KEY PILLARS
of the
REFORMATION:
Restoration of Devotional Intimacy with Jesus Christ is REVELATION 3:20 encapsulated.
It is the call of Jesus Christ to the lukewarm church at the end of the age.
REVERENCE
WORSHIP
ANOINTING
MANIFEST PRESENCE OF GOD
The foundations of historical Christianity from past centuries are being restored to the body of Christ.
RESTORATION of:
1. DEEP INWARD RELATIONSHIP TO
JESUS CHRIST...2. SOVEREIGNITY OF GOD ...
3. THE CROSS ...
RESULTING IN CHANGE:
1. FAITH
Faith's emphasis will change completely from that which is prevalent in all Charismatic circles, which comes from the Word-faith movement.
2. PRAISE AND WORSHIP
The praise and worship in churches will be completely different to the way things are done today in most Charismatic churches.
3. CHURCH STRUCTURE
4. FINANCES
5. FULLNESS OF THE END-TIME HARVEST
A fruit this reformation and restoration
OUR LIVES, DISPOSITION AND CHARACTER WILL CHANGE COMPLETELY
AND
THIS CHANGE WILL AFFECT EVERY FACET OF OUR LIVESInstead of a harsh, legalistic Pharisee-like and judgemental spirit which is the fruit of the Laodicean doctrine based mainly on principles, there will be a gentleness, meekness and a deep sensitivity to Jesus and to others, enveloped in His love and manifest Presence with the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUSOur end goal is to be walking in the Presence of God continually - living in His Presence with uninterrupted fellowship - by a special kind of prayer (the KEY) which is from our spirit and not from our soul. This prayer not only leads you into the Presence of God; but keeps you there. A kind of prayer that can practiced by statesmen, pastors, labourers and children.
It does not interfere with your daily routine.Simple Beginnings
I council you to buy from Me gold tried in the fire that you may be rich. REVELATION 3: 18
Living water ..... not digging wells that are without water.
Christians are taught by God concerning this. However, man-made religion can take us on a path that destroys the work that He desires to do in your life. I found that the faith teaching (Word-faith) brought destruction in my life - it affected my personal relationship with Jesus.
Some discourage 'waiting on the Lord' as there is a danger of falling into eastern meditation and opening the door to demons. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. This error even creeps into Charismatic Bible Schools and brings us down into living Laodicea! In other words, 'waiting on the Lord' is not New Age.
I am positioned strongly against New Age teachings. Some people have erroneously labeled Jeanne Guyon under 'New Age'. Her work is more centred towards Jesus Christ [Christ-centred] than almost any other ministry today! Her work has the backing of spiritual giants such as Watchman Nee, Hudson Taylor, John Wesley, Fenelon, the early Quakers and others. She does NOT say that all paths lead to God nor does her teaching lead that way. Actually the opposite occurs. Persecution follows all who walk as she walked because of the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Those who take this position - seeing everything as New Age - have the letter of the Word and nothing more. We are taught in the Word of God not to be soulish or carnal (surface) but to become spiritual (of the heart) believers. Let us discern between the true and the counterfeit. To throw out 'abiding in Jesus Christ' and the 'anointing of the Holy Spirit' is suicidal. Heresy hunters, please take note! Discernment is needed - some contemplatives did stray into error and into New Age error. However, let us not throw them all out!
When I first was saved, I was schooled in the basics by the Lord Himself.
1. "WAITING ON THE LORD"
I spent time waiting upon Him in faith and speaking to Him aloud - with reverence. Come to Him with a deep sense of love, very gently and come to Him humbly with a deep sense of worship. When His Presence is manifest, be still. Do not think of anything. Do not try to say anything. Do not try and do anything. When the sweetness of His Presence wanes, speak again. In other words, move only when the cloud moves. Do not seek to move as long as He is near. Be still in the Presence of God. Learn to be quiet before Him. If your mind wanders, just turn back to Him. Do not try to imagine what He looks like. You can also occasionally use the Lord's prayer. Pause and be slow, letting Him minister to you.
If you have a difficult time, dry spells or find that your mind is wandering a lot, be serene. Accept it. Sometimes His sweet Presence will be manifested more than at other times. He is sovereign with regard to showering His blessing. Learn to come into His presence to please Him. Receive all things with calmness and serenity.
Dry Seasons
You will have dry periods. This, however, is not the issue. The issue is this. How will you respond to the Lord in these periods? Most Christians will exercise their strength and the flesh will manifest itself. Self effort. Instead, we need to learn to be patient - worship Him with patient love and contentment.
Remember the Lord is searching throughout the earth for that Christian who will remain faithful and loving even when He has withdrawn Himself.2. "PRAYING THE SCRIPTURES"
a. The first way was simply reading a portion of the Scriptures out aloud. I was not concerned whether I understood all the content. I just savoured the Presence of God which was manifest very powerfully at times. Again when His Presence is close, stop reading and be still before Him. This is devotional reading of the Scriptures. Again, move only when the cloud moves. Be still in the Presence of Jesus. Always come before Him in quietness and reverence. The reading of Scripture has quietened your mind - your soul. When your mind wanders, turn inwardly back to Him. When your outer senses and soul is calm, you will become more sensitive to His Presence. Your spirit or heart is the place where He manifests Himself.
Many make the mistake of seeking the Lord outwardly and not inwardly. This brings much grief to the Christian. One will never grow up in the things of God. He will also struggle to have clarity with truth.
b. The second way is where only a few verses are read. This is not a quick reading or the studying of the Scriptures. There is no deep inward profit from such reading. It it not how much that you have read but what He reveals.
If you read quickly, it will benefit you little. You will be like a bee that merely skims the surface of a flower. Instead we need to penetrate the depths of the flower and remove its deepest nectar.
You will also find that you no longer move from subject to subject in the Scriptures. You remain in the place where His Presence has been manifest and only move when He moves. Your daily devotions will follow on from the previous day where He manifested Himself.
