“He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.” (NIV, 1 Timothy 3:6 – 7)
“They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve…” (NIV, 1 Timothy 3:9 – 10, bold and italicized are mine.)
“if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
He appeared in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,b
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.”
(NIV, 1 Timothy 3:15 – 16), b 16 Or vindicated in spirit (NIV)
****
Good day to you.
Where did 2020 go? It just flew by.
Someday, we’ll look back, and see this life as a distant vapor.
Someday, you’ll look at this life from the glories of Christ!
We will never lose our individuality – the unique and special work of God to “make” us into the likeness of Christ.
This is the hope for which we live and the design for which we were created.
It is only in his likeness we can truly be fully known, and know, the love of God in Christ Jesus for us, and others.
This post is in five sections to make it easier to read.
*** SECTION I ***
Deep Truths of Scripture
Briefly, here is a short commentary on verse 16 quoted above.
First Timothy was likely written near the end of Paul’s life.
In the Flesh
By stating Jesus appeared in the flesh, Paul is making clear Jesus was fully human in every way just like you and me. (Hebrews 2:17)
Being born from above, having a newly begotten spirit at conception from his Father, did not make Jesus any different from you and me, except, he was born free from the captivity of sin – a heart, mind, and will, free from the automatic tendency to sin.
Being placed in the position of Adam before the fall (that’s why Christ is referred to as the second, or last Adam), except, he inherited from his mother’s side of the family what the Scripture calls, “THE HOSTILITY, IN THE FLESH OF HIM,” (A, Ephesians 2:14), generational wounds and brokenness waiting to bear bad fruit in Christ if given the chance.
He had a battle to fight, and that was his fight and journey prior to his presentation to John at the River Jordan.
That journey, fight – putting to death the deeds of the body, resurrected to walk in newness of life – is the heart of the New Testament, the path Christ pioneered and authored for him, and you and me.
If you miss this understanding then you miss the good news of Christ; for the Gospel is first and foremost about him, his journey and victory, and secondarily about us, and not the other way around.
The bulk of Romans and Hebrews is about Christ’s journey, and much elsewhere in the NT, and in types and shadows in the Old.
We have been blessed by being invited into his story and journey, and not the other way around.
Vindication by the Spirit
His vindication by the spirit, or in the spirit, depicts Christ’s journey with the Father to be made perfect, righteous, our high priest and Savior.
It’s described in John Chapter one as the only begotten, Romans Chapter five as his act of obedience, Romans Chapter six as his dying to sin, I Corinthians Chapter 15 as the first-fruit, Colossians Chapter one as firstborn, Hebrews Chapter five as being made perfect, Hebrews as dying once for all, 1 Peter Chapter 3 as made alive in spirit, etc., and many other references of Christ’s journey to being made perfect.
I’ve written much about this already.
I’ve given lots of Scripture’s from the New Testament and the Old describing Christ’s personal journey of healing and restoration.
And the last line, about Christ taking up the glory, refers to Christ’s being was raised from the dead – the dead being the hostility in his flesh he inherited from his human ancestral line, left unhealed and unrestored, would have eventually resulted in his death.
He experienced the life and power of the resurrection this side of heaven – the heart of the Gospel, restoration, a new creation, to walk in newness of life, putting to death the deeds of the fallen nature.
Christ restored immortality, would’ve lived forever had he not been killed; Acts describing his demise properly as “murder” (Acts 7:52).
In John 12:28 Jesus asks the Father to glorify his name and the Father responds he has glorified it and will glorify it again – meaning, his raising after Calvary will be his second resurrection “glory” experience, restoring him to where he was before his murder.
(Note:
If you read John Chapter 12 in an interlinear it’s clear there’s more at work here than just his raising after Calvary, but the rejection of resurrection life, the tree of life, him, leaving the only option for Israel’s salvation, “seeing” his execution and raising, again, to finally prove he was who he said he was.
Jesus had hoped the raising of Lazarus would have been proof enough, but, alas, it required his death as well.)
Being raised in resurrection glory by the Father during his personal journey, and again, (after Calvary), death had no hold on him – the sin he died from, marked in his body, was the sin of others! (2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 Peter 2:24)
Seen of Angels
This phrase has the sense of being one with them, walking in “heavenly places;” as Hebrews says, he “passed through the heavens” in his wilderness journey to perfection.
It depicts having relationship with the angelic host, a nature similar to theirs – eternal life, access to the heavenly, and the throne of God.
