This message comes from seeking God about the season that is now upon us (the church) and our nation. What is it that God would do and what is He conveying to us as the God of all hope and truth?
Divine order is clearly laid out in the Scriptures. God always works in divine order, He is never random, and it is His desire that we learn His ways and know Him. That distinction will prove to be of great protective importance as the days are rapidly growing darker. This prophetic reality is setting the stage for His glorious church to arise from glory to glory with the crowning of the new millennium Melchizedek priesthood.
Lazarus of Bethany whose name means he whom God helps is a biblical picture of “death to resurrected life” for the glory of God. This picture is how God chose to give me understanding of what He is about to do in our nation as well as His church. At the point of desperation and peril we will see resurrected life unto Christ’s glory.
We know that a battle is raging in the earth over who will rule it in the end (Isaiah 14, AMP) and we also know the end of the matter given to us in the Book of Revelation. Nations and their kings are presently aligning to become either a sheep or a goat nation. It is God’s desire for our nation to be a sheep nation.
In order for God to work sovereignly He must have a people in whom He can presence Himself. May the Holy Spirit open our hearts to the living Word, Christ, and give us revelation and understanding into the matters at hand.
THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE
Although we have been experiencing for some time now going through the eye of the needle it continues to be a significant heavenly benefit to faithful followers of Christ. It is how God bestows His easy yoke and light burden (Matt. 11:30). What passes through the eye of the needle is only life in the Spirit. Everything that is not of the eternal LAMB’s nature must be left behind, rendered dead (Gal. 2:20).
“I have been crucified with Christ,”…I have been identified with Him in His death [experientially, not intellectually, that the ruling disposition is radically altered]. “And the life that I now live in the flesh…,” not the life which I long to live and pray to live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh, the life which men can see, “I live by the faith of the Son of God.” This faith is not Paul’s faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith that the Son of God has imparted to him—“the faith of the Son of God.” It is no longer faith in faith, but faith which has overleapt all conscious bounds, the identical faith of the Son of God [abiding in me]. (Excerpts from: “My Utmost for His Highest”, Oswald Chambers, March 21st—bracket comments, ~m).
In the early stages of transformation usually little is understood and often we unknowingly struggle against the purifying work of the Holy Spirit in us before we begin to appreciate the reality of regeneration and its implicit necessity. The confession of Christ is instantaneous, transformation, however, is progressive as we abide in Him. The beauty of the journey is that God progressively reveals Himself to us while establishing His life in us—the life of the Spirit.
…the Salvation of God is deliverance out of “self” entirely into union with Himself…Salvation means that the Spirit of God has brought me [experientially] into touch with God’s personality, and I am thrilled with something infinitely greater than myself, I am “caught up” [completely] into the abandonment of God.
Abandonment never produces the consciousness of its own effort, because the whole life is taken up with the One to Whom we abandon…. Realize that John 3:16 means that God gave Himself absolutely. In our abandonment we give ourselves over to God just as God gave Himself for us, without any calculation. [Therefore] the consequence of abandonment never enters into our outlook because our life [body, soul, and spirit] is taken up with Him. (Excerpts from: “My Utmost for His Highest”, Oswald Chambers, March 13—bracket comments, ~m).
As our relationship in Christ grows and deepens, faith, trust, and understanding of His ways will be tangible realties. True faith is something that prevails in the face of trouble or disaster. We must have the “present-faith” of God through the living testimony of Jesus Christ that embraces the whole eternal thought of God, otherwise we run the risk of disillusionment—a foe.
God’s testimony in Lazarus is what He will do now, but we must stand in undeniable fearless faith as once again God begins to shake all things.
[God] has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.” This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing ofthose things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom [not of this world] which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. (Heb. 12:26-29, NASU).
Divine order is the path of the mind of Christ. His intellect is not of this world and cannot be understood with human natural understanding. It is the mind of Christ that we must be ruled by, guided by, trained by, and shaped by. His eternal thought is unshakable Reality.