Eventually, your own efforts of prayer will become less and less. Eventually His Presence with become your normal experience. You will come to love this silence and peaceful rest which comes from His Presence.
Years later, after I had entered the wilderness for a few years, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Jeanne Guyon spoke similarly in her book, 'Experiencing the depths of Jesus' concerning these elementary truths that the Lord shows His children. I have mentioned her book often as it presents the way with much clarity.
From these simple beginnings, we need to move forward into the DEEPER things of God.
These beginnings - QUIET TIME alone with Jesus - should be the start of something wonderful. He desires that eventually we come to the place where our quiet time breaks out into CONTINUAL 24-7 PRAYER, worship and a continual deep abiding anointing in our lives. This will only occur if we follow His teaching and not the path of Laodicean teaching.
Once you have experienced and tasted the Lord's goodness and His sweet manifest Presence, let us move on to the second pillar, the 'Sovereignty of God', which holds the key to moving from a QUIET TIME into a CONTINUAL 24-7 LIFESTYLE of living in His Presence.
Some say that when you are young in the Lord, He often showers you with His Presence and then when you grow up in Him you are expected to live more by the faith in the Word of God and principles. This is completely false. This is the way of Laodicea and is emphasised in the Word-faith teaching. His way is very different!
SOVEREIGNTY OF GODTrue Christianity is not about how passionate or intense you are in the things of God, how dynamic or desperate you are or how hard you work or how well you know the Word of God. It is chiefly about living in His Presence. Few are those who have found the pearl of great price - even amongst preachers! Some such as Kathryn Kuhlman have indeed found this hidden treasure.
Now that you pursued the "Simple Beginnings" for some time and have experienced His sweet Presence in your quiet times, let us move on to a deeper level of knowing Jesus Christ.
A prerequisite is moving deeper with God is understanding that God is sovereign. All things are in His Hand. Nothing done is done without His approval or permission. Satan can only work when he is permitted to. This is when doors are opened through sin and permission is granted to him to pursue his plans.
In the Charismatic move, this foundation has been eroded. Many say that satan has much more freedom being the 'god of this world' which he is. There needs to be a shift back towards the way things truly are. We need a revelation that Jesus is indeed our Sovereign Lord.
We must move out from a time of prayer and begin to live in His Presence all the time. There is a major shift here from a daily quiet time - a time set aside for prayer - to a complete change in lifestyle or world view.
Receiving all things from His hand
In "Simple Beginnings," this truth was first introduced. We learnt to accept dry spells in our quiet time with quietness and contentment. Recognise that He is Sovereign and manifests His love as He pleases. We need to learn to come to Him to please Him and not just because of His manifest Presence.
Now we need to broaden this from our time of prayer to our daily lives. We need to receive all things - the circumstances of your life - everything that happens - as from His hand. You must completely believe that all that has happened to you is from God.
You learn to become content with everything. Such an outlook towards outward circumstances and such a look of faith toward your Lord will bring this contentment. Believe completely that everything that comes into your life is from God and not from the hand of man.
It is one thing to reach this spiritual state; but another to remain there.
This is the casting off of all our cares - dropping our needs - outward practical things and inward spiritual needs. Not only our wants, but our needs too. Sometimes we desire to see miracles in our ministry, desire more of His Presence, and other things - all things like these must be dropped.
All Christians have spiritual needs - some even good and noble things. They must all be left at the cross. Death must be present before the true things of God are manifested. All things not put at the cross have self-life, own strength and dead works stamped on them. These things will damage your walk as a Christian if they are not left at the cross. Resurrection life flows from a dead Christian.
Surrender your life to Him by receiving outward circumstances as from His hand and inward spiritual things as from His hand. Allow God to be God in your life.
You will find yourself living in the present moment. The past and the future remain at the cross. It is forgetting the past and leaving the future in His hands. It is being satisfied with the present moment no matter what it contains.
This truth is important. Unless we grasp this and live in this truth, we will never be vessels of gold that can bear His glory in this final hour.
THE CROSSThe cross is often misunderstood. Even the first things of the cross are misunderstood.
Many in churches today have paid lip-service to the things of God but have never been to the cross. We need to be brought to the place of the cross at the feet of Jesus - the place of repentance. Even the moral or religious man will find that his plans, ambitions, nature are all of his own and need to be left at the cross when he first comes to Jesus. His life will completely change when he is truly born-again.
There is a danger with teaching that all we need to do is accept Jesus. Often this is mental assent to Christ and we have not been born again. The new birth involves repentance - being brought to the place of the cross by the Spirit of God.
Prophetic picture: My home has a door with a cross varnished on the outside. This is a type of us spiritually. We always enter the kingdom of God through the cross - however, we need to grow in the way of the cross. We need the cross on the inside of the door too!
However, the cross has a much deeper and important work in our lives once we have entered into the kingdom of God. This truth has been lost to this generation.
Lost Treasure of the Cross
Under the second pillar, "Sovereignty of God", I introduced why it is important to receive all things as from the hand of God. As we embrace this truth, we will begin to understand the depths of the cross.
As we grow in this way - not by mortification - not by fasting - not by anything religious - but by the truth of the second pillar, we will begin to be enveloped in His love and anointing.
Dead works is the greatest trap for Christians today. It is not enough that our motive is right. It is not enough that the works are in line with the Scriptures. They must be birthed by Him alone and done through His manifest Presence. Only these works will remain.
Be patient in all the suffering that He allows to come your way. We need to have a purity in our faith and learn to love Him the same at the place of the cross as at other times.
If you surrendered yourself to Him to be blessed and comforted, you can't take back your life when you are being crucified.
You will not find any comfort from man when you have been put on the cross. Our Lord Jesus found that His Father hid His face - His Presence - from Him in that hour - the dark night of the soul - when the sins of the world were upon Him.
You must learn to love the cross. He who does not love the cross does not love the things of God.
The Christian who discovers this truth will find that the bitterness of the cross becomes sweet as you receive the cross from Him.