And, most important, the angelic host witnessing firsthand, the second Adam being made perfect – the fulfillment of the mystery of godliness they desired to look into.
They witnessed Christ overcoming the temptations he inherited, putting to death the hostility in his own flesh, exalted to the right hand of God – the finished work of God in man since the fall of Adam and Eve.
Peter spoke of this, “…Even angels long to look into these things.” (NIV, 1 Peter 1:12)
In other words, they saw 4,000 years of God’s labor coming to fruition in Christ and now understood the “types and shadows” in the Old Testament foretelling and prefiguring the Messiah.
They witnessed what the saints of old desired to look into, the mystery of God in Christ reconciling the world to himself.
“Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care,” (NIV, 1 Peter 1:10)
They witnessed the completion of the plan of God in Christ, having the knowledge previously withheld from them now made known in Christ, the mystery of the gospel.
And were furthered equipped to lead you and me in the journey towards Christ, as his servants, to assist us as he directs.
Being seen of angels is like saying “I see,” the unveiling of hidden truth – discovering some of the final pieces to the puzzle.
The events of the last 4 millenniums, since the time of Adam and Eve, now made sense and all the journeys and events they ministered to men and women over the centuries pointing to Christ.
The angels were privileged to see the genius work of God – taking the impossible certain death of men and women and turning into eternal life through Christ.
Christ, “one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’” (NIV, Hebrews 7:16 – 17, bold and italics are mine)
Taken Up
Christ’s ascension in Acts 1:9 was a “lifting,” the emphasis on “lift,” and not a “raise” (translated as taken in the NIV).
(To raise is commonly associated with being raised from the dead:
- whether it be from physical death,
- or, from spiritual death, i.e., the fallen nature,
- or, in Christ’s case, dying to sin to walk in newness of life, Romans 6:10 for example, not from sin he’s committed, but from the brokenness and wounds he inherited, left unhealed, would eventually result in his death.)
Translators use the term “taken” for raise in Acts 1:11.
This refers to the manner of his nature, living and walking in resurrection life, who would be coming to them in the future to birth resurrection life in them.
It’s not about traversing back and forth between heaven and earth per se, but who he is, resurrection life.
In John, and elsewhere, Jesus referred to having come from heaven, the bread of heaven, again, resurrection life.
Hebrews says he passed through the heavens – privileges of the resurrection life, which Paul and John experienced as well. (Hebrews 4:14)
In effect, the angels were saying, “You’re witnessing what resurrection life looks like, the life Christ lived before you – the new creation intended for you, to come and go between heaven and earth, as the Father directs.”
And Christ will be coming to you again, not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, to lead you into resurrection life.
From another perspective, the Scriptures says of Christ, “…one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” (NIV, Hebrews 7:26)
This refers to Christ’s journey to perfection, and his manner of living after his perfection, which was witnessed by all in his ministry.
Further, the angels are in effect proclaiming, “The manner of living you witnessed in Christ, resurrection life, will be offered to you, in due course, when he comes to journey with you – fulfilling his promise not leave you as orphans.” (John 14:18, John 21:18, Hebrews 9:28).
These are the deep truths of Scripture – the pioneering journey of Christ, being made perfect, the second Adam fully healed and restored, the first fruit and firstborn of the new creation, walking in newness of life.
This is the life and journey pioneered for you and me and all Christians.
These are the deep truths the Church lost in the first church age which are being restored today – in Philadelphia.
*** SECTION II ***
Christ, Molded, “Made,” Into the Likeness of His Father
By the revelation of the Spirit (the deep things of God), the Lord reveals his timeline, in varying degrees, by the revelation of his Word, inviting us into his unfolding story at that particular time.
The Word and the Spirit work as one to make us into Christ’s likeness, in the allotted time God has provisioned for the gospel era.
We just so happen to be born in the latter end of the gospel age, on the threshold of the Millennium.
Jesus dealt with the aspect of time; the amount allotted for his own personal healing and restoration, and second, his ministry.
He knew by the revelation of Daniel he had at least 3 plus years of intense ministry and spiritual warfare, and possibly more, if Israel repented of her sins and embraced him.
He even asked his heavenly father for another year to bring life to the tree of Israel, but Israel would not have it, cutting his ministry from the possibility of seven years to just over three.
Christ did not model Christianity, he was Christianity.
He was the mystery of the gospel walking in flesh and blood, “made” (in his personal journey) into the likeness of his Father, and then, as described in Philippians, sacrificed his rights and privileges – all the things a young man could have, career, wife, children, and everything else God has bestows upon men and women – to enter Israel’s pain as a servant.
