Programme: Revelation Hour (RH)
Date: Saturday, 20th January 2024
In this season, God has begun to speak about appearance, not because God has not come to us before, but because every time God's word is revealed, there is another level of coming; understanding has increased, which means that God has come. Appearance has to do with specific ways in which God's coming is marked with great provisions of God. Such kinds of appearances are landmarks in the spirit because, in it, God's grace is visible and men can relate to it. In such seasons, people can truly make progress and see the prosperity of the word of God. We are looking forward to a great season of prosperity in the spirit because there is coming an appearance that would cause the will of God to be done.
Like the army in the book of Joel, we are expected to be an army that would be strong by doing the will of God. God is raising an army that will understand righteousness in all its ramifications; an army that will understand His very will and the seasons of God that pertain to the end. Such an army has to be strong. A time is coming when a people will be exercised with strength to do God's will, and we can trust God that we will come to that point.
If all about the will of God is how it feels and we stay at one point trying to negotiate with God, we would delay the fulfilment of obediences. God desires to raise a people of strength with a consistency in obeying the will of God. At that point, the will of God moves beyond the things that make us feel that we have pleased God. It becomes very universal and global in God's mind, that is, a bigger reach of the will of God. We begin to think about God's will in the way that He wants it. We will see God begin to train us and raise us so that we can truly become a people who can do the will of God.
The will of God is at stake and we do not know how it would find expression until a people who have come into a place of strength begin to take a certain stage in the spirit. Some of us do not know how much victory is at stake connecting us to the will of God and bringing glory to God. There is so much that the Lord wants to do to connect us to His purposes.
Even in our uniqueness, frailties and fears, God is saying to us “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour”, like He said to Gideon (Judg. 6:12). Unfortunately, in those days when we referred to this scripture, what was at stake was what we aimed to achieve. Therefore, our definition was limited and could not bring forth God's determined end because ‘self’ was in it. I believe that as God is training our hearts and taking us to that place, we become a people who can come to the place of strength in the spirit to do all of God's will in our time.
God's appearance is critical. As a community, God has spoken so much and we have seen seasons of God's word increase. God began to speak about the issues of everlasting life, and we should relate to it not just to increase knowledge— because God wants the pasture made available to be utilized. We also saw how God began to speak about the place of Eternal Life being the fullness or reward of life where God caps it up. All these things are hallmarks in the spirit that will define them as our own unique experiences that we are all going to relate to.
We saw God talk about the incorruptible seed. That teaching was a birth path of our increase of God's knowledge in everlasting life. It is not just a seed that will remain a seed, but a seed that God will validate and cause to grow because we would have taken it in its infant stage, nurtured and responded to it. Afterwards, God will come to us.
1 Peter 1:18-25
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19]But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: [20]Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, [21]Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. [22]Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: [23]Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. [24]For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: [25]But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
We are redeemed not with corruptible things. Peter clearly outlined that the precious blood of Christ and the power of God was involved to glorify His Son. The glory which God gave Him was part of the program to reveal Christ to us in this dispensation, in these last times. This revelation of Him brought forth so much power that our faith and hope will be in the living God. The reason God decked Jesus with great glory and ordained that He would be made manifest was not because it was a charade, but because God wanted to reinforce faith and hope. At the back of glory, God has our program of establishment in mind.
Romans 1:4
“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead…”
One of the marked ways we would see God's glory (that defines such seasons of appearing) is the manner in which Jesus came into a season of great glory (Rom. 1:4). Such powers that declared Him also separated Him unto God and made Him powerful, to the end that our faith and hope might be in God. The essence of the activities of appearance is for us to truly become a people of great faith.
John 17:1-3
“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: [2] As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. [3]And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
Here, we see our Lord Jesus praying and calling for glory. Truly, God gave Him glory; that glory was for us. The very recipient of that glorious experience was man. Faith was central; our walk with God should have that place where we are established. We need to have that faith abounding. Glory realms should reinforce faith. Appearances should reinforce faith so that we are no longer tossed by doctrines (Eph. 4:14).
This understanding will make us truly commit to the seasons that we have been called into. We are going to commit to it and see that faith is so profound, such that it can be defined as the totality of our commitment to God and life. Faith is a life of God in us that makes us respond to Him, and receive the life in God beyond meeting our needs. Faith is potent because inside it is an energy of God's life. One of the things resident in faith is the ability to lay hold on God's word. When faith cannot process God's word or take on the corruptible and turn it to become that which makes us live and abide, then faith is limited.