How do you respond to the Lord's working of the cross in your life?
As soon as anything comes to you in the form of a trial or suffering, receive it as from the hand of God. Accept it.
You will also discover that the cross is lighter if borne this way. You will still experience the pain and feel the full weight of the cross, but it will seem much lighter if you receive it as from His hand and bear it in the will of God.
All the three pillars go hand in hand. The truth works together. This is the true foundation for Christianity - ... to begin to experience the depths of Jesus Christ and to experience a continual deep abiding anointing that becomes part of your daily walk.
Much truth unfolds from these simple beginnings and will be put on the web site in due course. This truth is the foundation of the work that the Holy Spirit has birthed in the wilderness and the coming move of God.
NOTE: I acknowledge that I have, at times, closely followed Jeanne Guyon's 'Experiencing the depths of Jesus Christ' as her work unveils the foundations very clearly.
Abiding in HimAbiding in Him
By DN Hoets
What does this mean? I have found that very few saints and even fewer five-fold ministers of the gospel have even a shallow understanding of this truth. This is strange as it is something the Lord teaches believers themselves if they are sensitive to the Holy Spirit. [Actually, it is not that strange as it is a logical consequence of a worldly, lukewarm Laodicea - the loss of true spiritual depth - the pure refined gold[Revelation 3:18]].
Two Kinds of Prayer and Spirituality
1. Mostly of the mind. A mental conversation with God. One thinks upon God. Rational prayer. It often consists of many types of prayer with principles. It often involves praying the Scriptures. Memorizing Scriptures. Much study. Sometimes this can include meditation, and visualization with images, which borders on dangerous New Age teaching.
Those who seek the Lord externally have always to do something ...acquiring more Biblical knowledge, mortifying some desire, much fasting, seeking the word of the Lord ( He will reveal things in His own time), delight in being an intercessor, delight in helping the poor, delight in ministry, relate all things to Scripture, etc. They believe that by doing these things God abides close to them.2. Beholding Him with rest. Fixing your attention on the face of your Lord. A simple childlike faith in Him. Seeing Him and loving Him. Your mind is calm in the Presence of God. You are collected, centered and your eyes are fixed wholly on Him. Reason, meditation and thought do not play a dominant role here.
Everything is left at the foot of the cross. Eventually the love of God becomes tangible. The Presence of God. The life of God. Living water. This love of God will keep you and sustain you in all circumstances that comes to you. Some of the things laid down at the foot of the cross may be resurrected with a new life behind them.
The believer is drawn into this deep inward place - the secret place of the Most High. The believer is alone with God in this place. It is as if they are the only two persons existing in all creation. A living blind (blind to soulish effort) faith. It is without images. It is enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
It is only in this place and as we remain in this place that we are changed from glory to glory and are molded more and more into the image of Jesus. It is only in this place that the fruit of the Spirit grows in a believer's life. It is a place where there is no news that causes them to over abundantly rejoice nor is there any news that causes them to become very sad.Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.I foresaw the Lord always before My
face,
For He is at My right hand, that I may
not be shaken;
Therefore My heart rejoiced, and My
tongue was glad;......You have made known to Me the ways
of life;
You will make Me full of joy in Your
Presence. [Acts 2: 25-28]The first kind of prayer is mainly of the soul. It requires effort - assisted by the grace of God. A mixture of doing things in the flesh and in the Spirit. The second kind of prayer is of the heart. It is more tranquil. No effort. Only of the Holy Spirit. Grace alone. It is deeper. It is the key of understanding the continual experience of a normal healthy Christian. The first path yields little fruit; the second path yields much fruit in a believer's life. Remember that Paul reminded believers to be spiritual and not to be carnal. The natural man does not receive the things of God. The second way is also not something achieved by the will of man. It is something that a believer eventually acquires over time.
Did you know this? Every Christian should. Do you experience His love continually in this manner?
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
We need to do this often, especially in times of tribulation and temptation. Enter into that inmost realm. Retreat into your fortress, the city of God, Mount Zion, His habitation, the Temple of the living God. In this place - the secret place of the Most High, under the shadow of His wings - there is a peace that passeth understanding. A greater awareness of the Presence of God. It is a place of calmness. Your soul is quiet; yet alert and alive with the life of God. Truly this is a place of refreshing. Fresh strength comes to us here. Safety. It is a place in which we are fully covered in the armour of God. Learn to love this withdrawal. The inward retreat. It is the place where the proverbial cat gets the cream.Augustine said: [cf Song of Solomon 3: 1-5]
Lord, I went wandering like a stray
sheep, seeking you with anxious reasoning
weighted within me. I wearied myself
much in looking for You without. Yet you
had your habitation within me. If I only had
desired you, and panted after you. I went
around the streets and squares of the cities
of His world and I found You not, because
in vain I sought without for You who were
within.What is the important thing (the key) to know in order to experience the FULLNESS of this wonderful experience of abiding in Him? This is the key to the journey of experiencing the depths of Jesus Christ in your life. It is also the key to worshipping God fully in spirit and in truth; and of experiencing the anointing and His Presence in your life. This will be discussed below.
The Key
The key is the Cross. Kathryn Kuhlman lived by it. So did many of the past saints such as Jeanne Guyon, Michael Molinos and John of the Cross.
Kathryn Kuhlman said:
'The Heavenly Father does not ask for golden vessels. Nor does He ask for silver vessels. God ask for YIELDED vessels - those who will submit their will to the will of the Father. And the greatest human attainment in all the world is for a life to be so surrendered to Him that the name of God Almighty will be glorified through that life.'