No, Christ was no model. Associating the concept of “modeling” with Christ strips him of:
- his humanness, contradicting the clear teaching of Scripture – he was fully human in every way,
- the beauty of a fully healed and restored human being, the vibrancy of life with the Father untainted by sin, complete, whole, body, soul, and spirit,
- his fierceness and gentleness, fully healed emotions and feelings,
- human desire, passion, and fight – emasculating him to the role of a model,
- the beauty of the wilderness experience in God, the work of God in Christ, his personal journey and adventure in God.
And if Christ is a model, then we:
- emasculate not only Christ, but the heart of the gospel, the hard-fought journey and battle Christ pioneered for you and me,
- emasculate the Scriptures, and the stories of those who foretold and prefigured the Messiah, his personal journey and ministry,
- strip God of his personality (his magnanimous heart), to change his decision(s) in response to a man and woman’s change of heart,
- ignore the obvious, “Why would anyone fight if the future is already certain and decided, the outcome a given?”,
- make Israel’s rejection of Christ predictable and certain, instead of a hard-fought battle to win Israel’s heart, eliminating repentance and forgiveness,
- make the prophetic Word, what we think we understand, irrevocable, our master, instead of our servant,
- make our heavenly Father and Christ predictable as well; removing uncertainty, risk, and adventure in the mystery of the gospel,
- are connected to a “script” instead of the living God,
- negate a Father who can make the sun stand still, and reverse time, if hearts respond; a God determined to chastise instead of bless,
- remove spontaneity and unplanned responses, and, unprecedented actions, making the gospel a script about what people “do” instead about the journey of who they “become,”
- turn the Bible into a movie, emphasizing story, events, and actions, over character, and becoming,
- remove a most precious gift, the ability to choose and the ability of the Lord to move unexpectedly and differently than his original plans.
Yes, God’s Word cannot be violated but he’s made lots of room in Scripture for the details to be completed and filled in as the story unfolds.
His Word accommodates, yea, breathes change.
In the days of Noah, the Lord repented he made man, yet he still created man and woman knowing they would fall.
The Lord repented he made Saul King, yet God knew in advance Saul would fall but gave him every opportunity to rise to the occasion and choose righteousness.
And even in Saul’s fall, God loved him giving him many years to find repentance and forgiveness.
The Lord changed his mind about Hezekiah’s death and Ahab’s as well.
The Lord, in his greatness, gives us the highlights of key events, and does everything short of violating our will to fit our story into the one he desires.
But, if another path is chosen, as in Israel’s rejection of Christ, though events and timing are altered, the Lord’s plans and designs remain unchanged.
It will just take longer and a different route.
It was not a rock – solid given Israel would reject Christ.
Why would Jesus give the story of spending another year to see if the tree will bear fruit (Luke 13:6-9), or, the story about the landowner who sends his son (Matthew 21:33-41) expressing hope the tenants will receive his son, if Israel’s rejection of him was ironclad?
It was only after some time Christ began to speak of his death.
It did not start out that way.
It seems we go from one ditch to the other, either everything is God ordained, “God is in control,” or everything is free will and Scripture is up for grabs.
The Scripture teaches timelines, a calendar of events, where and how we journey within those events are not master-planned in detail by God.
He’s able to work his will far beyond what we could imagine or think.
Our participation, and God’s, is part of the story discovered and unveiled over the course of our short time here.
The Scripture is living, breathing, the details filled in as we journey; as hearts and minds make choices and respond to the wooing of the Holy Spirit.
Christ’s heart, passion, expectation, and desire, was nothing less than fully loving Israel, hoping they would embrace him.
The Landowner
The Father’s heart, and Christ’s, is illustrated in the parable of the landowner, and his son. (Matthew 21)
They have no judgment in their hearts toward men and women.
Their offering, then, and now, is from an “expectancy,” rooted in pure and holy love and care, hoping to be received.
The Lord does not project nor tempt others to darkness and sin.
He is continually searching for opportunities to demonstrate his love and care in the midst of our wounds and brokenness.
*** SECTION III ***
The Goodness of God
Throughout church history there’s been those who’ve pioneered new moves of God.
The Reformation restored salvation by grace through faith, the new birth, being “born again.”
The return of Pentecost in the early 1900s restored the “baptism of the Holy Spirit.”
And now, the birth of the inner healing movement and “fathering,” has made it possible for the Lord to transition his sons and daughters to the final and third feast of the Old Covenant fulfilled in the New, the feast of Tabernacles, “union with Christ.”
