Dear Beloved Readers,
I am now back from South Africa. I am in a time of great reflection of all that happened on our trip, and all that is happening in our nation and world at this present moment. In a time of great economic uncertainty for us in our nation and unrest in the world, what is the Holy Spirit saying to the church in America and in the nations.
Two days before my leaving for our trip, I had the most intense travailing prayer of my soul, I have ever had. The first day lasted 4 hours and the second was 7 hours. At first, I thought it was just about my upcoming trip, and the issues that God was dealing in my heart. Then I received a word from a brother in the Lord that God was having me in labor and was giving birth. I believe both of these were true in the purpose of the travail.
As I went upon the journey, I was able to stay focused on the task the Lord set before us and worked with Pastor Chetachukwu and the family of God at Better Life Ministries. God did so much in all of us and in the church with some incredible miracles in our midst as well.
I intended to come home and write about some of those experiences, but the Lord will not allow me to! There is such a urgent cry in my heart and a longing in my soul that I can't describe. Something is about to happen in our nation bigger than the election that is to come. Something spiritual is breaking forth, and as I ask the Lord what the labor pains are about, I hear a word in my Spirit," A time of transition has come!"
There is a hidden mystery about to be revealed to those that have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. The Lord is leading me to meditate in Romans chapter 7 and 8. There are some key verses of scripture the Holy Spirit needs to illuminate for us to consider in this moment in history. The Holy Spirit is revealing a doorway in these two chapters that correspond with what I have written in the "Anointing of the Moment." Romans chapter 7 and 8 represents "a time of transition" in our understanding from being under the" law of Moses" and the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus."
I know many of you would say I don't live under the law of Moses, but the truth is that if if sin is still dominating our life and we are "trying" to fix or change ourselves or perfect ourselves, yes we are. This is the same lie that plagued the Galatian church in third chapter of the Epistle to Galatia written by Paul.
Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who did bewitch you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth crucified? Gal 3:2 This only would I learn from you. Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now perfected in the flesh?
Many in the body of Christ are still struggling with the power of sin in their life, matter of fact I would say we all our. We all see the un-regenerated areas of our life, the areas where selfishness and self will prevail. Along with that understanding comes a hopelessness that says to our heart, will God ever finish the work He started in us? Will I always be like this until I go home with the Lord? What will ever take us from place where Paul cries in Romans 7:24 KJV, "Oh unhappy miserable wretch that I am, who will save me from these shackles of death?"
The following verses sum the portion of spiritual growth most Christians have at this present moment in time. Can you relate to this?
Rom 7:9 And there was a time when I was living without the law: but when the law gave its orders, sin came to life and put me to death; Rom 7:10 And I made the discovery that the law whose purpose was to give life had become a cause of death: Rom 7:11 For I was tricked and put to death by sin, which took its chance through the law. Rom 7:12 But the law is holy, and its orders are holy, upright, and good.
Rom 7:13 Was then that which is good, death to me? In no way. But the purpose was that sin might be seen to be sin by working death to me through that which is good; so that through the orders of the law sin might seem much more evil.
Rom 7:14 For we are conscious that the law is of the spirit; but I am of the flesh, given into the power of sin. Rom 7:15 And I have no clear knowledge of what I am doing, for that which I have a mind to do, I do not, but what I have hate for, that I do.
Rom 7:16 But, if I do that which I have no mind to do, I am in agreement with the law that the law is good. Rom 7:17 So it is no longer I who do it, but the sin living in me. Rom 7:18 For I am conscious that in me, that is, in my flesh, there is nothing good: I have the mind but not the power to do what is right. Rom 7:19 For the good which I have a mind to do, I do not: but the evil which I have no mind to do, that I do.
Rom 7:20 But if I do what I have no mind to do, it is no longer I who do it, but the sin living in me. Rom 7:21 So I see a law that, though I have a mind to do good, evil is present in me. Rom 7:22 In my heart I take pleasure in the law of God, Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my body, working against the law of my mind, and making me the servant of the law of sin which is in my flesh.
Rom 7:24 How unhappy am I! who will make me free from the body of this death? Rom 7:25 I give praise to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So with my mind I am a servant to the law of God, but with my flesh to the law of sin.
Most of us dear readers are familiar with the following texts found in Romans chapter 8, how Jesus Christ freed us from the law of sin and death for those who live in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Let us reread them for our discussion sake.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Rom 8:4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. Rom 8:6 For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: Rom 8:7 because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: Rom 8:8 and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Rom 8:10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Rom 8:12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: Rom 8:13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
The answer to the question Paul writes in Romans 7 :24. "Of who shall save me from these shackles of death" is none other than Christ Jesus. Romans chapter 8: 1-13 tells us how we will overcome this body of sin through the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet in so many of our lives this truth is a hope and not a REAL LIVING REALITY!
