An awakening has now come upon a people whom God has purposed and prepared for this season concerning His church. This awakening is an order of life from God, which He speaks forth in accomplishing His eternal purpose concerning His people called the church. This awakening time, now taking place, is a time which He has chosen to come and reveal Himself in and through this receiving people. While this alarm is now sounding throughout the earth and the Christ is preparing for His coming, a problem exists. The same problem existing today is likened into those disciples whom Jesus asks to stay awake and pray during His day. Today’s Christian community, for the most part, while asked to watch and pray continue, as those disciples, to fall asleep.
Luke 22:39-42,
“Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, pray that you may not enter into temptation. And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done. Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation”.
Temptation (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life), remains a source used by God’s enemy to lead the children of God into destructive attitudes. These temptations continue to be the avenue many people find themselves falling into today. In this they are experiencing a separation from having an intimate relationship with God. While carelessness seems to be prevalent among most people today, God still has for Himself that intimate people who are travailing for the coming forth of the sons of God. Those who will establish, with God, His kingdom upon the earth.
Gal. 4:6-7,
“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father! Therefore, you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ”.
Awake, awake and see that we are now living in that day of Christ when He is appearing. This appearing is a time when the true body of Christ appears, stands up to establish the kingdom of God in the earth. What precedes this manifested kingdom? Is it not a time of the revelation of Christ along with wrath and tribulation such as the world as never seen? Matt. 24:21, “For then there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be”.
Is it not apparent that there is a need for the Christian community to awaken? A phrase used in scripture concerning the early apostles is likewise common in the church of today,
“they understood none of these things, and they did not know the things which were spoken”.
This is speaking of a dullness of apprehension. Luke 9:44-45 reveals the disciple’s inability to connect God’s words with the events of the day.
“Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying”.
Another occasion for this lack of understanding was the time when Jesus was twelve years of age and stayed behind in the temple.
Luke 2:49-50,
“And He said to them, why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business? But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them”.
Statements made, such as those in the above scriptures also affects the Christian community today. Could it not be that the same poison coming from the Scribes and Pharisees, promoted during Jesus’ day, are also a hindrance to the people of God today? A little, a limited or no understanding at all has become a commonplace mind-set for many of today who find themselves bound to dead-end traditions that promote lifelessness among the people. To the many who refuse to see this problem because of steadfast faithfulness to lifeless churches and orders of death, they should consider this statement made by Paul in Gal. 1:13-14 while he was the master persecutor of the new birthed church.
When considering the statement note, that he was very zealous after the traditions of his day.
“For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation [consider today’s religious groups] being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers”.
Is it not a fact that change, both in the natural and spiritual realms, are now taking place? Those of us alive during this season of creation are standing during the time when, like Paul, one day had passed away while a new day was upon him. This we are seeing again as the kingdom of God is now upon us and all previous preceding days have and are passing away. This means that the order of each preceding day has run its course and given way to the new day of God. Likewise, the day of the church as we have known it is coming to the birthing a new day. This means that God is now requiring the order of His new day from all those who desire to stand in Him during this last of the last days. The traditions of our fathers were sufficient for their day, but they shall not fulfill God’s purpose for this new day.
Note in Matt. 15:3 & 6b,
“He answered and said to them, why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? …. Thus you have made the word of God of no effect by your traditions”.
While many traditions are the results of truth seen and enjoyed for the day and time of our ancestors, they can simply become rituals of service through lip service and fleshly works from hearts far removed from God. These truths can and have become rituals of religious activities, liken unto the Scribes and Pharisee’s. They become and remain a strong force being used today as they are becoming the enemy of God. This strong force is that which steals, kills and destroys the life of God that He has purposed to manifest through His people. Paul, so familiar with that destroying spirit, warns the church in Col 2:8,
“Beware lest anyone cheat [plunder you or take you captive] you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ”.
Where are the Christian groups that maintain a working relationship with the cross of Christ? Works of the flesh, regardless of how serving they may appear, remain works of the flesh. When man establishes an order of life, by refusing to allow God to remain as the head, that man becomes an enemy of God. Regardless of scriptures stated, terminology used, phrases declared, man cannot substitute the working, sanctifying, progressive cleansing of Christ blood. His blood is the door and pathway for a people that are moving in obedience to God instead of continually offering empty sacrifices of the flesh. Peter likewise, along with Paul declares this warning, 1 Peter 1:18,
“knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible [perishable] things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conductreceived by traditions from you fathers”.