'Do you really know what it means? Oh, I know there is a great ecstasy of being filled with the Holy Spirit. I know. We are in a great Charismatic world convention here today. You know, I have had great moments of ecstasy. And there is no greater experience in your life than when you receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. That is marvelous. But my friend, do you know the experience of having yielded your will to the will of the Father? Pause. Not some of self and some of Thee; but none of self and all of Thee. I feel that glorious anointing of the Holy Ghost; that provision which He has made for every one of His children. Will you take the most ordinary... He doesn't ask for golden vessels, He doesn't ask for silver vessels. He asks for yielded vessels. But He will take the most ordinary person and I won't tell who that one might be. ... He will give you a courage. He will give you power. You can feel that you can stand alone against all the forces of hell. And you are standing strengthened and you are feeling like a giant not because of your own strength; but because you are drawing on unseen resources. I haven't been speaking to you about something that is imaginary. I have been speaking to you about something that is the most real thing that can happen to any individual... All the forces in hell will not be able to stop this outpouring of the Holy Ghost..... I am in the perfect will of God standing where I am this very hour...It costs much, but it is worth the cost. It costs everything. If you really want to know the price, if you really want to know the price, I will tell you. It will cost you everything. Kathryn Kuhlman died a long time ago. I know the day. I know the hour. I can go to the spot where Kathryn Kuhlman died.'
Have you found and entered this door?
There is a door that you need to find. A door to enter. A doorway into a place where there is none of you and all of Him. It is a life-changing door. Once you have passed through this door, your life will change forever. Kathryn Kuhlman spoke of this happening in her life.
I am here pointing you to this door; a door which very few find.
Who loves Jesus the most? It is the saint who does the most, ministers the most? It it the saint who feels the most, has the most revelations? It it the saint who is the cleverest; has a wealth of Bible knowledge and understands all the mysteries of God? Is it the saint who shows love the most; who shows the most compassion and helps the poor? No, none of these. It is the saint who suffers the most. [I am not speaking of asceticism here; but a death to the self.]
Understanding the Key
Most importantly, the key does not belong to ministry only but to all of life. Surrender of your will to the Father's will.
Peace, inward rest and tranquility is found in a three-fold silence: a silence of your words, a silence of your desires and a silence of your thoughts. The peace of God is our umpire. We need to keep our temple of the Holy Spirit a place of inward rest and this inward rest is found in this three-fold silence. In this place, there is simplicity and freedom. A pure place. A clean temple. Guile, deceit and judgment are not found here.
To keep our temple - fortress - in this peace under all circumstances, we need to understand the key of surrendering our will to the will of the Father. Peace in the midst of war, solitude amidst the masses, forgetfulness in the midst of injury, refuge in the midst of the storm, strength in the midst of persecution.
The key has one absolute, something that is not always held by many in the ministry today. That absolute is that God is sovereign and is in control and that all things and circumstances are permitted by Him. We need to learn to receive all things from His hand. In other words, we never react to a situation but only respond in the Spirit when and if He prompts us. We are not to receive things from the hand of man. For example, Pontius Pilate's sin led to our Lord's death; however, God's plan was for our redemption through the cross.
The cross is both external and internal. Dryness - times when His Presence is withdrawn for a season - are internal. Christians who draw back during these times show that their self is still alive and that they have not truly died. The cross is necessary that we come forth as pure gold. Be constant and quiet in tribulation.
Blessed are those who embrace the cross and receive the blessings of God and the cross equally. This is a true sign of Christian maturity.
You will know that you are far from perfection if you do not find God in everything ...
Know that pure, perfect love consists of these elements: the cross and denial of yourself. Both of these elements are totally voluntary. These, plus accepting - with resignation - all things which come into your life, .. in humility ... then relating all these things to your spirit, - add to these a mean opinion of your self nature ... here are the elements you must have in your life [Molinos].Do we really love the Lord? Perfect love comes from perfect resignation and the three-fold silence mentioned above. It is not telling the Lord that you love Him or any other loving acts that you may do. You may have close intimate fellowship in His Presence, yet curse when only slightly hurt.
Consider Peter. John 21: 15-18 'Do you love Me (three times)....prophetic picture of Peter's martyrdom (v18). Verse 18 also shows the change in Peter - from following his own will to resignation to God's will. Peter's epistles also reveal this change - this change from love as mere words (and denying his Lord) to a deep resignation to the will of his sovereign Lord.
Remember Apostle Paul gloried in the cross; so should we.
This path requires that we have no idols in our hearts. We need a healthy detachment from things, people and even spiritual gifts i.e. gifts of the Holy Spirit.
This teaching is foundational to Revival Central. It forms part of the logo - the cross entwined by the vine.
Counting the Cost: Once you have given yourself up to the Lord - to walk with Him and live in Him, in an inward way, all hell with conspire against you. Just one believer who has withdrawn into the inward way makes a greater war against the enemy than a thousand whose walk is external [Molinos].
The spiritual man...it is his continual exercise to withdraw deep within, into God...he knows this inward withdrawal is far more important than speaking of God or even speaking to God [Molinos].
Deny and put to death your self-nature by not judging ill of anyone at any time ...suspicion and criticism bring the believer out of the realm of the spirit and take away his rest [Molinos].
Here is the way to cease deceiving yourself: recognize the difference between the outer and the inward way. The difference is the Presence of God. His presence, which you practice by faith, is entered by your collecting your center, and then waiting before the Lord. This is how you learn the difference between the outer man and the inner man [Molinos].
Your Lord pays more attention to that believer who lives in an internal resignation than He does to all those who work miracles ... even to the raising of the dead [Molinos].What is the cause of a Christian's disquiet? Rebellion of his own will is the chief offender. We do not submit to the sweet yoke of the Divine will and, as a result, we suffer many perturbing situations. Oh, Christian, you submit your will to the Divine will, and to all His orderings, what tranquility you will know. What peace, what serenity [Molinos].
End-time Worship Nugget: We need to keep the use of song boards in our churches to a minimum! Rather keep to simple worship refrains such as 'How Great Thou Art'. This ensures that saints fix their attention more on the Lord and lose themselves in worship. This small but important change shifts the worship to a greater depth and to a greater reliance on the leading of the Holy Spirit. Learn from Benny Hinn!
