ who is truth can there be unity, can there be one body and one Spirit. One hope, one faith, one baptism one God and Father who is above all and who is preeminent in our hearts and in our minds and our gatherings. We can grow in the desert. We can grow in the depths of a dungeon. We can grow on the mountaintops. We can grow in poverty and we can grow in sickness. Growth is not determined by our circumstances, it is determined by our desire to follow the Lord and His word, wherever that narrow road will take us.
A sister in the Lord sent me an article about about someone who had visited a church and it was dark. Now, the author was speaking of physical darkness, the lights were turned down so low that she could not read. The irony was not lost on her that the opening song was about the Lord being the light in the darkness The last time I was at a church it was also dark. It had stadium seating as they do in the cinema. It was not dark when I entered, but soon enough the lights were dimmed, I guessed the “show,” was about to begin. Now why are countless churches operating in the dark? Could it just be a trend? Another fad? An attempt to appeal to a younger generation? Or, could it be as simple as the fact that this darkness truly represents their spiritual state? I tend to go with the latter.
“Entertainment.” Without the presence of God we must entertain the masses. So, just like the movies and secular concerts, we dim the lights and highlight the platform, put a spotlight on it. The platform in and of itself is an idol. I believe Luther tore down the idol of “The Eucharist,” and helped raise up the idol of the pulpit, the platform, the elevated place. People can sit in darkness because nothing is required of them. All the “action,” is taking place front and center and elevated. Then add the dry ice smoke machines and you have the whole ghastly package. Entertainment rules supreme, concert style worship and dimmed lights make sure the spotlight is on “the front.” Actual congregational worship and the proper 1 Cor 14 setting is dead, and in its place Hollywood rules supreme. Hollywood meaning that which is contrived is made to look real. May God bring down the curtain on this abomination.
2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
In this chapter Paul lays out the marks of the ministry, how we shall be known. As ministers of God, meaning the Body of Christ and all of its many members, who seek to live Godly in Christ Jesus, we shall be patient in the many tribulations that we will surely face. And here are just some of the many situations that we are commended to be patient in, as opposed to living your best life now. In needs, in distresses, when we are beaten for Christ and imprisoned for His sake. In working with our hands, in revolts and rebellions, in sleeplessness and in fastings. We shall be known for our kindness and our sincere love as we walk though all of these situations, showing Godly wisdom and sharing the knowledge of God in all places and to all people. We shall walk in the power of God and by the armor of His righteousness. We shall be honored but we shall also be dishonored but we shall be gracious in both states. Men will say good things about us, but equally many men will dishonor us with lies and false accusations. They will say that we are deceivers and agents of the devil himself, but no matter, let us continue to be patient. The remnant people of God will know of us but for the most part we shall be unknown.
To the world it will seem that we are cursed and are dying but we are blessed and we are walking in the true abundance of eternal life. It will be seen that we are men and women of great sorrow, and indeed we shall suffer the sorrows of this world but we rejoice in the glory of Jesus and in the sure knowledge of the eternal Kingdom of God. It will seem to many that we are poor and wretched and blind but we are truly rich in the treasures of heaven which were purchased in the midst of the fire by the hand of Christ Jesus. We are clothed in the white garments of righteousness and holiness and our blind eyes have been opened to see the glory of God and to gaze up into an open heaven. It seems to the world that we have nothing, but in the reality of the Kingdom of God we possess all things through our Lord and Savior Jesus. We who suffer with our Lord shall rule and reign with Him in the heavenlies and this our heart knows well. We have a peace that surpasses all understanding. We have a contentment that the world knows nothing of because it is not based on any worldly things. Now brothers and sisters, what has just been here described is the common walk of the genuine saint.
We must walk in Christ alone and find our fellowship with others of like mind. We must not be unequally yoked. For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? Can we fellowship with those who are willful transgressors? Not according to the Word. What communion can light have with darkness? For those who are in the light walk in the light and they have fellowship one one with another. Does Jesus and the devil have fellowship? Is it possible for believers and unbelievers to walk together under the banner of Christ? Brothers and sisters, it is incumbent upon us to understand this, the weight of these directives fall upon us in this matter of fellowship. In this day and age of watered down Christianity, a Christless and crossless Christianity, it is up to us to find the saints who walk as Paul admonished us to walk in this very chapter of 2 Cor 6. God Himself says, no rather He commands, in the very context of this chapter, that we are to “come out from among them and be separate and do not touch what is unclean.” In following these commands He promises to receive us and that He would be our Father and that we would be His sons and daughters. He promised to dwell in us and walk among us where two or three are gathered together in the mighty name of Jesus, and He will be our God and we shall be His people. Glory to God!!!