Tabernacles is a long journey, being chosen by the Lord for an intensive time of healing and restoration, “fathered by God,” into wholeness, fullness, sonship, the bride of Christ.
The Sardis Church age pictures the Reformation and the return of Pentecost.
And the Philadelphia church age, pictures the return of the feast of Tabernacles, and the culmination of the gospel era.
The Lord has taken men and women into the wilderness with him in past eras to pioneer new territories.
Presently, the latter times, from within the Church at large (it’s womb), the Lord reserved a special season, “Philadelphia,” offering “Tabernacles,” union with him, to those who want all he has to offer.
The Church is once again in new territory, some deeply, others just beginning, and many to come in the days ahead.
Events, time, and plans are all coming to a head, righteousness and unrighteousness, with the Scripture calls, the fullness of time.
Before irreversible events are set in motion ushering in the Great Tribulation, which some of us may see in our lifetimes, the Lord is diligently laboring to prepare all those who will come, for revival, warfare, and union with him.
Like in the days of Noah and Israel of old, there’s coming a dramatic and unprecedented paradigm shift in events, time, and plans.
The Lord is reaching out to embrace as many as possible before the die is cast and the opportunity is gone.
Unprecedented Opportunities Abound
The Lord is laboring to heal and restore as many as will come before events become so dark and unwieldy it’s impossible to prevent the beginning of measured judgments, the hope of turning some to him before it becomes impossible.
Just as the world uses technology to have one voice and heart in all matters pertaining to the love of this world, Jesus is using the resource of technology to help create a uniquely designed and perfectly fitted body of sons and daughters chosen by him for a deep work of the Spirit in the last days.
Simply, technology is allowing men and women to connect and minister one to another in ways never thought possible just a short time ago.
We are truly living in unprecedented days.
These are not the days of your grandparents or parents, but truly new days in Christ and the availability of Christ around the world, and, most importantly, deep within the inner man or woman.
The Lord has made it possible for those from far and wide to be able to connect with one another and receive the richness and treasures of Christ heretofore reserved for the few in the past.
Now is the time more than ever, to jump into the river of God and receive all Jesus has just for you.
Released to Christ’s Intervention
Many times, we invite Jesus into our programs, what we have planned, i.e., our comfort zone.
Inviting Jesus into our situations is great, but he did not pay the price he paid for our situations to take center stage and the needs of his heart for our healing and rescue to take a backseat.
He did not pay the price he paid to leave us as orphans nor just to satisfy what we believe are our desires, but to make us new, opening up vistas in him we did not know existed, and to take us out of our comfort zone into the adventure and journey of Christ.
His desire is for us to be made in his likeness, which requires a journey like his, for him to take us to places we’ve never been, and to overcome enemies we’ve never met before.
The message I’m bringing from the Scriptures, about Christ’s personal journey, and, to be chosen by him for fathering – the depth and intensity of the wilderness journey – is not something being sought after in Christendom at large.
Some of the obstacles have to do with traditions and creeds, misunderstanding of the Scriptures, and maybe reluctance to venture out into the unknown with Christ.
Every new move of God requires something new to be offered and sacrificed, the stretching of hearts, and the revelation of Scripture.
How do we grow and be made into the likeness of Christ – healed and restored – if unprecedented challenges, discoveries, revelations, and territories aren’t faced, overcome, and made new by Christ in the revelation of his grace? (1 Peter 1:13)
If fullness and maturity in Christ came by teaching and decision-making alone, then the last day “bride” would’ve been formed decades ago, if not centuries ago, and we’d be in the Millennium by now.
Teaching and decision-making alone will not be enough to take anyone from the “foolish” to the “wise” category, nor from the wise to the “bride.”
The fallen nature confirms our failure to save ourselves, only the intervention of the Lord and his strength and grace, coupled with our weakness, will give us the hope of being rescued and redeemed.
It takes the intervention of Jesus, the intensity of the “fathering” journey with Christ – prayer, healing, and other resources the Lord brings our way, drawing us into ever increasing dependency and intimacy – to make us into brides, the heart of Philadelphia, Tabernacles.
We’ve been taught a linear, upward progression, in our journey with Christ; where we grow in our relationship with the Lord, a journey we help manage and control.
But that’s not Tabernacles, nor will it take one there.
The deep journey with Christ, is disruptive, intensive, and requires whole heartedness, it is not something to be accomplished slightly or on Sundays alone.
Healed to Serve
And there’s another part of it I have not written much about.