Recommended Reading:
1. The Spiritual Guide by Michael Molinos [Michael Molinos came closer to reforming the Catholic church than any other single man in history, yet he ended up sealed in a dungeon, his book condemned. There have probably been more copies of this book burned than any other piece of Christian literature ever penned].
Numerous extracts from this book appear in this article because of their clarity and importance to a Christian's growth in Him.Note: Ponder over the difference between the above teaching and the teaching of this age 'Who we are in Christ'. Does this teaching not provide us with the clue of the way of Christian growth? It provides us with the answer to the troubling observation that some Christians do not show any spiritual growth, even after 50 years in the kingdom of God.
Learning to Embrace the CrossLearning to Embrace the Cross
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials [James 1:2]
1. Accepting a cross externally will not help. It will produce no fruit in a believer's life. It is a form of asceticism which is religious but not Christian. Many Christians do not understand what James is saying, taking cross-bearing to mean externally only.
We first need to understand the difference between external and internal, between soul and spirit. This is not something easily grasped.
Consider Hebrews 4: 12
For the word of God is living and powerful,
and sharper than any two edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and spirit,
and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart.The context of this verse is in entering His rest (verse 10).
The external way is one of the soul. The soul consists of the mind, the will and the emotions. It includes outward prayer, outward works including church attendance, praise and works done in faith, meditation, study of the Word of God, acquiring knowledge of God, reading Christian books, memorization of Scripture and much toil. It also includes the mixture - part toil, part grace. Most of that done in the church today is not only external but a mixture of works assisted by grace. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. [Hebrews 4:10]
Satan also puts up a smokescreen here to confuse many and to hinder them from entering in. He shows the counterfeit - New Age meditation, visualization, zombie meditation. Many throw the baby out with the bath water here and suffer shipwreck to their faith by never learning this important truth of abiding in Him and the true inward path of a Christian. Meditation and visualization fall under the external way; not the inward way. Visualization is dangerous. It is also with images. The inward way is without images.The inward way is of the spirit. It is not of the soul. Since the will is part of the soul, this means that we cannot enter this way by sheer willpower. It is something that God does in His time. We need to respect Him here. We are entering holy ground. We need to enter in slowly; respectfully and with reverence. Loving attentiveness to Jesus. Keeping your eyes on Jesus. Collecting your innermost being and turning within, and centring yourself on Him. Staying before Him. A faith without images. Jeanne Guyon in her book 'Experiencing the depths of Jesus Christ' helps believers find this inward way by taking baby steps. She deals with the believer's quiet time and then extends it to all of life. She begins with leading the believer to experience the tangible Presence of God in our time spent with Jesus and then introduces the way of the cross. Eventually you will come to a place where this is real, part of your experience and central to your walk with God. You will begin to understand the words that Kathryn Kuhlman spoke:
"I looked up to see Kathryn burying her head in her hands as she began to sob. She sobbed and sobbed so loudly that everything came to a standstill. The music stopped. The ushers froze in their positions.
"Everyone had their eyes on her. And for the life of me I had no idea why she was sobbing. I’d never seen a minister do that before. What was she crying about? It was told later that she had never done anything like that before, and members of her staff remember it to this day.
"It continued for what seemed like two minutes. Then she thrust back her head. There she was, just a few feet in front of me. Her eyes were aflame. She was alive.
"In that instant she took on a boldness I had never seen in any person. She pointed her finger straight out with enormous power and emotion — even pain. If the devil himself had been there, she would have flicked him aside with just a tap.
"It was a moment of incredible dimension. Still sobbing, she looked out at the audience and said with such agony, ‘Please.’ She seemed to stretch out the word, ‘Plee-ease, don’t grieve the Holy Spirit.’
"She was begging. If you can imagine a mother pleading with a killer not to shoot her baby, it was like that. She begged and pleaded.
"‘Please,’ she sobbed, ‘don’t grieve the Holy Spirit.’
"Even now I can see her eyes. It was as if they were looking straight at me.
"And when she said it, you could have dropped a pin and heard it. I was afraid to breathe. I didn’t move a muscle. I was holding on to the pew in front of me wondering what would happen next.
"Then she said, ‘Don’t you understand? He’s all I’ve got!’
"I thought, ‘What’s she talking about?’
"Then she continued her impassioned plea saying, ‘Please! Don’t wound Him. He’s all I’ve got. Don’t wound the One I love!’"(Good Morning, Holy Spirit, Benny Hinn, pp. 8-9.)
"In my church, the pastor talked about the Holy Spirit. But not like this. His references had to do with the gifts or tongues or prophecy — not "He’s my closest, most personal, most intimate, most beloved friend." Kathryn Kuhlman was telling me about a person that was more real than you or I." (Ibid, p. 9.)*
We need to learn to receive the cross inwardly. Again this is something not easily grasped. It is like a bird turning into the wind and feeling the full force of the wind in its face. We need to receive all circumstances as directly from His hand. And they are. He is sovereign. Satan can only do what he is permitted to do. Today's teachers would say rather resist Satan. But we need to be careful not to resist Satan in our own strength or in the flesh. When we receive all things as from the hand of God and relate this to our spirits, we will not react in the flesh. We will sometimes respond in the power of God. Mostly we will be silent; our Lord gave us the example to follow. All things need to be received by our spirit inwardly. This is only understood once we have been on this inward path for a while and have begun to know the Presence of God experientially.
2. We must NOT draw back to the world
Once we have tasted of the Presence of Jesus, and have experienced His love for some time, one of the first problems that we will encounter is dryness. It is when His Presence seems to have left. The heavens seem like brass and you are left confused. You do not know what God is doing.
This problem needs to be overcome early as it will surface often in a believer's walk with Jesus.
I heard a well-known gospel singer saying on television that he had been struggling with this very thing. When he ministered the Presence of Jesus was very strong; but when he went home the Presence of God was no longer there. He became deeply depressed and this could have led to suicide.We need to stay before Him. If we turn away from practicing loving Him or if we turn to worldly pursuits, we will not move on in the things of God. During these times of darkness, if we stay before Him, in the secret place, many good things will come forth. We must remain on the operating table and let the Surgeon operate!