So we pick up the thoughts of Jesus in John Chapter 11 where He just received word about Lazarus’ condition. Let us track the mind and intensions of God as they unfold in the Scriptures.
When Jesus received the message, He said, This sickness [in our nation] is not to end in death; but [on the contrary] it is to honor God and to promote His glory, that the Son of God may be glorified through (by) it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [They were His dear friends, and He held them in loving esteem.] Therefore [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same place where He was. (John 11:4-6, AMP)
Then after that interval [of delay] He said to His disciples, Let us go back again to Judea. The disciples said to Him, Rabbi, the Jews only recently were intending and trying to stone You, and are You [thinking of] going back there again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? Anyone who walks about in the daytime does not stumble, because he sees [by] the light of this world. But if anyone walks about in the night, he does stumble, because there is no light in him [the light is lacking to him]. He said these things, and then added, Our friend Lazarus is at rest and sleeping; but I am going there that I may awaken him out of his sleep. (John 11:7-11, AMP)
In the next verse we see for a second time the human transaction of earthly thought by the response of Jesus’ disciples. Lord, if Lazarus is sleeping, he will recover; so not only should we not endanger ourselves, there is no need to go there. Now Jesus knew that Lazarus was seriously ill, but He told His disciples he was sleeping. Jesus then clarifies thatLazarus is dead.
The disciples answered, Lord, if he is sleeping, he will recover. However, Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He referred to falling into a refreshing and natural sleep. So then Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus is dead, And for your sake I am glad that I was not there; it will help you to believe (to trust and rely on Me). However, let us go to him. (John 11:11-15, AMP)
The mind of God begins to be made known in these verses. The issue behind all of this is the issue of believing God is who He says He is and that they would have present-faith through Revelation.
Reading further we find out some interesting things with Martha and Mary and their anguish in the loss of their brother, Lazarus, coupled with Jesus’ late arrival. They had seen and heard the Lord’s teachings yet they were unable to grasp the present reality of faith in Him, although Martha replied, “Whatever You ask God, God will hear You”. They understood and had faith in their past experiences with Him and faith for the future resurrection event, but what God would do in the present, or present faith, eluded them in their anguish. Jesus, however, was about to unveil present-truth revelation to a situation beyond human hope in His following response.
Jesus said to her, I am [Myself] the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on) Me, although he may die, yet he shall live; And whoever continues to live and believes in (has faith in, cleaves to, and relies on) Me shall never [actually] die at all. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26, AMP)
Jesus is asking do you believe the eternal mind of God, the power of God, the will of God, the way of God, the purpose of God, the nature of God, the eternal Reality of God who is Resurrection and Life. In other words, the future Resurrection event was present and standing in their midst (John 10:17-18).
As the events unfold in this chapter we come to the place where Jesus wept having been deeply moved in spirit and troubled (John 11:33-35). The deep groaning of His spirit was over believing in Him now as the ever present Resurrection and Life. His anguish then and now is that we would believe, have present-faith, cleave to and rely wholly on Him, being conformed to His eternal thought not human thought in relationship to the overarching vision of God.
But some of them said, Could not He Who opened a blind man’s eyes have prevented this man from dying? (John 11: 37, AMP).
Here we see plainly, from man’s view point, the puzzling confused thinking as to why Jesus, having power and authority, would allow Lazarus’ death. However, Jesus was never after satisfying man’s view point, but He was after glorifying God by only doing the things He saw the Father doing in eternal heavenly thought. Jesus could never be an exact representation of the mind and heart of the Father apart from this reality. He said He came to do the Father’s will on earth as it is in heaven. In like manner, we must have the present mind of Christ, from the full eternal thought, as directed by His Spirit of Truth, to effectively be His representatives in the earth as it is in heaven.
My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. (John 4:34-35, NASU)
For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will and purpose but to do the will and purpose of Him Who sent Me. And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I should not lose any of all that He has given Me, but that I should give new life and raise [them all] up at the last day. (John 6:38-39, AMP)
Back to the main issue Jesus is addressing in this scenario He said to Martha (or the Church) Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God? (John 11:40, AMP) [The glory being: the manifestation of His reputation.] Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead displaying He had the power of life over death—His words were (and are) the words of life and many believed in Him in that awe fearing moment (John 11:45).