2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Moses ministry is here described in this chapter as the “ministry of condemnation,” and it is compared to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of righteousness. If the first glory was the ministry of death, written and engraved on tablets of stone, then what is the glory of the Spirit, etched into the hearts of men? If the glow from Moses face was so glorious that it had to be veiled, what say you about the ministry of life? One is death and the other is life. One is the sureness of our sin and the power of it, the other is the deliverance from it and life anew by the power of the Holy Spirit! Therefore since we have such hope we are called to speak boldly. To proclaim His marvelous truth. To testify of the life that is in us. His life, His glory, His holiness, His righteousness. . The world will know that He loves them and that He sent His only begotten Son to save them when they hear and see Christ in us, And all of this unveiled, nothing hidden.
When we turn to the Lord, then the veil is taken away. In the beginning we were made in the image of God, yet we never had the indwelling glory of God. Half a man at best, like the men raised in the valley of dry bones yet without the breath of the Spirit flowing from the depths of our heart. Now, we who are born again by the Spirit of God, with veil removed, walk in the glory of His righteousness, raised from the dead just as surely as Lazarus. So when we now look in the mirror we see the glory of God! You are the glory of God, God dwells in you. We are a manifestation of Christ on the earth. We are not little gods, we are in and of ourselves nothing, but Christ in us is everything! Are you living in the glory saints? We are being transformed into the very image of Christ from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. Never forget who you are. Never forget the life that is in you. Never for a moment deny your son-ship. Never forget that He that has begun this good work in you is faithful to complete it. The devil will whisper otherwise, he is a liar.
1Co 14:24 But if all prophesy, and if an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
Note the word “all”. Over and over we see the word all. And again in verse 31 we are told “for you can all prophesy that all may learn and all may be encouraged. Six times in two verses the Scriptures hammer home the truth “all.” Genuine saints are all priests in a royal priesthood. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light! (1 Pet 2:9) All the saints have been called forth to cry out the praises of the One who called us out of darkness to show the world His marvelous light. We are His excellent ones. Specifically anointed to move under the manifestation of the Spirit and speak as He leads us to speak. And when we do as we are instructed to do , then, according to the Scriptures the unlearned or the unbeliever will fall down on his face and worship God because the secrets of his heart was revealed and he shall then reports to all that “God is truly among you.”
This is the plain reading of the scripture saints. To do it any other way is to be in direct conflict with God. To sit under the clergy/laity system is to directly violate the principles and the instructions here laid down by God Himself. What audacity to think we know better. The greatest injury perpetrated against the Church was robbing the Body of its fellowship, of its actual breaking of bread, its communion together. How it fellowshiped together, how it gathered together, how it worshiped together under the auspices of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, who oversaw, who hovered over all things, all of this was rejected by the professional clergy. To wait upon the Lord so that only He speaks, is the simple gathering of the brethren. Let us wait upon the Lord. Who shall He speak through? What shall He say? How will He encourage us? How will He discipline us? What song shall He have us to sing? The Holy Spirit knows all this and empowers all of this by being manifested among us through “all.” Not one man.
The devil himself has worked feverishly over the centuries through religious hands to tear down what is real and erect empty meaningless rituals that are then idolized. The modern day church is like a ship at sea that has lost its power and is now driven by the winds and the tides and the currents of the world. Lost and drifting, waiting to be swamped by the next big wave, the next modern thing, the next hellish doctrine of the world. And yet the true Body of believers are still operating under power, the power of the Holy Spirit manifesting Himself in our lives. The day is coming soon saints, when the pressures from a very hostile world will draw us back together. The weak will fall away, the feeble will fall away. Lovers of the world more than lovers of the Lord will fall away. Little by little the saints are being purged from the world and this is good, the hand of the Lord Himself is doing this. We shall come back together, and we shall worship as we have read in 1 Cor 14. The great persecution will soon be upon us but the gathering of the saints takes place at the same time. We shall truly be united in our sufferings and in the persecution. And there we shall find the same power that stopped the mouths of lions, that overcome the fiery furnace, that shook the prison and turned the whole world upside down.