This turning to worldly pursuits can be the watching of television. During periods of dryness, we may be tempted to watch more television - whether secular or Christian! It can be the pursuit of pleasures or sports too! This drawing back can also be simply losing ourselves in work or even ministry! Let us be found unspotted from this world - a bride without spot or blemish.
Tranquility and Wandering Thoughts
Tranquility should be used to end this problem of wandering thoughts and temptations. Remember not to be agitated with this. Have you not given your life totally over to God? Receive all things from His hand, even wandering thoughts! This will restore a serenity to your soul. Eventually, through His grace, a calmness will come over your soul.Fruits from persevering during dryness:
1. Perseverance (James 1). The world will lose its strength over you. This occurs little by little. Your old life will also lose its strength. As you stay before Him, not turning to the world, the world 's strength will weaken little by little. We become stronger spiritually.
2. Wisdom and spiritual insight comes during times of dryness. You will begin to understand the ways of God more clearly. You will also begin to understand faith more clearly and realize how different this living faith is from that which is being taught today.
3. Stability comes to you. Double-mindedness (James 1) will be conquered. No longer will you be a yo-yo Christian. You begin to have greater confidence in the sovereignty of God.4. We become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit. In a manner, this is similar to fasting where our dependence on external things dies. The inward witness of the Spirit becomes clearer. We become more conscious of grieving the Holy Spirit. Consider what Kathryn Kuhlman said above. We will become more conscious of worldly praise and worship. All that which is of the flesh will grieve us deeply. Others with an external walk will wonder why we are so sensitive. This sensitivity is needed for the end-time move of God in which worship is very important.
5. The three-fold silence will be dealt with here. Here the Lord operates! Wandering thoughts, desires that trouble our peace are dealt a deadening blow in this place. We do not know what He is doing. However, much takes place and the fruits are only seen later.
This is primarily an inner solitude. There is an outward solitude where you speak little. Inner solitude is more being unattached from everything, including spiritual things and ministries. No idols. Forgetting all things, leaving all desires, plans and ambitions at the foot of the cross and coming before Him. Surrendered. Poor in spirit. Leaving the past and the future in His hands. This is a place of inward rest.
Enjoyment and inner peace are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. No man lays hold of these two elements unless he finds them in the depths pf his spirit, and unless he resigns all things that come into his life as being the hand of God [Molinos].
6. A willingness to suffer will begin to develop. You will begin to embrace the cross.
7. An fresh anointing will come; a deep abiding love will eventually come forth. You will begin to find that even in times of darkness, the inward living flame of His Presence gently burns. You will begin to realize that these times of dryness and darkness bring us closer to Him and deeper in His love and Presence. You will say with Apostle Paul that nothing can separate us from the love of God. You will begin to glory in the cross and to 'count it all joy' when you fall into various trials.
This is also foundational to our Christian walk. If we do not overcome in the area of dryness, we will be weak as believers. We will stunt our growth. Believers who do not learn this important lesson will be in danger of shipwreck, especially in these end-times where tremendous shaking, trials and tribulation awaits us.
* Note that I disagree with Benny Hinn's emphasis in his book, Good Morning, Holy Spirit. He implies that the we should focus more on praying and conversing with the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity. He implies that this was the secret behind Kathryn Kuhlman. It was not. The true secret behind her ministry is revealed in the series of articles here. Remember the Holy Spirit always points us to Jesus. We should be drawn deeper into Jesus.
We are dealing with the ABC's of the Christian faith (also the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end of the Christian faith!). The cross, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus is central here. The cross speaks of trials, tribulation and temptations. We die to our desires, thoughts, plans and pleasures. When we repent, a change takes place in our lives. However, the deeper change occurs during times of trials and tribulation. It is during these seasons that we are truly changed into His image and will come forth as gold refined in a furnace if we remain faithful and receive the cross inwardly. Some however, take the cross externally. This leads to asceticism and mere religion.
Receiving all things from His hand brings the cross into the present moment and daily in our lives. We don't bear the cross only here and there; when trials and hardships come into our lives, but continually moment by moment and day by day. That is why this teaching is so important.
We need to experience His resurrection life in our daily walk as well. This speaks of the manifest Presence of God. We begin to experience this once we have been truly born again. Sometimes we lose this due to the teachings of Laodicea and the succumbing to the temptations of this world. Jeanne Guyon in her book 'Experiencing the depths of Jesus Christ' helps believers find this inward way by taking baby steps. She deals with the believer's quiet time and then extends it to all of life. She begins with leading the believer to experience the tangible Presence of God in our time spent with Jesus and then introduces the way of the cross. Eventually you will come to a place where this is real, part of your experience and central to your walk with God.Essentially, the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord is not only the beginning of our Christian walk, but the was, is and is to come (the past, present and future) of our walk with Jesus. It is not merely a doctrine; but is experienced continually as we abide in Him. It is central in our lives and should be central in ministry as well.
We need to be balanced; not stunted and lopsided as Christians. Some focus only on His Presence exclusively and take the cross to be something in the past; as something that ended when we were born again! This is lopsided. Some focus only on the cross and know not the manifest Presence of Jesus. This results in a lopsided gospel; the cross being misunderstood, the cross being received externally as a form of religion or asceticism. We need all three to be equally central and ever present in our daily lives - the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
Of importance, is that much of the faith taught today especially in Word-Faith and Charismatic circles, is an external faith; it is very different to the inward faith, a living faith that I am pointing the way to here.
Praise and worship would also change completely if we knew the inward way. Most of the praise and worship is external in churches today. Sometimes a mixture. A far deeper sensitivity to the Presence of God would be present. Instead of being surprised by Kathryn Kuhlman's words above, we would regard them as normal.
