“A Voice for the Gathering Saints”
Duane Stewart
www.avoiceforthegatheringsaints.org
“Repetition – Not God’s Order”
God, a God of increase, is a God that delights in revealing Himself in a progressive manner. This progressive manner is necessary because of man’s inability to stand in God’s greater presence in his present carnal state. While at this time with the Christian community only knowing in part, and only seeing in part, progression is the pathway established to bring humanity through Gods maturing process unto the place of seeing Him that is perfect. In maturing, line upon line and precept upon precept, the light grows brighter and brighter until we see Him in that perfect day. Beholding Him as He is, we, in beholding His glory become like Him, for we began to see Him as He truly is. 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons [children] of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear [is revealed, make manifest], we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
While remembering that the Old Testament saints were examples or types left for us to learn by, we should take care that the Christian community of this hour does not fall into the same snares and traps that consumed Israel. (Read 1 Cor. 10:1-12). The Children of Israel constantly, after the occasions when God moved in their behalf, found themselves settling down to build for themselves a kingdom, a life-style that fell way short of God’s will and purpose for them. They made kings for themselves that were not after God’s order. They built houses and cities for self while letting God’s will and purpose, His house. His intended dwelling place to sit by the wayside.
What about the spiritual condition we see existing in the Christian community today, has today’s church world followed after the examples set before us by the Children of Israel? While the trumpet from God has blown many times concerning the condition of today’s church world, the results of repetitious, ritualistic meetings and services without true spiritual leadership remain, therefore where does today’s church stand. Are we, like our ancestors, trying to maintain the order of the church after that which has gone before us? Are we trying to exist on the revelations and understandings that brought forth only the in-part truths about Christ? Paul speaks of these in-part truths with the Christian community ignoring the perfected one who is willing to reveal the truth that He is. 1 Cor. 13:9-10, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away”. Does this not speak to us of a need for continual revelation and enlightenment that the former days might be completed? How, but through incorporating within self there completion and fulfillment and the ushering in of God’s newly enlightened understanding, until perfection or completeness is come. However, for the most part, what seems to be the order of the day in most Christian circles? Are they not in an order of repetition, which hinders the ushering in of new life, because God has moved on beyond yesterday’s manna, which grows stale, rotten and full of holes? The church, like many of the early day disciples, depart from the progressive faith as they refuse to eat His flesh and drink His blood in a progressive manner. (Read John 6:50-71). Was it not a fact that the Children of Israel had to gather only enough manna for each day, with the exception of the sixth day when they gathered enough for the seventh also? This means that today’s church must also receive fresh manna, fresh revelation for each day. Speaking that we likewise must cease from partaking of and forsake the old manna gathered yesterday by gathering spiritual food for each new day.
Repetition then becomes a tool for the tempter to use as entrapments, making prisoners of the Christian community by stagnating them with yesterday’s manna. A day that now produces a lifestyle of death while deceiving the people in building for themselves religious activities and centers that keep them in spiritual darkness. Does not the Word declare that if the light that is in you becomes darkness, how great is that darkness? Denoting, that with God being the light that progressively moves on unto that perfect day, all the light of our yesterdays becomes darkness unless yesterdays light becomes our lifestyle and God moves us forward into that ever coming perfect day. God is an ever-present God who delights in revealing Himself to those who seek Him out. He is faithful to reveal Himself unto those that ask and desire for it to be so. Ask, and you shall receive, seek, and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
What is the pre-requisite for walking in the light? Increased light will only come to those who walk in obedience to the light already given, which speaks of the lack of independence, a ceasing from being your own god while making God the God of your whole being. This speaks of going where He goes, saying what He says and becoming His sons through humility and obedience. Does this not speak then of dying to all that is of self? Having revelations alone does not bring the fulfillment of God’s will and purpose for each vessel. Each vessel must come into the experience and fulfillment by becoming obedient to the revelation, obedience that enables the life of God to manifest through the vessel that the world might see Jesus Christ only. We take or make of ourselves as having no reputation, for it is not we that live, but Christ that lives in us.
While continual repetition has strangled and held a death grip upon the church world, God remains faithful. Hosea 6:1-2, “Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us; in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight”. Are we not living in this third day spoken of in the above scripture? What then is God saying to the church? God is calling forth Zion, the firstfruits, as they become the mountain of His holiness. This is the time for separation from the darkness of absent light, a time to walk in the light as He is in the light. Isa. 52:10-12, “The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Depart ye, depart ye, go out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward”. This scripture is speaking of a people who ascend from one order to another as they leave behind the doctrines of death by putting on of the garments of light. Thus, God is delivering a people. A people are awakening to who they really are in Christ. The anointed ones are coming forth as the results of obedience to God and Him alone.
Isa. 52:1-3 & 6, “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourself for naught; and ye shall be redeemed without money. ….. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak; behold it is I”. Being totally dependant upon God does not speak of individuality or being a vessel standing alone. Nor does it mean you and Jesus alone. Rather it speaks of a people coming into such unity with Christ that they become the many seen as one, even as God and the Son are one. John 17:21-22, “That they may all be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one”. This denotes that this many member body of Christ shall not stand-alone individually, but they shall in union, in the anointing, manifest the Christ, therein glorifying the Father.
Come; let us be gathered together in Him. Let us be progressively maturing into His nature, a nature that removes us from the works of repetition to increase eternally in that likeness of the Father. Our Father is a Father with many sons who make up the household of God, to establish His Kingdom throughout all His creation and the fulfilling of God’s will and purpose for all humanity. Even so, let it be Lord Jesus according to your word and purpose.