Throughout the pages of the Bible, from Genesis through to Revelation, runs the theme of God’s eternal purpose, His desire to fellowship with mankind.
“……The tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God”, Revelation 21: 3 (see also Leviticus 26:12, 2 Corinthians 6:16).
In the Old Testament, the temple of God was a building. In the New Testament, every born-again believer in Jesus, is the physical temple of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19 “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
Sadly, these earthly temples are often defiled by the owners, where there is a bigger demonstration of selfish motives than the presence of God. Since the birth of the Church, its history has displayed schisms and disunity, as men have played their hand and denied the fulfilment of God’s purpose in Ephesians 4: 13-15 “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”
God’s final plan will not be thwarted. We have a God given ability to choose to get with God’s programme. Our salvation is secure, but our daily choices will prove, in finality, if we reach our spiritual destiny on our earthly journey with the Lord Jesus, and His Body, in the window of time we have been granted down here.
God is using this pandemic to re-set everything for His final purpose in the Church age.
We have often quoted: What a man believes rules him……and he lives his life according to his beliefs. However, just because I believe something, it does not necessarily make it truth. Many men have engaged in heated wars of words, crossing swords with their brothers, using scripture to back their arguments, insisting they are right……and falling out with their fellow brothers! The fruit of the Spirit is conspicuous by its absence, as is the Lord’s presence!
The only proof of right believing is in a practical demonstration, proving God’s word and producing the fruit of the Spirit in a man’s life. When a man walks with God in humility, God presences him with His joy, peace and rest, the hallmarks of His divinity. Jesus said a tree would be identified by its fruit.
When a man follows the Lord in trust, he finds no need to fight his corner. God fights his battles for him.
I cannot imitate the resurrection life of Jesus. The only way His life can come forth in me is by choosing death to the self life. These are daily choices. The apostle Paul said “I die daily”, surrender to the Lord, (not the situation, the greater includes the lesser), presents itself in all manner of circumstances and relationships daily. Am I busy choosing to die daily, or am I more concerned with always justifying myself, putting my desires, plans and concerns before others? Here in this position, I find no practical demonstration of the life of Christ. I have made myself Lord of my life, instead of allowing Jesus His rightful place there.
Without the death of the testator, there is no testament. Hebrews 9:16-17 “For where a testament is, there must also be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead, otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator lives”.
My spiritual death took place when Jesus died for me: “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me……” Galatians 2:20 The daily dying that Paul spoke of is different. God will arrange plenty of opportunities that I don’t like, in order for me to surrender my will to produce death to my self/flesh life. The joy and beauty of these choices I then find, oh hallelujah!…..is that in surrender the resurrected life of Christ can flow out of me, unobstructed! Joy, joy! I find the truth in Jesus words: “My yoke is easy, my burden is light…..” I have proved God and found it so! How foolish I have so often been in wanting my own will and suffered the lack of Father’s presence in my being.
So, let us pick up again, the theme of a practical demonstration, and see how God demonstrated this in the lives of Moses, Aaron and Miriam one time. Numbers 12 records the event. Moses’ brother, Aaron, and his sister Miriam, were all called and used of God. However, God heard Miriam and Aaron in conversation, (verse 2), grumbling about Moses: “And they said, Has the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Has He not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it”. God was displeased and called the three of them together to demonstrate his displeasure at their wrong spirit.
The Lord reprimanded them. Miriam was a prophetess and the Lord endued Aaron with eloquent speech to be Moses’ mouthpiece, but He said of Moses that with him, He spoke “face to face”. That was God’s calling to Moses and He told Miriam and Aaron that they should have been afraid to speak against Moses as they did, and elevate themselves to an equal position. Pride reared its ugly head! Nothing new there! God struck Miriam with leprosy for her sin. Aaron pleaded with Moses to ask the Lord for forgiveness for their foolishness, and heal their sister. God allowed her to be leprous for 7 days, during which time she had to live outside the camp. After the 7 days God healed her, but both Aaron and Miriam had learnt a hard lesson at the hand of God. Moses did not have to fight for his position. He was called of God and God empowered and equipped him, in demonstration, for the call throughout the wilderness journeying to the Promised Land.
Who God calls, He equips.
We are all a part of the Body of Christ. Our giftings are many and diverse. It is for each of us to know and find what God has called us to. There will be unction (anointing) on our function as we all move TOGETHER as one Body, fitly framed TOGETHER, each joint supplying one another, Christ Jesus as the Head. In the human body, when a limb is out of joint, it produces much pain. Until the dislocation is re-located, the whole body cannot function properly. So it is in the Body of Christ. God will not bless disunity and is conspicuous by His absence. Am I functioning in the unity of Christ’s Body? Or am I out of joint?
God is pressing His re-set button for His final plan and purpose for His Church. “The Bride must make herself ready”. Where does God require me to humble? When I meet God’s conditions and all my barriers are removed, the mighty, rolling river of God will break forth in resurrection power. No man will glory in this final move. Man has had his day, but this is God’s new and final day. Great expectations, great power, but great judgement for selfish agendas.
God desires us to be carriers of HIS, HIS, HIS presence….not ours! The fullness of His Son comfortably dwelling in His Bride…….
Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, by the love you have one to another”.