What does His BURIAL mean? Perfect surrender to the will of the Father. Perfect submission. Lost in God. Coming before Him, with perfect resignation. Our self is dead and buried. No longer loving to do and to speak. Our self loves to be busy doing religious things and loves to speak much! No attachments. No personal interests. A deeper place in Him. Completely lost in His Presence. Deeper recollection. True inward solitude. Completely alone with God in the midst of surrounding tumult. Experiencing the drawing of spiritual sustenance from Jesus. Experiencing the drinking of living water. Experiencing the eating of the Bread of Life. There is a strong impartation from Him to us in this deep place in Him. Something like liquid Spirit flows into our beings. The manifest Presence of God. It is glorious. With this there comes a pleasure that seems heavenly. When we receive this strong impartation from Him, we begin to realize that we can also impart this to others too. This is what Kathryn Kuhlman experienced. This can be clearly seen in the video, Kathryn Kuhlman Special - A Tribute to Kathryn Kuhlman, available for free download from TBN.
The inward man grows stronger than the outward man. A clear spring of pure love arises. A deep serenity envelopes the believer. A peace that passes understanding. No inward conflicts. No warring desires. The soul - mind, will and emotion - is at rest. Psalm 23 is truly experienced in this place.But let patience have its PERFECT work, that you may be PERFECT and complete, lacking nothing. [James 1:4]
What does it mean to be perfectly resigned? It means that the believer resolves to abide with God alone, esteeming with equal contempt those things called gifts and those things called light and darkness. The believer only lives in God and for Him [Molinos].
James speaks about the self. The self loves to do, to speak (chapter 3), wrath and judge (chapter 2). [Living inward faith changes the heart and produces fruit without the self-life of much doing]
There is a great difference which lies between this thing of doing and this thing of suffering and dying. Doing is delightful. It belongs to beginners in Christ. Suffering belongs to those seeking. Dying - dying to the self - belongs to those who are being completed in Christ [Molinos].
In the above article, we have been looking at James 1: 1-12 as our foundational text. Trials are mentioned in verse 2-8. Riches or the lack of riches are dealt with in verse 9-10 and temptations in verse 12.
In seasons of desolation or in seasons of temptation, I would urge you to always learn to withdraw into the innermost chamber of your spirit. There, do nothing but behold God. It is the depth of your spirit that is the place of true happiness. It is there that the Lord will show you wondrous things [Molinos].
Let us look at verse 9 - 10.
Riches / PovertyRiches / Poverty
Poverty is a trial to the believer. Apostle Paul confirms this stating that he did not have a home, often went hungry, had to do menial work, working long hours in order to provide for himself and not to burden the saints. This was a trial for him; and continued to be so, daily, until his death [1 Corinthians 4: 9-13].
James mentions the wars and inner conflict that the wealthy believer often has in James chapter 4. Desires. Lusts. Desires for pleasure. James admonishes such to repent from worldliness; the problem of Laodicea. However, the deep change and work of God occurs during trials. The trial is the season when He operates!
Consider James Chapter 5.
Verse 1 - 3
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for
your miseries that are coming upon
you!
Your riches are corrupted, and your
garments are moth-eaten.
Your gold and silver are corroded, and
their corrosion will be a witness against you
and will eat your flesh like fire. You have
heaped up treasure in the last days.This occurs in the last days (verse 3). This time period is confirmed by the latter rain and the coming of the Lord (verse 7). It seems like the miseries have begun to come on the materially rich, especially in first-world countries. Many wealthy believers are experiencing a Job-like trial in their lives today. This is also echoed in John's word to Laodicea in the Book of Revelation. Although trials should not be miseries to a believer; they will be to the Laodicean who does not have a inward walk and who is not rich toward God.
Learn from the Poor Believer:
How to Weather the Storm1. Receiving all things from the hand of God. This is inwardly. To do this externally is merely asceticism. James 5:6 ... you have murdered the just (believer); he does not resist you. The first step may well be to see the two monsters in the storm as Job did (see article below). A revelation of the sovereignty of God is foundational.
2. Patience comes. Remember that perseverance is one of the fruits that come if we receive a trial inwardly and do not draw back. This verse also indicates that the latter rain comes to those who have been patient through a long and severe trial. Does this indicate the saints which God will use and anoint in the coming world-wide revival and end-time harvest? Those who have had an encounter after the Baptism in the Holy Spirit; the experience of entering a new door: surrendering your will to the will of the Father (taking up your cross). All those who are in the wilderness have been through this door.
3. Becoming established. Rooted in Him. Becoming secure in Him. Experiencing eternal security. Your will, your values and your judgments will die little by little. You will no longer be concerned about what trials come into your life; you will begin to welcome and to embrace the cross.
Someone once said:
'It would be better that you gather dung
by obedience than be caught up into the
third heaven by your own will.'4. Be constant and quiet in trials. Remember our Lord was silent and answered not a word. Often things do not appear as they are in a trial. We can succumb and 'grumble against one another (Verse 9).' Let our words be few ('let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No', 'No'' - Verse 12)
5. Blessed are they who endure. Trials are often accompanied by a fresh inward anointing which ebbs and flows within such a believer. This is usually proportional to the believer's inward recollection. As the soul's activity is silenced, we retreat and live in the centermost part of our being - the secret place and it is here that the Lord manifests Himself to the believer. Job gained wisdom concerning the inward walk when he was shown the two monsters in the midst of the whirlwind.
Living Flame of Love
(Songs that the soul sings in her intimate union with God, her beloved Bridegroom - John of the Cross)
O Love's living flame,
Tenderly you wound
My soul's deepest center!
Since you no longer evade me,
Will you, please, at last conclude:
Rend the veil of this sweet encounter!
O cautery so tender!
O pampered wound!
O soft hand! O touch so delicately strange,
Tasting of eternal life
And canceling all debts!
Killing, death into life you change!