Our cleansing and healing by the Lord are to bring us to the place where we are healthy enough to give him our all.
Wounded and broken people cannot give Jesus there all.
Jesus cannot truly become Lord of our lives, deeply connected with him, when wounds and brokenness consume too much of our heart and mind.
We may walk with him, but we’re not truly in him, until he is able to sufficiently heal and restore our heart and mind into the unique design and pattern, he has for you and me.
Part of our healing and restoration is surrendering more and more areas of our lives to the Lord for the advancement of his kingdom in us and others.
In other words, the more we become healed and restored, the more Christ is able to use us productively and effectively, as Peter says, in advancing the gospel in us and in the lives of others.
Restoration is about the glory of the living Christ in us, abiding in him, and offering his abundance to others.
It’s the heartbeat of Philippians – surrendering of our rights and privileges to Christ, he becoming our all.
The deep wilderness journey with Christ is patterned to bring us to a place of wholeness, completeness, where we can offer our true selves to the Lord, having forsaken all other lovers (idols), emptying our personal ambitions, privileges and rights into his embrace.
That’s true freedom, the freedom to be held and embraced by Christ and directed into life by him.
The freedom of the world, on the other hand, is chained to wounds and brokenness, sin and darkness, the power of the fallen nature, and its unquenchable desire for the temporal pleasures of this life.
****
Christendom has so long neglected the journey of Christ, and his pattern for us, it seems foreign, strange, to the uninformed and uninitiated believer.
There are distinct and differing characteristics in each of the major feasts, and, like all the spiritual things of God, they can be stumbling blocks if they are not carefully and lovingly offered as further steps in Christ.
By the way, if the things of God did not seem foreign and strange upon first encounter then there’d be no need for the revelation of the Lord to open the door and windows into discovery.
We need the revelation of the Lord to take us deeper in him, to unfold the Scriptures, to embrace the call of God and his desire to choose us for his special and unique purposes.
The door is open to greater revelation of the Lord today.
Philadelphia says he’s opened the door.
If we seek him for the “open door” of Philadelphia, it will save him the effort of having to knock on the door of our heart in the age of Laodicea (Revelation 3:20), the season of unprecedented tests and trials.
*** SECTION IV ***
Temptation
When Satan tempted Eve, he was cleverly instructing and disciplining her in the ways of sin – how to practice life by making agreements and believing lies.
On the other side of the Garden, the Lord had been teaching Adam and Eve to live in faith and obedience.
Generally, faith and obedience have “meaning” only in an environment of unmet needs – where the heart is being cultivated in righteousness – being made in the Lord’s likeness.
****
(Note:
Though Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, they were not “perfect,” else there’d be no need to warn them about the “other” tree and its fruit, because they would have had a oneness with the Father.
If they had been “perfect,” or, far along in the journey, and fallen, it would have been tantamount to sinning against the Spirit, likely the unpardonable sin.
They were just beginning their journey toward the fullness of God, and had not experienced the world to come. (See Hebrews 6:4-8)
To what extent Christ operated in faith and obedience after his perfection, and what that looks like, is unclear.
We know he still operated in the realm of faith and obedience during his ministry, having already been perfected, having the NT in his blood.
But certainly, the first Adam, was not in the same place as the second Adam and fell early in his journey.
We generally think of faith and obedience in relationship to our struggle with sin.
The Lord, once perfected, no longer struggled with the possibility of sin like we struggle.
He likened perfection “resurrection life” to what the angels experience in the heavenly realm (Matthew 22 & Luke 20).
But angels, are subject to faith and obedience, because creation is subject to the creator, which will always require some measure of faith and obedience.
The man Christ Jesus, and of course you and me, are no exceptions.)
****
Lucifer’s original calling, an honorable and privileged assignment, was to help protect and disciple men and women in faith and obedience.
But he succumbed to his own greatness, temporarily subverting God’s plan of exalting men and women above the stars of heaven, ruling and reigning with God, above the angels.
The mystery of unrighteousness, the instruction and discipling of sinful behavior, judging one another, embracing lies, etc., was instituted at the fall and has been at work in men and women ever since.
Christ is the only one to have been tempted in all points (wounds and weaknesses passed to him from his mother’s ancestral line), and not sin.
He redeemed the wounds and brokenness passed to him – all the way back to Adam and Eve, being made perfect. (Romans Chapters 5 – 6, Hebrews 5:7 – 10, etc.)