In this season of appearance, God will come and reinforce some things we already know and heave them up so that faith can come as a stronger definition to us—a life that we truly live. That energy that is in faith will make us a people who will be able to come to a place where we can lay hold on the pure incorruptible word of God. The ultimate part of that seed is that it lives and abides forever. There is an abiding life that faith spells out. Therefore, we are trusting God that in this season, we will come to a beautiful and abiding life that can manifest and operate that incorruptible life.
1 Peter 1:24
“For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.”
Sometimes, we know this, yet cannot fully come to terms with it. We need energy to live a life that is above grass. Many can only relate that all flesh is grass when life-changing experiences ensue. It takes power to have that reality and live a life in which one can identify the grass life and truly obtain a faith life through laying hold of God's life that endures. Such one is in the realm of participation with God and in the realm of fellowship with God. There's a place of so much impartation of understanding but I believe that God wants to quicken us and reinforce this understanding so that it will become our life and our working knowledge. It will not just be information or understanding that we have but an operational life because they have raised us with the glories of God.
If God raised Jesus and glorified Him so that we can truly come to a place of strength of faith and hope, then we believe that in this season of God's appearance, we will see God's life and faith made manifest, re-enforced and our faith given so much energy to lay hold on the life that is in the gospel.
We must trust God and have expectations that in this year, we will be enabled to hold the mystery of faith (1 Tim. 3:9). Faith is mysterious. Faith is not merely a simple and straightforward principle. For this reason, each time we use the principle of faith well, we don't remain in the doctrine because doctrine is about a Person much more than the principles at work. When principles work and we don't move from the principle to touching and relating with the Person whose knowledge and essence is driving the principle, we would be short-changed and faith will not be pure. The mystery of faith will not be held and cannot be sustained.
We must hold faith well to come to a place of hope. Faith is the energy of God's life that is real and tangible. As we grow, it is that same faith energy that will begin to change our phase into hope and charity. When we come to the realm of everlasting life, we are going to see faith demands and the energy of faith at work. The energy of faith at work is going to be seen by how God will come to us in a way, such that we can lay hold of His life. This is what we are trusting that God will do for us in such a time like this — that we would have sufficient engagements in our hearts to be able to hold on to the word of life.
Faith will not just remain faith as we have known, defined and used it, but another energy of life will be given to our faith so that we can come to a realm of participation with God. This is because the life of God is real.
John 17:2-3
“As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
We are coming to a place where there is so much knowledge, but have we truly laid hold on life? This is where the activities of God's seasons of appearance are going to do so much for us. Sometimes, people go through the motions but they truly do not realize the essence or determined end that is in God.
Jesus was glorified and will still be glorified because in this season of appearance, it is the Lord God who will be glorified again. That glory is going to rest on us so that faith can be reinforced. We have to come to participate with the life of God at another level and we need to be able to stay on that place so that our faith can be found unto praise, honor and glory at the appearing of our Lord Jesus (1 Pet. 1:7)
The trial of faith is not about trial itself, but the strength of the faith, that is, the ability to stay — the energy of faith that we would have acquired and will now become praise, honor and glory. In other words, it is not about the trial of the faith but the quality of the faith — trials reveal the quality of faith.
There is a place where the appearing becomes an appearing to validate and to honor. Sometimes, God's appearances are meant to build you up; it also has the ability to validate you. The validation is not because of man, but for the onward progression of journey and so that many more can be strengthened to follow on to know (Hos. 6:3). God then brings you to a place where you are able to comfort others with the same comfort that you have received; you become a tower of refuge and strength that can really bring comfort, courage and strength to God's people.
We are not just going to remain infants or people who have just an idea of what God is saying, but we are going to come to a place where we are knowledgeable in our realm of participation with God—that realm of faith to lay hold on the incorruptible life; not just the seed, but the life. Most times, the life of that seed has to be taught. The process by which we can lay hold of the incorruptible life includes the repeated engagement of the word of God. All of these things are to prepare grounds so that faith will be built up — another level or energy of faith will be made available.
The totality of our commitment to God is faith. Faith is central to all of these knowledge of life. A greater profession of faith is available. Jesus celebrated the centurion that He had not seen such a great faith as that of his (Matt. 8:10). We will also come to a place where God will see and celebrate great faith in us. This will happen because a new participation in the place of laying hold of the energy that is in faith to live out God's life will be made available to us in this year. A people will walk through this earth living differently with an understanding, authority, life and glory of God that strengthens them to live a life that is higher.