Jesus asked, “Will the Son of Man find faith when He returns?” (Luke 18:8). This is a question for the last generation that cannot be taken lightly. Will we struggle as they did in Jesus’ time, having faith of the past and faith of the future or fall prey to deadly human interpretation in the absence of present-faith reality? “Now” faith is true faith based on truth backed up by evidence (Heb. 11:1-3). Living faith enables us, through the enlargement of revelation, to see God’s eternal purpose that is beyond just a Salvific view. In a remnant He will satisfy His original intent—man bearing His image and likeness.
…Faith loves and knows the One who is leading. A life of [this] faith is not of [human] intellect and reason. The root of faith is the [intimate] knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest snares is the idea that God is sure to lead us to success. The final stage in the life of faith is attainment of [Christ-like] character. It is a life of walking and not fainting. A tried and tested faith is built on a real God. (Excerpts from: “My Utmost for His Highest”, Oswald Chambers, “The Way of Abraham In Faith”—bracket comments, ~m).
True faith comes by spiritually hearing the mind and heart of God, not by seeing things that can be seen naturally. True faith knows that God is really God Almighty. …Without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. (Heb. 11:6, AMP)
Hence, the faith that we must have is living present-faith leading us into the fullness of God’s eternal plan—Salvation unto transfiguration—Christ formed within. If we will believe we will see the glory of God in us and among us (Is. 60:1-3). God is calling and awakening us to this prophetic reality. He is looking for a people who will believe Him, His purposes, His Son, His eternal thought. We must lay everything down and Christ must truly become our all in all. He must be fully enthroned in our hearts, manifesting full possession of us.
…we have the prophetic word [made] firmer still. You will do well to pay close attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dismal (squalid and dark) place, until the day breaks through [the gloom] and the Morning Star rises (comes into being) in your hearts. (2 Peter1:18, AMP)
Stepping through “The Eye” of the needle requires believing Christ until all that is, is Christ in you the hope of glory otherwise there is doctrine and no reality. Thus, we appreciate the necessity of true compatibility that the Spirit of Burning initiates and procures for the Son.
Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. (James 1:3-4, AMP)
Conclusion
In order to pull on the full eternal vision of God we must continually be guided by His present-mind (Ex 40:38—The Cloud). It is the only way to be in sync with the heavenly vision which Paul said he was obedient to in the Book of Acts. Not getting stuck in just what Christ did in the past, or what His unlimited power can do, but we must have the present eternal thought of God through His Spirit living in us (Matt 13:19). The present-mind and heart of Christ is His presence. It is the deepest form of intimacy, both His mind and His heart simultaneously shared within us. And it is the distinction that this reality brings that will be our great defense in the face of hostile darkness.
He who dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High—God’s eternal thought and heart shared within us—shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. (Ps. 91:1, AMP)
The Secret Place is the only way you’ll survive the (purifying) fire. And the secret of the thing is, God’s word flowing into you will not only enable you to survive, it will empower you to overcome and buy eternal treasure…where you gain access to the coffers of heaven. God has great understanding into this powerful little secret, which He is merciful enough to send the fire in answer to your prayers. He will send the fire and we will be changed into the image of Christ—embrace Spirit-empowered change. (Excerpts from: The Secret of Buying Gold, in the “Secrets of the Secret Place” by Bob Sorge).
“I counsel you [the church] to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich” (Rev. 3:18).
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Upon the wicked He will rain snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness;
The upright will behold His face. (Ps. 11:4-7, NASU)
Prayer for America
~Monica Miller-Ruhl July 12, 2015, www.globaldestinyministry.com
Pastor Dewey Note: Monica is a Dear friend of FGGAM! She is pictured with her hubby Pastor Bill, who is the Vice-Chair of FGGAM! We love them both so very much! We love it when Monica sends in her writings! They helped me and Sharon spring into FGGAM 3 years ago!