The work of redemption is a seed planted through the death, burial and resurrection of God’s Son, the Christ called Jesus. Jesus became the seed planted in good soil (the humble receiving man for growing), to sprout and mature until the full expression of the seed planted is manifest. This seed in maturity fulfills the “Day of Atonement” in the Year of Jubilee and the “Feast of Tabernacles”, the types from the Old Testament for deliverance and complete restoration. Here we begin to see a people who become the visible expression of the invisible God. These shall manifest in the earth the fulfillment of “the Feast of Tabernacles”. Is not this God’s plan and purpose from the beginning? Where are such a people today? For the most part they, hidden away from the sleeping church and the blinded eyes of a crazy world, a world full of darkness. But in this darkness, a world is going to and are even now beginning to see the revealing of this formerly unseen people.
The craziness of this world is in every arena of the societies of this world, the political, the economical, the educational, the family units and the religious circles. Traditions, replacing the need for constant intimacy with God, through the Holy Spirit, have caused the circle of darkness to prevail on the earth once again. Is it not so that history, all the way back to the beginning of creation, reveals a constant reappearing of legalistic traditions and man-made idols that rob the people of the life of God?
Down through the ages of time, after cycles of revival, restoration and a renewing which cast off the darkness upon man’s minds, this seed of darkness remained in the earth to eventually resurface and bring forth the fruit of death again. What about in our day, is it not true that during this time of restoration, a restoration which is manifesting newness in God, there is a battle being fought as darkness is again raging. Darkness, as it rages today proclaims this desirous declaration, what about the religious traditions left us by our forefathers? As quoted from 1 Peter 1:18 above, the words “aimless conduct” and there meaning speaks to us of the uselessness entertained when imprisoned by such mind-sets that resist the revealing power of the Holy Spirit.
“Aimless conduct” is the Greek word “MATAIOS” meaning “fruitless, empty, futile, frivolous, hollow, unreal, unproductive, lacking substance, trifling, ineffectual, void of results, devoid of force and worthless”. Peters concern along with Paul’s declaration, was “having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?” (Gal.3:3). Thus, we see a people trapped by their ceasing to be dependent upon God’s leadership. A people who become dependent upon their intellectual knowledge, fleshly talents and carnal expertise in doing what they call “the work of the Lord”. Was this not Saul’s (Paul’s) prison house? Pre-learned knowledge in that he excelled above his equals and putting himself in bondage to traditions that had fallen away from the truth. In this, he was no longer living in obedience to a living ever increasing God.
Meanwhile, God is ever faithful in forewarning His people concerning certain events and circumstances that war against His true purpose. In this He warns today’s church of the conditions that likewise exist during this, our time and season.
Isa. 60:2a,
“For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people”.
Nevertheless, with this declaration God also promises that a people shall become His glory.
Isa. 60:2b,
“But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you”.
Amen, and amen, for His faithfulness endures forever to the completing of all His will and purpose. Therefore, a people can now stand in this promised blessing in Isa. 60:1,
“Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you”.
Here an awakening is ongoing and is revealing those things once hidden and they are becoming an effectual work in bringing abundant life to God’s people. Let’s again consider Paul, the former Saul who persecuted the increasing church that was making its mark upon the world. A like-kind experience is needed and available to a remnant people of this hour who shall take the church into its new day in God, that is, the kingdom of God on the earth.
God is again anointing a people, an anointing that shall remove all the darkness incorporated into church traditions. An anointing which is the results of God’s season to rise up in a people who no longer look through a glass obscurely; but are beginning to see Him face to face. The Christian community has known in part, but this remnant is beginning to know Him fully. (Read 1 Cor. 13:12). This is a people, who are, like Paul, willing to see their yesterdays as dung that we might see Him in the light of His glory even as Paul experienced Him.
Acts 26:13-18,
“At midday, O King, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. So I said, who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and witness both of the things, which you have seen, and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of the adversary to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified [set apart] by faith in Me”.
We are in a season of great change. Even as today’s political world speaks of change, the people of God likewise shall not only see the need, but shall, in like kind awakenings as Saul (Paul); they shall arise and stand upon their feet. An anointing of end-time apportion is now upon a people as they are awakening to truths in God, previously hidden, to become that truth manifested. Awake, trim your lamps for His appearance is in the earth as His people see Him as He is to become like Him. A fact now to consider, the day of His fullness is come and God’s kingdom is making its appearance. In this, we can say with Paul as he declares in Phil. 3:10-11,
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead”.
Paul, apprehended by God was now a vessel ever reaching forth to attain that for which God apprehended him. Likewise, today, an appearance is taking place, the coming forth of a people who are attaining to that for which God has apprehended them. Yea and amen, come forth Lord Jesus and reveal yourself that we, your people, might become.