Suppose a company of ugly, unattractive persons lived together in one house. Suppose that they never saw any other man or woman, only themselves, they never saw anyone that was arrayed with the splendors and perfections of physical beauty. They would not be capable of comparing themselves with anything other than themselves, and consequently would not know and not be disappointed at their own ugliness and natural defections. Now, bring them them out of their cells and holes of darkness, where they have been shut up by themselves, and let them see the beauty and attractiveness of others and then, they will be sorry and dejected at the view of their own ugliness.
This is the case, men are marred by sin and are rotten, corrupted and depraved. When they dwell together in the dark they see neither God, nor angels nor saints in their excellent nature and beauty. Therefore they are apt to count their own ugliness and deformity as things of beauty and glory. Now, let such, as I said, see God, see saints, or the beauty of the Holy Spirit and know themselves that they have not any of this, and they cannot but be affected and sorry for their own deformity. (John Bunyan, The excellence of a Broken heart. )
John, very ably speaks, in his analogy, of a broken ugly world marred and deformed by sin. Those so marred rarely have any desire to be around what is beautiful. Think of David as he worshiped God and Saul tries to pin him to that wall with a spear. Saul hated David. He hated David first and foremost because David had God and every time he saw him it was a reminder to Saul that he did not. The saints of God would be hated is they never spoke a word. The beauty in them, that shines upon their face and is displayed by their love and forgiveness, is a terrible reminder to a dark and ugly world that they are dark and ugly. The worlds solution is simply to never be around Gods excellent ones. they must only be around their own.
Then their ugliness and sin is swallowed up by the perpetual darkness of their fellow ugly people. Lest some people make the claim that they are good and not ugly and deformed, God says that all the righteousness of men are like filthy rags before His eyes. The people of the world are ultimately united in their ugliness and their desire to avoid, at all costs, the mirror of truth. To look into this mirror is to see the vileness of the one looking back. The world has its own mirror and it is as deceptive as their blackened hearts. This is why, to genuinely encounter God is to fall down as one who is dead. To cry out “is there mercy for me.” To shout out from the depths of their exposed darkness “what must we do.” To see the ultimate beauty of God in His perfection and glory is to cast His light onto the lying mirror and suddenly we are horrified to see what is looking back.
The mask is ripped away. The fig leave falls to the ground. And there we are, naked before God and we know, no one has to tell us anything. We know of our deformity and ugliness. And now we must be swallowed whole by His majesty and glory. The mountain of our sin and darkness melts like wax in the presence of the Lord. That which was ugly now reflects the beauty of God. That which was deformed now is made whole. From the ashes of our fallen flesh rises the beauty of our risen Lord and He rises up in us. Now the world sees something of His majesty in us and sees their own wickedness reflected back. Only in this state, when a man or woman is confronted with who he or she truly is, and then discovers that there is mercy and grace to be found in the beauty of His holiness, can that man or woman truly be saved. To truly fall and rise again in the newness of birth, the second birth. Those who reject this revelation of who they are, their conscience accuses them, condemn themselves to an eternal life of ugliness.
Isa 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
There comes a time in all our lives when there was no one in all the earth to help us. We are entirely alone and unless the hand of God moves in our favor then there is no hope to be found. Yet Christ alone is mighty in battle. The enemies that surrounded you, the enemies that surround you even now must reckon on the fact that your are His. He alone will deal with all of your enemies. Your ancient enemies in your own life may be anger or hatred and bitterness, long ago passed down from generation to generation. A family and a history of a family raised in chains and kept by cruel taskmasters. Yet Jesus hears the cries of the afflicted. He saw your affliction and He was mighty in battle to help those who will acknowledge their need of Him and who can see their own state.
There is coming a day soon enough when all of the Lord’s enemies shall be dealt with though it may seem that over the centuries they have been forgotten. God brings all things to justice in the end. He is a God of order and of righteousness. He is indeed long suffering with those who despise Him and mock and ridicule Him. It is entirely a blessing that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are above our thoughts. Yet despite all of that, there is a wine-press and the people of this world are indeed the grapes of wrath. Shall we find ourselves trodden underfoot by the King of Kings, or shall we be found at His side in that day? According to the multitude of His loving-kindnesses He should be praised. And of His mercies they are without number. Yet the world has abandoned You and hardened their hearts to Your ways.
