Greetings again.

In the last post I wrote briefly about the “journey of the bride” in the accounts of the parables of Matthew Chapter 13, the first six letters of Paul to the churches (Romans to Philippians), and the first six church ages of Revelation (Ephesus to Philadelphia).

The seventh parable of Matthew Chapter 13 (parable of the net), the seventh church age of Revelation (Laodicea), and Paul’s seventh, eighth, and ninth letters to the churches (Colossians to 2 Thessalonians), symbolize church seasons in transition to the Millennium.

There is overlap in the last seasons of the Church, some of which, we are experiencing today.

Presently, there are signs of famine for the Word and the things of God, prophesied in Scripture of the latter days.

There are also signs of the work of God in the testimonies of those being healed and restored, also prophesied of the latter days.

Paradigm shifts and unprecedented change are occurring today in the body of Christ.

A foundation is being established for the “great ministry” and “harvest of souls” in the last days of the Church.

God is doing a profound work in the body of Christ – a deep work of cleansing and healing, we all need, and do not want to miss.

By all accounts, there’s a baby in the womb of the church beginning to take form and show signs of life.

Now is the time more than ever, to seek the Lord and inquire of him, what, if anything, he has for you in this hour.

What areas of deep healing and restoration does he want to bring your way?

He has the resources, but, he needs your “yes.”

If you haven’t read my last two posts, I recommend you do so before proceeding.

Moves of God

Moves of God are generally birthed after much “heart” preparation by the Lord in his sons and daughters.

For some, who do not respond to God in the season of his offer, there is little or no growth, stalemate, or, for some, increasing spiritual famine.

For others, who respond to the Lord, there is preparation.

And many times, at an appointed time, God will use the overflow he’s given those he’s prepared, to reach out and rescue the lost, and those sons and daughters who did not respond to his call.

It’s the story of grace, the story of the gospel. It will be the story of the last day move of God and the bride birthed from the womb of the church (Revelation Chapters 4, 5, and 12).

The degree, depth, and magnitude of the coming move(s) of God will require an overflow of truth and grace, to apprehend the promise of God suddenly placed before the body of Christ.

For example, God’s instructions to Noah, to prepare for the coming flood, to Moses, at the burning bush, and to John the Baptist, to prepare for the coming Messiah and to prepare others as well, if unheeded, would have shipwrecked the promise of God for them and others.

The last day move(s) of God will not be a surprise to the angelic kingdoms, nor to those who respond to Christ and are initiated and fathered by him.

But it will be a surprise to the Church at large, and to the global community of unbelievers, when the bride comes to the fullness and stature of Christ – the revelation of Christ in grace (1 Peter 1:13).

Jesus was just another person in life to most, except a few, until God commissioned and ushered him into his ministry.

All of the great moves of God seemed to have come out of nowhere, except to those the Lord had been preparing just for that purpose.

Likewise, it will be with the bride in the last season of the church. She will seemingly come out of nowhere.

I remember two revivals I was in, they seemed to come from nowhere.

And yet, when I look back, I see the Lord had been preparing hearts for years.

Revivals and our expectations seldom match. God is unimaginable; and except Christ be in it, our attempts at preparation are fruitless.

God has big surprises for the church up ahead, surprises far exceeding our hopes and expectations.

Jesus is gentle with our hearts. True love does not force itself on another.

Instead, he fathers you and me into fellowship and intimacy, a relationship bringing pleasure and satisfaction to both parties, Christ included.

No one marries someone they don’t know. The bride wants to know as much as possible about her husband to be, and vice versa.

Today is the journey of knowing and being known intimately and deeply by Christ. A sign of the Philadelphia Church age.

There is coming a great harvest of prodigals and those “deeply” lost in sin and brokenness in the last days.

Jesus will send his bride out on a mission to represent him, and rescue a great harvest of souls in the closing hours of the Church.

Will you and I be rescuers or rescued? I want to be a rescuer, and hopefully you do as well.

Many souls will be harvested and ushered quickly into the deep things of God.

Some may even surpass those who rescued them. Some of the last will be first!