I have written extensively about the the "Anointing of the Moment" and the work that God is about to do as the OMEGA GOD, the FINISHER as the answer to this great need in the Bride of Christ. In John chapter 2 the wedding at Cana a miracle is done on this third day. A miracle that didn't heal anyone, feed anyone, or raise anyone from the dead. However: a miracle none the less that was prophetic of that which was going to be done in the last hour of time to His Bride. That miracle was nothing less than changing the nature of water into wine, and hasn't the Master of the feast said, "You have saved the best wine for last."
This is the moment that is about to be ushered in upon those waiting upon the Lord and listening to what the Spirit says to the church. Yet, so many of the Body of Christ are not even awakened to the moment we are living in. So many are like those 6 clay pots set apart for purification, but they are bone dry and empty. Those who have heard the clarion call of the "Anointing of the Moment" are being filled with water this very moment for a divine day of transfiguration. The transfiguration where the Lord will fill all the pots with water (perhaps the present revival of the second day) but He only draws out SOME!
The some are the "If any man be my disciple, the wise virgins, the bride, the over-comers!" These are those who have had their ears trained to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and have a cry with Him. The Spirit and the Bride say, "come Lord Jesus!" This bride is making herself ready as in Rev. 9:17! How do you know that the time of transfiguration or the changing of the water into wine is drawing near? That is a great question.
What would the Lord use as a sign to show us that the day is now approaching? I love the promise of Romans chapter 8, don't you as well? But, our reality of this scripture becoming flesh within us looks very slow and shows little progress in the life of believers. We are barely overcoming the day to day things in our life never mind overcoming the world. Yet, Jesus promises us that as He has overcome the world, so will we!
In the 14 verse of Romans we read a statement that stands out in the midst of the chapter and is a transitional verse of scripture between two places. In this teaching I am going to focus on the first part, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God!
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
This one statement is a statement that shows us the transition between where we are and where we are going. The first part of this verse describes where we are "as many as are led." This is the most important work the Holy Spirit is doing in the Bride to be! The destination of the many is to be "the sons of God." This represent the full grown man we are called to be in Ephesians chapter 4. This statement is also a key to understanding the "Anointing of the Moment." I want you to notice the tenor or tone of this statement. It begins with a declaration of a spiritual position: For as many as are led!
This statement is similar to the words of Jesus when He says, "If any man be my disciple, let him deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me." As Christians we understand that salvation is conditional upon us receiving God's gift Jesus Christ as our sacrificial lamb as the means of washing away our sins. This acceptance of Christ as our savior and the confessing of our sins with a broken heart for our rebellion against God, allows the Holy Spirit to come and quicken our dead spirit to become alive to God again. This is called regeneration as most of you know or being Born Again.
A real Born Again believer passes out of darkness into the Glorious light of God's kingdom. He is able to "see the kingdom of God," as the book of John tells us in the 3rd chapter. That decision to repent and to receive Jesus Christ as our savior only allows us to see the kingdom, but possessing it is quite another thing. Possessing the Kingdom of God requires the full work of the Holy Spirit in completely changing our nature into the image of Christ.
That work requires a day by day continuous choice by us to give the Holy Spirit permission to change us through all the circumstances of life into the image of Christ. This is what we call sanctification. Justification (being made right with God) comes by the gift of God sending His son to die on the cross for us, and us receiving that Gift. Sanctification comes by our willingness to be changed from one degree of glory to another or picking up cross and following Him. This is what brings us to full grown maturity which is nothing less than the full stature of Christ. Ephesians chapter 4.
To become full grown mature Sons of God is to surrender to the maturing process that God allows in our life. This spiritual growth process is conditional determined by the choices we make through out the day. The choices we make in our life to choose God's will over our will in every single situation, every single day, every single moment of our life is what causes us to mature spiritually and there is no other way of growing.
Spiritual transfiguration requires us to literally pick up our cross and deny your will(wants and desires) and accepting God's will in everything, everywhere and at all times. The conflict of these two wills is what Brother Wade Taylor explains as what God uses to form a cross in your heart. The my will"(what I desire) comes in direct opposition to "The will be done" (what He desires).
Choosing God's will in our circumstances most often requires us to experience suffering, dying and loss. This is juxtaposed against choosing our will that screams, "fill yourself, save yourself, take care of yourself." When there is a collision of these two wills in our heart it forms a cross or a collision of wills. It is at this point we make "divine" choices. We can run away from God's will or make the choice to allow His will to form a cross in our heart, and pick it up and follow Jesus, or deny him and walk in our own desires and plans. This is what it means to pick up the cross in our life and following Him. The choosing of God's will above our will is the only way to grow and have real spiritual life! This is what will prepare us for the transfiguration to come.
This is why Jesus tells us that "if any man be my disciple, let him deny himself, pick up his cross, and then follow me." Oh the power of those words if they are allowed to possess your soul. It wrecks everything you ever knew of this world, for these words are not from this world but from the very kingdom of God.
Most of the believers in our nation desire these words to be their reality. Ask anyone in the church here in America if they are disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, they would say yes. But in reality, are they really disciples?