His journey – dying to sin to walk in newness of life – exalted him to the heights of heaven, having all authority on earth and heaven. (Matthew 28:18; Luke 10:19, 10:22; John 11:25 – 26; Ephesians 1:19 – 23)
He passed through the heavens apprehending everything he was apprehended for. (Hebrews 4:14)
The first fruit, firstborn, among many brethren.
He was the Word made flesh, the temple of the Holy Spirit, “…the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word… So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.” (NIV, Hebrews 1:3 – 4)
Christ was King, Lord, Prophet, Savior and Servant upon his presentation to John at the river Jordan.
Christ’s Legal Right to Redeem You and Me
His wilderness testing of 40 days, i.e., his commissioning, “testified” of his legal right, “passport” to Satan, to enter his kingdom and tear up the agreements his citizens had made with him as they turn to light from darkness.
Christ now had the right to passport them out of his kingdom, Passover.
Further, he has a blanket power of attorney to act on behalf of another, when the damage has been so great, they’ve lost the ability to choose.
Two Paths
There are two paths set before us, the mystery of darkness (2 Thessalonians 2:7), set in motion by Adam and Eve over 6,000 years ago, or the mystery of “…the deep truths of the faith…” (NIV, 1 Timothy 3:9), foretold and prefigured in types and shadows by the ancients and saints, and pioneered by Christ.
The mystery of righteousness is more than we’ve been taught.
It’s a lot, a lot more.
Mystery of the Gospel
The good news of Jesus Christ is not a mystery unless some aspect of it must be revealed to us by the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
Paul talks about this in Corinthians, how the things of God are spiritually discerned; and discernment, comes from the Spirit of God.
Here are some Scriptures about the revelation of spiritual things to the children of God:
- Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11, Luke 8:10 (these three references are on the same occasion),
- Romans 11:25 and 16:25;
- 1 Corinthians 2:7, 4:1, 13:2, 14:2, and 15:51;
- Ephesians 1:9, 3:3 – 4, 3:9, 5:32, and 6:19;
- Colossians 1:26, 2:2, and 4:3;
- 2 Thessalonians 2:7 (this is in reference to the mystery of iniquity, and in particular, it is symbolic of the latter days)
- 1 Timothy 3:9 and 3:16; and
- Revelation 1:20, 10:7, and 17:5.
Simply, the working of the Spirit and the Word can only be understood by revelation of the Lord.
An ongoing discovery as we journey with him into new and uncharted waters reserved and set aside for the last days.
The Lord eagerly desires to initiate and instruct you and me into the mysteries of the gospel, partaking of the wonders of Christ.
For those who hunger and thirst after Christ, an open door has been set before the Church.
*** SECTION V ***
The Wilderness (It’s Not Too Late to Begin the Journey)
It takes the wilderness journey to come to the end of our ability to save ourselves.
It takes him to find our wounds and cleanse them.
It takes him to lead us into deep healing, repentance and forgiveness.
It takes a paradigm shift in life, Jesus focused and led, a path we would not choose in the natural.
It’s the only way to get to the deeply rooted things before they shipwreck our lives.
We live in the days of the great apostasy, so the Lord is doing the unprecedented to rescue those who want rescue and redemption.
Traditional inner healing and fathering focuses more on the “visible” bad fruit and wounds, as I’ve written about.
Intensive fathering of the Lord, being chosen by him, taken personally under his care, focuses on the love of God, imparting grace and love into the broken and unlovely places of our lives – cleansing and healing the hidden and secret.
Unless we receive the love of God deeply in our being, we will not be able to love others as Christ does, nor weather well coming offenses.
Unless I’m mistaken, a lot of Christians, especially older, are so beat up trying to live the Christian life as preached and promised, many have concluded the promise of God is for another life, another time, another people group, and not for them.
The Church can only take us so far, and after a while, we just run out of steam.
Outwardly, things may look okay, but inwardly, hopelessness may be firing its’ arrows into the last vestiges of desire, courage, and hope.
Because the deep promises of God were never for the Church to give, but for the Lord.
Messages of healing and restoration surface disappointment and pain instead of excitement and hope.
Christendom has ill-prepared its sons and daughters to face Goliath and be led into the Spirit of God.
But Christ is intervening once again, with a new move of his Spirit, offering hope and healing to those who turn to him once again.
It’s not too late.
Tabernacles, An Inherently Unprecedented Work of God
Unlike the feasts of Passover and Pentecost, which are held at the harvest of barley and wheat in the spring (planted the previous autumn), the feast of Tabernacles was held in autumn at the end of the summer growing season, the fruit harvest.
