~The Hour of Awakening~ (written in March 2010) It is important to note that Gods ways are not our ways and His priority is not our comfort. I feel compelled to say that what we will see happening in the natural during this hour may be hard to reconcile with much of the charismatic Churchs teachings on blessings and revival. The Bride is the one He is most interested in reviving during this season, and while she IS stirring, there is a bit of work to be done yet before she can rise up in the authority and power that purity alone can bring. Although it need not be this way at all, this purification has and will come through fire. The fires of persecution and derision have burned hotly against the Church because of her own religious pride and self-satisfied arrogance. The last time God poured out his Spirit in a significant measure, in the 1990s, the carnal Bride quickly became self-obsessed, worshiping the gifts lavished upon her by the Bridegroom instead of turning to Him in adoration and devotion. I speak of the Bride in general, acknowledging that there has always been a remnant of laid down, lovesick worshipers of Jesus, contending for His heart and seeking His face more than His hands. The misplaced worship of the Bride led to her deception and she was eventually lulled into a sort of flesh induced coma, where she has languished for some time now. Not even the global economic crisis was enough to rouse her from a bed of compromise and self indulgence. Many in the world went running to the church for help over the last two years or so. The unfortunate reality is that Jezebel and her consorts, baal and asherah have set up camp not only in the fallen world system but also in the church. This bride of satan has worked diligently to undermine the authority of the true Bride by leading the people of God into every kind of idol worship known on the planet. When self is elevated to the place of godhood, anything goes...and it has. The uncompromising victory that Jesus won on the Cross, and the unwavering authority that is born only in intimacy with the Father, have been exchanged for the doctrines of demons. For instance, the concept of the grace of God is only now beginning to see a restoration to its rightful place of that POWER which enables us to obey God, rather than the easy cover up of a lifestyle steeped in rebellion and willful sin. There is no more provision for rebellion against God after the Blood of the Lamb has been applied. All provision has been made, and indeed, saw its birth in the humble beginnings of the Jewish Carpenter from Nazareth. He exhaled these words with His last breath as the Sin Offering, It is finished. For when He arose, He was no longer the bloodied Sacrificial Lamb, but a conquering King who led our enemy captive before the audience of eternity: When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. ~Colossians 2:13-15 The false teachings that have abounded in the church are virtually without number and run the gamut from, if youre a good Christian, youll be rich to Im getting divorced and marrying another because I deserve to be happy. The most troubling, however, and I believe the most destructive, is the teaching that if you serve God with all your heart, your life will be blessed. While this is true when seen from Gods perspective, it is a wildly misunderstood concept altogether. If our idea of blessed is defined in the attainment of things or in a life that is completely trouble free, we are in grave danger of becoming offended with the One True God. The Awesome King Of Glory defines blessed very differently from the pop culture church of today. A quick look at the Beatitudes confirms my words and opens the door to some of the most beautiful and mind blowing realities we are called to in Christ Jesus. Hunger, thirst, poverty, meekness and mourning are presented as the springboards into divine blessedness. Countless books and sermons have been written and preached on this portion of scripture and while I really dont hope to add anything to those volumes of work, I will say this: The full soul loathes an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. ~Proverbs 27:7 There is an anointing from Heaven being released in this hour that will lead the hungry soul to a repentance so violent and so complete, that the ones so affected will never recover. The mark of this next great awakening is the overwhelming reality of His goodness. A revelation of His goodness in the midst of catastrophe and disaster unlike anything the world has yet seen. A dimension of His goodness so weighty and eternal that the human heart will respond by running to Him trembling with fear. We must avail ourselves of that true grace from heaven so that we willingly stay hungry, refusing to fill ourselves with the passing sweetness of this world. That which seems bitter now will yield a harvest of fruit so sweet as to attract our Bridegroom. There were two cups that passed before His face in short order. Both spoke of agony and sorrow. Jesus held the cup of His own Blood and a torn piece of His own flesh in callused hands that once formed entire galaxies, and He knew that cup would lead to Gethsemanes cup. His invitation today is the same one He issued on that day, Come and partake of my Body and My Blood, join me in the fellowship of my sufferings that you may see my face. The things of this earth will fade in the light of My face. There is a joy set before you which so exceeds any earthly joy that you will gratefully lay down your life for those who have not yet seen me. It is in this place of intimacy that we see His face and the result is irrevocable. We are ignited with the holy fire of desire for our Bridegroom God; a fire that consumes everything in its path with unquenchable Love. The altar of the Lord is being rebuilt in this hour by those who have consecrated themselves as friends of the Bridegroom. Now is the time of careful preparation, for the all consuming fire of God is about to fall on our offering and declare to the nations that He alone is God. The radiant, spotless Bride will rise up in the spirit of Jehu and utterly destroy every vestige of former lovers, their queen jezebel and her princes baal and ashera. She will usher in His return with the release of the Song Of the Lord. This expression of worship from her lovesick heart draws Him like lightning flashing through the heavens; burning through space and time with the urgency of His desire. Now is a unique season on the timeline of eternity and the urgency coming from the heart of God cannot be ignored. We must position ourselves, for the rain of His presence approaches and even now the first drops are being felt all over the globe. Be Blessed! Rick ~ March 2010
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 07:27:05 +0000
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