O lamps of fiery lure,
In whose shining transparence
The deep cavern of the senses,
Blind and obscure,
Warmth and light, with strange flares,
Gives with the lover's caresses!
How tame and loving
Your memory rises in my breast,
Where secretly only you live,
And in your fragrant breathing,
Full of goodness and grace,
How delicately in love you make me feel!It is often that in this place of death and burial that the Lord manifests and reveals the deep mysteries of His love to you. It may be that He opens the deep mysteries of the Song of Solomon to you. He has done this for many of His saints. Hudson Taylor, Watchman Nee and Jeanne Guyon are examples. One needs to read their commentaries on the Song of Solomon to realize this.
This fresh anointing could be seen as the latter rain in a believer's life. Often young believers experience the pleasure of His Presence. There is also much external - a mixture - that draws a young believer. This is the former rain in a believer's life. Should this initial experience be taken away, the believer has a very shaky foundation. It has been said that the Lord expects us to learn to walk by faith; this being the reason why He withdraws His initial showering of His Presence from a young believer's life. However, the faith that is taught is often the wrong faith; hence very few saints ever experience the latter rain in their lives.
The latter rain has its beginnings in a more heavenly path, ascending the mountain of God by grace alone - the inward path. At the foot of the mountain, we learn to be be quiet in the Presence of Jesus. We are only satisfied with His love. We begin to overcome dryness. We choose to wait inwardly before Him; rather than turn to worldly things. Moving up the mountain, if we remain faithful to the first truths, we become filled with His Presence to overflowing. Our being has more of the Presence of God than it can hold. We begin to understand what Apostle Paul meant by the the words 'eternal weight of glory'. At the summit of the mountain, there is a tremendous sense of security. We have learnt through experience that nothing can separate us from the love of God; through receiving all things from His hand. This is different from discussing the issue of eternal security; it is experiencing it.
I believe that Jesus was speaking about this when He said (paraphrased) to Nicodemus, 'How can you understand heavenly mysteries (the more heavenly path) if you have not first understood earthly mysteries (born again)'? In the last chapter of the same gospel, John alludes to this in the Lord's conversation with Peter.
Note that this is not the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. I agree fully with Kathryn Kuhlman that there are 3 important spiritual experiences for every believer: 1. New Birth 2. Baptism in the Holy Spirit. 3. Taking up the Cross. The first two are the former rain. The third is the latter rain. Ponder the fact the the volume of the latter rain is 7-fold that of the former rain in the natural.
6. Danger: swearing and cursing. The worldly man swears when slightly provoked or confronted with the smallest thing that is contrary to their will. This should not be true in the believer's life. He should learn to receive all things from the hand of God. Remember Job. His wife advised him, Curse God and die!
The source of swearing can also be worldly television. Instead of staying before Him, and gaining the fruit of the world losing its hold over us little by little; we draw back and turn to worldly television or movies which are full of swearing and pick up this habit subconsciously from it.
Have you ever wondered why James said these words?: [James 2:5]
Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith
and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who
love Him?Those materially poor believers, who learn to carry the heavy cross inwardly, become rich in faith; and are not lacking in faith (poverty being part of the curse) as some teach today.
Our Occupation and the Cross
I have already touched on this above. Our occupation or call is not contrary to the inward walk with God. Resignation. Resignation to His will. Receiving all things from the hand of God. Resignation includes all the activities of your daily life. Whether it be earning your living, doing business, preaching; you are resigned to whatever comes into your life each moment, each day. Whatever happens is His will. You have not left this resignation or the Presence of God.
The New Testament writers say much concerning submission; especially in your occupation and call. You may only be understanding this truth today. Many saints have seen submission as something external. It is merely obedience to the Word of God. However, there is another way - the inward path. This is completely different to the external submission. Here the bitter cross becomes sweet. There is no bondage. Freedom. You are in a place where many good things come. Much fruit comes from such an inward path.
Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
Both myrrh and frankincense come from the desert. The boswellia tree that gives us frankincense grows only in the arid Arabian peninsula and in Somalia. Yet these trees provide one of the most prized perfumes in the world. That should tell us that if we want the true fragrance of the resurrected Christ in our lives, we must pass through the wilderness just as He did. [extract from Lee Grady]
Myrrh speaks of death (myrrh is a spice used to embalm, also a component of the anointing oil) and the cross as the flesh dies in our lives over time. Frankincense speaks of worship (this spice releases a fragrance when burnt and was used to offer up sacrifices on the altar). The anointing of the Holy Spirit entwines both of these. And the hidden One behind our worship is our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory. Gold comes forth [Revelation 3:18]. Pure gold. Refined gold.
Song of Solomon 3:6 4:6b-10
Who is this coming out of the
wilderness
Like pillars of smoke,
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
With all the merchant's fragrant
powders?
I will go my way to the mountain of
myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.
You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you.
Come with me from Lebanon, my
spouse,
With me from Lebanon.
Look from the top of Amana,
From the top of Senir and
Hermon,
From the lions' dens,
From the mountains of the
leopards.
You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
How fair is your love,
My sister,my spouse!
How much better than wine is your love,
And the scent of your perfumes
Than all spices!
As we ascend the mountain of myrrh (the cross has it deep work in our lives and we learn to embrace and love the cross), we come to the place where there is no spot or blemish in us, a bride prepared and chaste before our Lord Jesus. From this place, we (bride and Bridegroom) come forth from the top of the mountain of myrrh (from the high mountains far from the earth below) into ministry bringing in the end-time move of God. Notice that the bride is not central in this entrance. They see Solomon. They do not see us; but they see Jesus in us and His anointing, His authority and His majesty. [Remember Kathryn Kuhlman: Now I pray that not one person shall see Kathryn Kuhlman .. not one ... not a man, not a woman, not a child in this place of worship shall see Thy servant. Cf 1 Corinthians 1 - no flesh should glory in His presence]
It will be said of those coming out:
Who is this coming out of the
wilderness
Like pillars of smoke,
Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
With all the merchant's fragrant
powders?