The growing season progressed from Passover (the barley harvest, a “type,” fulfilled in the new birth, rebirthed in the Reformation) to Pentecost (the wheat harvest, a “type,” fulfilled in the baptism of the Spirit, rebirthed in the early 1900s) to Tabernacles (the fruit harvest, a “type,” fulfilled, “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (NIV, Ephesians 4:13, italicized mine), rebirthed in the latter part of the 20th century.
The fullness of Tabernacles is what we commonly call today sonship, the bride, in the making.
Simply, Tabernacles culminates in union with Christ.
There will be those in the generations living today, like in ages past, Paul, Peter, John, James, and the many whose names are unknown past and present, who will come to the fullness and maturity of Christ likeness.
Remember, Christ likeness is how the Lord looks at things, and not how we determine.
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(Important Note:
One could do an extensive study, which many have been done, of the “typology” of the three main feasts – Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (which includes the feasts of Trumpets and Atonement) – but suffice it to say, their names reveal the heart of what they represented to Israel of old and to Christianity today.
Passover is passing from death to life, “born again,” entrance, beginning of being made into a new creation.
The blood of the lamb protected Israel of old from the angel of death.
In Hebrews, it says Christ passed through the heavens.
His “passing,” or, Passover for us, is the New Testament in his blood, life to those who enter into covenant with him, terminating the legal agreement of death with the enemy.
Christ, unlike us, had a newly begotten spirit at birth, having unbroken fellowship with his Father throughout his life.
For perspective, one could say Romans 8:10 describes the beginning of our Christian journey, born again and spirit filled, but unmatured, missing resurrection life.
But Romans 8:11 completes the journey to union with Christ.
It describes the long summer season of our Christian journey, cultivation and birthing of fruit in our life as we’re healed and restored.
Christ, on the other hand, for the most part, started out at Romans 8:11, being born with a newly begotten spirit, though he still had to overcome the wounds and brokenness he inherited from his generations.
Pentecost is abundant grace (five is the number of grace, times 10, his grace is sufficient) the beginning of being instructed by the Holy Spirit, a measured portion of the Spirit to teach us the ways of the kingdom, the truths of God’s Word, gathering oil for our lamps, preparing for the coming journey with Christ.
Pentecost is also marked by the bestowing of the gifts of the Spirit and the manifestation of the Spirit of God in corporate and individual settings.
The bestowing of the gifts, instruction and growth in their use, is not only to give us a measure of the Spirit of God, but to train and prepare us for his fullness.
That’s why it’s important for the foolish virgins to become wise, spiritually aware and discerning, as the Lord opens up the door to greater portions of his kingdom.
And I might add, in the transition from a wise virgin to a bride, the gifts also transition from “separate and used,” to part of “who we become.”
Each stage is more intimate than the one before.
Passover brings us into the kingdom.
Pentecost begins the experiential journey of instruction, discipleship, and familiarity with kingdom ways and truths, learning righteousness and unlearning the ways of death and darkness.
Tabernacles is the third and final stage of our pilgrimage.
It depicts yet more intimacy, union with Christ, as we tabernacle with him.
The fruit of the Spirit he cultivated and matured comes to fruition for us, him, and others.
Trumpets, the first part of Tabernacles, heralds his coming.
Atonement, the second part of Tabernacles, heralds Christ atoning work applied to our wounds and brokenness, in repentance and forgiveness, as he heals and restores you and me to the design and plan of God.
And Booths, the third and final part of Tabernacles, is the culmination of deep rest in the Spirit, union with Christ, no longer I, but Christ, sonship, bridehood.
The long heat of the summer, i.e., our wilderness journey with Christ, produces the fruit of the Spirit in our nature, transforming our lowly nature into his likeness.
The manifestation of Christ in you and me reveals the nature of the work the Lord has uniquely accomplished in our hearts and minds.
Those who complete the journey, coming out the other side of Tabernacles, will predominantly have: the face of a lion – authority, e.g., apostolic, healing, etc.; or, the face of an eagle – e.g., prophetic & wisdom; or, the face of an ox – e.g., evangelism; or, the face of a man – e.g., inner healing & restoration ministries.
These are just examples but I hope you get the gist.)
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The Lord is getting ready to release a greater measure of Tabernacles upon the earth today. He’s preparing many now for that hour.
Many of us will see it in our lifetime.
He’s been diligently laboring in the Church specifically for this event as the gospel age continues to narrow and count down.
He’s making known his will, and exerting his will, like never before, at least in recent times past.