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Before I speak about the symbolism of the creation account in the journey of the bride, here are reasons why these accounts are important.

First and foremost, the journey of the bride is the heart of the gospel, what Jesus purchased for you and me with his own blood.

It is the call of the gospel – to be “made” one with Christ – a journey.

It is commonly understood in many Christian circles the Church is predominantly in the Philadelphia and Laodicea eras.

The evidence lies primarily on two fronts. One, church history.

It is recognized over the last 2,000 years the Church has traveled from “Ephesus,” through “Thyatira,” (dark ages), to “Sardis,” (Reformation), to present day Philadelphia and Laodicea.

Second, the deep work of the Spirit of God, “fathering” sons and daughters into “sonship,” is evidence of the call of the Spirit to the Church of Philadelphia.

There are deeper works yet to come, but “fathering and sonship” are critical toward loving Christ and one another – the Philadelphia Church age.

The work today in the body of Christ is unprecedented.

Many Christian organizations are moving in the areas of intensive prayer ministry, deliverance, listening prayer, and a host of other forms of inner healing and restoration.

Those who receive care and love will overflow with care and love to others.

God is also making the journey of the bride abundantly clear through the revelation of Scripture, revealing old truths in new ways.

Jesus desires to transform you and me from wise virgins to brides.

From having to buy oil for our lamps, to having the Spirit of the living God shining in and through us (Romans 8:10-11).

Understanding the journey of the bride is to understand our position in Christ and his call to graciously clean, heal and restore you and me, body, soul, and spirit.

Understanding the journey of the bride is to understand the work of God, and the work of salvation to the unbelieving and lost areas of our hearts crying out for redemption.

Understanding the journey of the bride is to be grounded in Christ, hidden in the shadow of his wings, as the storm cloud of evil and darkness builds in the kingdom of this world.

Like any teaching, the more we understand and receive from the Scriptures, the more God can add and reveal in discovery.

The more we understand and receive from the Lord, the more he can abide and manifest through us greater calling and commissioning.

If we don’t understand the lateness of the hour the church is in, and our need to respond to the wooing of the Holy Spirit to go deeper in him, then we may very well miss the unprecedented opportunities Jesus is making available to the Church.

Today, we have the embodiment of the full Scriptures, the written revelation of Jesus Christ, and ready access to the vast resources at our disposal to pursue Christ and the deep things of the Spirit.

Jesus has prepared a banquet for those called to “Philadelphia” to eat and drink.

Will you enter in, i.e., allow Christ to enter into the deep and secret areas of your life, to share the bounty of his feast with you?

Jesus is offering deeper revelations of himself to those who desire more of him; and he is well able to take the faintest of “pleas,” and the weakest of “yes,” and transform them into testimonies of truth and grace.

Creation

The feast of Passover was fulfilled, or should I say brought into the New Testament church, through the experience of being born again.

The Old Testament Passover was a type pointing to the New Testament experience of being born again, receiving a newly begotten spirit, transiting from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.

This would be tantamount to the beginning stages of separation, being separated from darkness to light – not changed from darkness to light, but separated, the first step in the journey of God.

This would be likened to the first day of creation, light separated from dark, the beginning of the “new creation,” process.

Next comes the Old Testament feast of Pentecost. This Old Testament type was fulfilled in the New Testament infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Like Passover, this represents a measured change and separation.

A greater presence of the Holy Spirit is made available to the believer, a prayer language given to connect one’s prayer to God.

This experience can be likened to the second day of creation, the preparation of the heart, and the flood of rain of God’s Spirit.

Pentecost ushers one into deeper waters of God, greater spiritual awareness and presence of God, more along the lines of the inner court (i.e., the tabernacle in the wilderness), whereas Passover would be likened to the outer court, where the sacrifice occurs.

The feast of Passover, being born again, introduces one into the kingdom of God.

The feast of Pentecost, being spirit filled, introduces one into the language of God and new season and territory – lifted into the realm of the Spirit.

See my next post for continuation of the days of creation in their depiction of you and me being made into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings, Drake