The trumpet sounds to wake us up, time to get to the watch. He is coming.
The trumpet sounds and He gathers His sons and daughters to Him. From the east, the west, north and south they do come. For He is raising up His witnessing church, (Isaiah 43:1-17; Rev. 11:1-6), who prepares the way for Him by revealing God through His wonder, power, word, and love.
His in dwelling in us through Christ by His Spirit, is to be His witnesses, revealing that He is the only one and true God, that before the day He was, and after the day He is. His in dwelling in us is our eternal guarantee.
As He first came to earth and ministered in wonders, power, and love; and, as the church was birthed at Pentecost in the great outpouring, so we are to be His witnesses. Knowing the very essence of God makes His home in us. We are to reveal Him in wonder and signs, knowing it is God alone that does this.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
Matthew 2:1-2
We are to know His will is signs, wonders, word, and miracles to gather the lost to Him, who will then carry His good news and become His witnesses.
Christmas reminds us of heaven on earth, and His call to witness who God is, and He has given His Spirit and the (seven) powers of believing to qualify us for this role as we believe in Christ Jesus, Immanuel. We are to rediscover the wonder of God, and reveal this to the world around us.
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Luke 2:10-15
Wonders in the heavens not only speak to magi and shepherds, but to foreign kings, immigrants, workers in the business world, farmers on the hill. Signs of earth witness His prophetic word to these people, and they hear His good news even through angels. The Lord of heaven and earth, calls us back to His supernatural way, to trust in the kingdom of God more the the kingdoms of the world, and to Praise Him.
In and through us, in the heavens above, and on earth, He will reveal His glory and wonder, and His children will be gathered to Christ, and together we are His witnesses that He is God, the One and only.
As His witnesses by the power of the His presence in us, and as by a mighty move of the Holy Spirit, the Lord will bring many into the church, sweeping up even the flotsam and jetsam of life. As fishers of men we will see many fish come in through the living water, however the challenge is will they find a river of God in our church, or will they spiritually die as the tidal wave of God resides? Some maybe tempted to keep these fish, even if dying, to claim there catch! And yet, they forget this gathering is to Jesus, and not to us.
For these are born of the Spirit, and thrive in His living water, but if the churches are but stagnant pools of the past and religious traditions, they will surely fall away. Only in the places where the Spirit is allowed to flow freely will they thrive. We are children of the Spirit, and as we allow Him to flow freely through and in us, the overflow of His presence brings the river of life to all.
All the gifts of God are to flow freely in and through us, and according to God’s order, not man’s. The Lord reveals His way is full of wonder and the supernatural, and can look like the sudden roar of the Spirit, flames of fire, and people falling out into the street speaking in tongues; or, angels gathering with shepherds and kings to proclaim the birth of our King, and signs and wonders confirming prophecy. God’s order looks like a mighty river predictable and not, rather than a stagnant pool that is calm and peaceful, and known, but gives no life, and evaporates away.
As a sign of God’s desire for us to embrace His gifts, the Lord tell us to above all desire prophecy. Yet some believe they can control prophecy, requiring it only when it suits their agenda, and (against the will of God) even stopping it from being heard by unbeliever, and yet they think the Spirit is moving. Prophecy is the work of God, and happens according to His move. Hindering it will only hinder healing, your future, the preaching of His word, hope, and the move of the Spirit. In reality those who do such things will end up in the stagnate pool, which eventually ebbs away, and God will pass them by to move where it pleases Him, for nothing can stand in the way of the Lord.
God is calling the church to rediscover the wonder of God, and embrace His majesty, including as revealed through us. Let not the fear of man or our comforts cause us to stand against the will of God, rather embrace the move of His Spirit, in all its abundance and diversity, and find life that overflows, and causes many to again gather to Christ.
Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth— Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” Bring out the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified; Or let them hear and say, “It is truth.” “You are My witnesses,” says the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,” Says the LORD, “that I am God. Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?” (Isaiah 43:5-13)
And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. (Revelation 11:3-6)
Kingdom Blog 