(The Scripture refers in many places to Christ’s “coming,” “appearing,” “taking,” “judging,” and “revealing.” This is happening today in the lives of God’s sons and daughters. I’ve written much about this in the past.)
We’re on the threshold of Tabernacles being opened up in earnest; as darkness claws its way ever deeper into the hearts and minds of men and women, and the specter of apostasy menacingly looms over the Church.
Be sure, you’re in the Philadelphia church age, the last opportunity for healing and restoration, fullness in Christ, receiving the deep work of the Holy Spirit, and not only Jerusalem’s new name, and, the name of our Father, but Christ’s new name.
As I’ve written before, the church age of Thyatira symbolized the dark ages, ending with the beginning of Sardis, the Reformation and return of Pentecost.
And now we’re in Philadelphia.
The heart of Philadelphia, Tabernacles, fulfills prophecies and promises to numerous to mention, and eventual union with Christ.
The heart of the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament feasts in the body of Christ, and we’re living in the age of the third and final feast being fulfilled like never before in a global move of God.
It’s coming is more certain than the Sun rising tomorrow.
The “fruit” harvest, long sought by the body of Christ, is coming. And it maybe here sooner than we think.
We are definitely in the autumn season of the gospel era.
Tabernacles, the Deep Shift to Being Led
The prominent feature of this feast as it relates to being fulfilled in Christ, is the dramatic shift when the Lord ushers you into the wilderness.
It comes over time, but it is significant, and life changing, far surpassing what happens in the new birth and Pentecost.
But one must have sufficient preparation, before they can be ushered into the wilderness with the Lord.
The Lord can do a quick work and prepare someone for his visitation.
But it certainly helps to have fed on his Word and partaken of the Holy Spirit prior to experiencing the dramatic shift of relationship, presence of Christ, and intense work of the Holy Spirit.
You cannot go on a long journey if you have not done the basic preparation.
It says in the book of Romans of the Lord, he will do a quick work in the last days.
So, hopefully, those coming in in the last hours of the gospel era will be ushered quickly through Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.
Where, in times past, it took years for someone to experience healing and restoration, the Lord will do a quick work.
But right now, before he opens the door for Tabernacles in a global revival, he’s looking for good foundations to birth the revival from.
And he is building that foundation now globally.
Like any revival, there are those in the planting and beginning stages the Lord uses for others to follow, and increasingly, in great numbers.
It appears from Scripture the end time revival, be it one, or a succession of revivals, may harvest more souls for the kingdom of God than possibly all other revivals in the gospel era.
Tabernacles requires much of us, but oh, the little we give is multiplied by the Lord beyond what you could imagine or think.
Lest we forget, revival is about receiving the love of God, his care deep within our inner being, preparing us for union with Christ.
There is nothing this side of heaven that compares with the presence and glory of Christ.
It is all-consuming and enriching, a feast and banquet beyond description.
You don’t want to miss what Jesus has for the Church in this hour of history.
We are at a turning point; he’s making himself available in greater measure to join with him in the final hours and seasons of the church.
Finally, in Tabernacles, your walk will be more intensive.
Intensity and change are the prominent features.
Your priorities, interests, and lifestyle will change.
Your plans for the future will change, for the better.
He will honor the deep desires of your heart for him in ways you could not have imagined.
If you want the deep things of God, receiving the fullness of the Philadelphia church age, Tabernacles, now is the time to seek the face of the Lord for your life.
If you want to rule and reign with Christ, now and in heaven, if you want the heart of the gospel – the design and purposes for which you were created, the love and care of God, then Tabernacles is your choice.
You will be lifted into a place of grace and work of the Spirit beyond words.
What is life but a grand adventure?
Do you want to be able to look back someday and say, I gave my all to Christ and look what he accomplished?
Think about it, everything in this temporal world is going to pass away but all that will be left is you and me and untold millions with Jesus in new ventures far beyond what we could have ever imagined.
Given the opportunity, why not take Jesus up on his offer to take you personally on a grand adventure in him?
You have only the fallen nature to lose, your wounds, sins, brokenness and gain Christ – to give up everything that’s killing you, for life – why would anyone pass up his offer of goodness and kindness packaged in love and care?
Choose life.
Why not give Jesus the opportunity to put new wine in a new bottle for you?
Blessings, Drake
(NIV) Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblical, Inc.™
(A) The New Greek – English Interlinear New Testament by Translators Robert K. Brown and Philip W. Comfort, Editor: J. D. Douglas. Copyright © 1990. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
