The fiery trials have been determined and calculated to either try or tempt us. We are admonished to ‘think it not strange’. This is because it is not easy to do this. At times when we are in temptation, Satan likes to bring back our past so that we can question God in places we are not meant to. Our hearts, however, must be strengthened to not take the thoughts that Satan brings. This is because once we do, we might not be able to recover.
There’s a way a carnal man concludes things. Thoughts are what makes a man either carnal or spiritual. When God wants to raise us to Himself, He gives us thoughts from His realm. Our temptations and trials are evidence that we are waging a war between the corruptible and incorruptible. Our inheritance is incorruptible. We cannot lay hold of the inheritance with our former thoughts intact. This is why God comes to upgrade our thoughts.
In the light of the eternal weight of glory, our afflictions will be seen as scratches on the skin that do not go deep. May God bless us with sight for the pile-up of glory. Coming into this weight is not something reserved for when we get to heaven. Our definition of success in life and ministry is limited by death. Ministers must labour till they break into the eternal weight of God’s glory. When God called us, He called us to come inherit His glory.
There is a lot of warfare involved at this juncture where we find ourselves, because we are at the brink of receiving the promise. There is a phase in the journey that pleasing God seems like a burden and we look for reasons to escape from Him and His commandments. But we can journey to the point, like the first disciples did, where our lives say “To whom do we turn to? You alone have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
The hopes we have are the reasons we can either forge forward or draw back. What God desires is to bring our hearts to the point where we would rather die than disbelief the hope of life before us, in a way that if all this were a dream, we would not desire to wake up from it. This is because a man can not live for something he cannot die for.
One of the things that the Lord is laying emphasis on is the eradication of sin from the church. This church spoken of is not a certain local church but the entire body of Christ. When God speaks He speaks seeing the whole body of Christ. This means that the emphasis of the spirit is the same all over the world. God desires to rid sin from the church because He wants to purify the church. Hitherto, sin has embarrassed the church all over the world. Sin is so bad because it has affected even the mindsets of the preachers that they seem to think nothing can be done about it.
What was stolen from man through disobedience, was an understanding that once made Adam the King of the earth (Ps. 8:4-8; 82:5). What man (i.e. you and I) should have attained unto had Adam disobeyed the devil or obeyed the commandments God gave him, was an understanding packaged in the tree of life (1Jn. 5:20).
What reduced Nebuchadnezzar from being the greatest king on earth into a beast that would live in the forest for seven years, was that his understanding was withdrawn. What informs the reign of sin in men is a darkened understanding, and what informs a reign (dominion) over sin, is an enlightened understanding (Dan. 4:30-34, Eph. 4:18).
In like manner, what has limited many believers (till date) from coming into a spiritual understanding of the actual faith of the New Testament, is their inability to selflessly use the word that can only introduces righteousness (i.e. the milk of faith), as a leverage to embrace the actual word that teaches or unveils (God’s) righteousness; i.e. the word of righteousness (Heb. 5:12-13).
This word starts by skillfully unveiling or unlocking the riches of Christ; the truths that fashioned Jesus to become the Christ, and ultimately the Son of God (Jn. 20:31).
By receiving and faithfully keeping the riches of Christ it communicates, we are prepared, empowered and equipped with the spiritual maturity and ability to receive the weightier things (teaching) of God; things that border on the fullness of our soul's salvation (Rom. 1:16, 1Cor. 2:9-11).
So, only by the consistent skillful teaching of this word or of the doctrine Christ, can believers who have only been able to carnally relate with the natural life (i.e. with his natural mind or senses) be brought to a place where they can do so gracefully or spiritually; with a mind strictly inspired by Christ; a spiritual mind that pleases God and displeases the devil (Rom. 8:6).
We have a Father; an Heavenly Father; One who wants us to feel His warmth.
We have a Father; a tender One; Love personified; God whose mercy can never be exhausted!
There are many sides of Him; yea many sweet sides we are yet to experience: many divine provisions in Him that we are yet to harness.
There are certain scriptures meant for specific seasons and they will not open until the time appointed. The scripture is not a mere book; it is a work of spirits that will not grant men access until the time for it has come.
I perceive strongly that this Convention is a double feast because the High Priest is coming with a double operation. This double operation is a feast of both Christ and God. The day of God that we are coming into is the day of the judgment of the accuser of the brethren.