We are not looking for something that is far fetched. We are relating with faith. If God decked Jesus with so much glory so that our faith and hope can be in God, in this season of great glory and great appearance, great faith is at stake. This is a great ability to lay hold on God’s reality.
All of these things are not so that we would just have an experience. Scripture talks about those who know whom they have believed and are persuaded (2 Tim.1:12). Those are people who have used faith, who their journey has metamorphosed to a reality. Faith can morph into a strength of reality that cannot be let go of. At that point, it becomes our definition of strength or participation with God, reigning with Him and living in His world.
A prophetic people are those who have been so saved, not because they have been branded as saved but because the life of salvation is expressed in them. This is not a discrete moment, personality or experience, but a journey of our person, of our walk with God and faith, through the resources of God that has been framed overtime. Based on our cooperation with the God of heaven, our journey will bring us to that point where truly we will come to salvation. This place is a place of great glory. The people who arrive there are a company of prophets. These are people who truly manifest the oil life.
This oil life is the life that is in God. It is a life of the holy, a life that endures, is separated, cannot be quenched, cannot break, and which Satan cannot tell its form and extent. Satan is afraid of people who bear such life because the more he tries, the more they are morphing into something he cannot handle. We have great hope and we need to be encouraged to seek and pursue that life.
The prophetic people are a people whose life will tell the story of the goodness of God. The goodness of God means something in God's realm. This definition is not ephemeral but eternal. It spans into the heavens and far beyond time, and will be evident in time. We need to have great hope, expectation and engagement. We should use our hearts to engage, cry and wait on God. We are going to make a transition by the giving of the things of glory and the giving of our Lord Jesus again and again with great glory. God gave Jesus great glory (Luke 21:27).
From the basics of science, one can relate to what the energy of God’s life is. It takes energy for things to be sustained in a certain state. Even if you cannot feel it, it takes some form of energy to sustain an electron in its habitat. In a basic form, it takes energy to even sustain the micro life of creation. It also takes a lot of God’s energy for a people to come into an experience of a life that is truly real, which God wants us to come into.
Just as in natural science, it takes a higher energy to take us from one energy level into another energy level. What God is saying is that these dealings of God will take us from one energy level to another energy level in dealing with God’s things and in participation in His life. The movement from one energy level to another is not measured by our increase in capacity for religious activity. Energy of life is real and is going to be the reality of our experience.
The principles of God are manifest in creation and through it, we should see what God is calling us into and relate with faith energy, or the giving of a higher energy to participate with God. God will give us a new ability to participate in another energy level with Him. This is what is called ‘fellowship’. By God giving us His thoughts, we will no longer belong in certain realms; we are being given the energy of God to live His life. That is the realm of life forever, joy unspeakable, increase of God’s life, abilities in the spirit and prosperity of our souls. These are all provisions and we need to set our expectations and hope aright.
The attitude that we need to have is the attitude of faith and keeping our hearts true. We should not cast down our faith because it has great recompense of reward and great capacity to birth God’s day.
James 5:7-8
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. [8] Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”
If God says that He will appear in this year, we should believe it. This believing will be evident in our faith and patience. This patience is not the kind that sits back and watches time pass. This patience is being so assured of it and being committed to it. We need to be established (Jam. 5:8; Heb. 13:9). We need to fight to be established and to come to the place where we are strengthened. We can decide to be steadfast, unmovable and to abound this year with thanksgiving (1 Cor. 15:58), like the Husbandman who waits with great hope, anticipation and commitment. The Husbandman watches the seasons and knows the time for rain so that the seed can sprout and respond to the season. The Husbandman is not just oblivious, He is living in a world where He is relating His seed to the seasons around, because it is the response in one season that begets another season. We should be stirred up, encouraged and strengthened.
Hebrews 10:35-36
“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. [36] For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
There is a promise that we can cross into the experience of receiving. This glory realm should not be defined by a form in our heart. Instead, we should allow God to be the expression of that realm. The Thessalonians church thought about the coming of the Lord in a way; they did not expect that the saints were going to die. So when some of them began to die, they became discouraged. When we put the coming of the Lord into a context, we lose connection with what God is giving if He does not come in that context. Everything that the Lord wants to give is beyond us and the comprehension of our minds. We should be open and not define the coming of the Lord in physical terms. We know that when He shall appear, we shall look like Him (1 John 3:2).
Blessings!