Lord look down from heaven and see from Your holy habitation. See now the afflictions of your people and see their heart toward you. They cry out day and night for the day of your return. They long with all of their hearts to see Justice take its rightful place. Their hearts are indeed vexed like righteous Lot as he lived among a vile and unrepentant people. A people who even when blinded by the Angels of the Lord, still attempted to carry out their ever evil thoughts and desires. Are we not like Sodom Lord, are we not worse than Gomorrah? Truth lays trampled in our streets and righteousness has been banished to the alleyways and hidden places. Pride now marches down the main streets of our town and cities with their banners flying high, so proud of their utter rejection of You. Come Lord Jesus come we pray that your name may be lifted up and that all men may know that your are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and you alone deserve all the glory and praise of men’s hearts.
Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
Imagine the overwhelming feelings of liberty and glory the Jewish people felt when they were released from captivity from Babylon to return home after seventy long years. Arise and shine for the light of liberty has risen above you and is calling you home. And the glory of God rests upon you. Now imagine if you will, a people not held captive for seventy years, but the whole world held captive from the day that Adam bit the apple. Thousands of years have past. Heaven itself closed, the way is barred. And onto this stage, from the glories of Heaven, steps Jesus. The light has come!!! The glory of God walks the earth. He proclaims liberty to those held captive all of their lives. The chains that held them are broken. The door that was locked is wide open. The grave has been rendered powerless.
We are that people brothers and sisters. We must arise and shine for the light has come into our lives and has set us free! We must arise and shine for all the world to see. Those who dwell in darkness and in prison, must now see that the glory of the Living God has risen. There may be a great darkness that has settled over this world but the Lord will arise over you and His glory shall be seen upon you. God has glorified the house of His Glory, we are that house. The gates of heaven are continually open to you, they shall not shut day or night. God has made you an eternal excellence, never forget that brothers and sisters, you are His excellent ones despite what that old liar may whisper in your ear. The walls of His temple are salvation and the gates of the temple are praise. We neither need the sun by day nor the moon by night, for He is an everlasting light to us. We walk by the light of the eternal sun. And the power of darkness is eternally undone. Now rise and shine brothers and sisters, for the glory of the Lord s risen and it has risen over you.
Isa 59:19 When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
What a tremendous promise from the Lord in His Word. Now there are two different ways this can be read given that there was no punctuation in Hebrew. It could read “When the enemy shall come in…….like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” We often ask the Lord to flood our hearts or flood our lands will revival glory. Let the heavens be rent and pour down your mercy upon us. It’s a lovely thought, but it really does not fit the context of Isa chapter 59. The enemy has indeed come in like a flood and the saints have to raise up a standard. They face overwhelming odds and all seems lost. God will deliver His own. The Lord Jesus Christ will come again. The standard represents a flag. Every battalion has its colors, has its flags, and they flutter over every battle. Every tribe of Israel had a flag that represented who they were (Num 1:52) We the saints have our own flag and the emblem upon it is the cross. God lifted up His very own Standard, He lifted up the Lord Jesus on the cross for the deliverance of men’s souls.
The Standard separates men. It draws its own and they rally under it. The wicked reject this Standard.Their iniquities have separated them from god. His face is hidden from them because of their sin. They search for light but they find only darkness. They stumble at noonday as if it is dusk and the shades of grey overtake their minds as they grope along the wall headed towards a ditch. They have turned their backs on God, and righteousness stand afar off. For them, truth has fallen in the street. They are determined to hunt down everyone who has departed from evil and who have rallied under the Standard, the flag that represents Calvary. And when there is found no one to stand for God’s people, God comes. He pours out His Spirit upon us and He puts His words in our mouths. And the Spirit of the Living God shall not depart from us even as we march through the valley of the shadow of death. For the Lord our God walked this very path before we ever did. He broke the chains of hell and death and destroyed the power of sin. We stand eternally under the cross of Calvary where our Lord defeated all of hell’s fury. Stand today brothers and sisters, this is our call to arms.
A Call To The Remnant 