If we would be real with God, I believe Romans chapter 7 would be our real life experience and testimony. "The things that I don't want to do are the things I do, and the things I want to do, I don't do." "There is another law working in my members, the law of sin that compels me to do these things, but with my heart and mind I want to serve God, but I can't!" (paraphrased) Wouldn't that be the truth for most of us Christians if we were to tell the truth?
Could you imagine if Jesus came back for His bride in this condition? Would this be a glorious church without spot, wrinkle or blemish? Would this be a bride all adorned in white? No, I am afraid we would be as ones that "just escape the fire." Who can save me from these shackles of death? OH! Thank God He will, Jesus Christ!
Beloved, something is happening right now in the Holy Spirit! A travailing prayer is starting to come forth from the bride and a miracle of transfiguration is about to be birthed. How do you know this Brother Henry? The Lord had me in travail for over 11 hours over 2 days. 4 hours of travail on the 1st day, and then 7 hours on the second day. That leaves us one hour short of 12 hours. 12 is number of Apostolic and the number of baskets left over.
There is 1 more hour to come, and that is what the Anointing of the Moment is all about. The hour and time of transition from one realm of reality of God to another more deeper reality. This reality is pictured in the miracle of Cana where water is changed to wine. That water would never be water again, not another moment. It would forever be wine, even the best wine for last.
Let us go back to Romans 8:14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God! This is what the Lord has desired from the beginning of our creation. That He would have a people who would be led by His Spirit. A people totally dependant upon Him and Him alone. A people who would fulfil the purpose of His heart.
For as many as our led leaves us two things to conclude. There would be some Christians that would be led by the Spirit and there would be some who wouldn't. I believe this is illustrated in the parrable about the 10 virgins. 5 of them were wises (led by the Spirit.) 5 of them were foolish. (not led by the spirit). I believe we see this illustration again in Revelation chapter 12.
Rev 12:1 And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; Rev 12:2 and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered.
Rev 12:3 And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems.
Rev 12:4 And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child. Rev 12:5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne.
I want you to notice two important points.
Point 1: In verse 2 "and she was with child, and she cried out, TRAVAILING IN BIRTH, AND IN PAIN TO BE DELIVERED!
Point 2: In verse 5, "and she delivered a SON, a MAN CHILD, who is to rule all the nations...
We will expound upon this in the upcoming blogs. But this is a sign and a wonder that is to come. What would water being turned into wine look like as a sign in these last days? This birth is not just of a child, but of a man child. Right now, beloved we are stuck in the reality of Romans chapter 7 though Romans chapter 8 is our destiny. Few now the power of the Holy Spirit to bring complete victory over the sin that is in their life.
This precious new life in Christ is completely victorious, and has totally won the victory or Christ would not have said," It is finished." He is the God who said, "Let there be light, and there was." So this finishing work of God will be completed, because it already is complete. He who has begun this good work in us, WILL BE FAITHFUL TO COMPLETE IT.
To those of you who can hear what the Spirit of the Lord says to the church, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God," This is what the work of the Holy Spirit is about to do in the wise virgins. This is the extra oil they will have in their lamps to go out and meet the Bridegroom at that midnight hour. This time of transition starts with TRAVAIL! TRAVAIL is the sign that this work is now at our door. The Lord had me travail for 2 days for 11 hours.
Do you remember Hosea chapter 6:1-3?
Hos 6:1 Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn,(travail) and he will heal us; he hath smitten,(travail) and he will bind us up.Hos 6:2 After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him.
Beloved reader, where is the man-child taken? Is he not taken up into heaven into a new spiritual place? This travail of the woman in Rev. 12 represents the whole church age giving birth to have one destiny to bring forth the man-child, the"many as our led by the spirit of God." This is what is about to come through great travail. So great is this travail that it not only touches us in our spirits and hearts, but all of creation is beginning to experience the travail along with us.
All the natural disasters, terror strikes, wars and rumors of war, financial instability are the beginning of the increase of the labor pains creation now is displaying. They are not going to lighten beloved, but they are going to intensify daily, weekly, monthly until this birthing miracle takes place. Listen to what Romans chapter 8 tell us of this travail not only of the "that as many as are led, but of all creation itself will travail.
Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings(the suffering is the travail) of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory(this is the transfiguration) which shall be revealed to us-ward.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation(for the whole earth is waiting) waiteth for the revealing(for the manisfastion, the making plain) of the sons of God.(Those who are led by the Spirit of God) Rom 8:20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope
Rom 8:21 that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. (For as many as that are led by the Spirit of God, these are the SONS OF GOD, the Man-Child)
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. (This is what is now at our door step as the entrance upward in the Holy Spirit to reach our full grown destiny as full grown Sons! Eph.4)
Beloved, we must discern the times correctly! A Spirit of Travail is coming forth in the church. A travail that must reach into heaven! A travail that will bring forth the miracle of changing the water into wine and bringing forth our full grown maturity! Are you ready for this time of transition? If so begin to pray for that travail to be birthed in your heart to be the Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We will continue this teaching in the next blog!
No comments:
Post a Comment