I will share on how we bring God’s presence on earth. It is very important to understand that everything starts with spiritual realm. The earth and the whole visible world was birthed from the invisible, the spiritual. What we see came from the invisible. Actually, God’s light is everywhere, even scientists have proved that it is our eye’s problem if we don’t see light, but light is present. There’s no place where God wouldn’t be, even in Sheol, even deep underground. Job 28 says,
“He breaks open a shaft away from people; In places forgotten by feet… He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the roots. – (Interestingly, it is written even then, but it happens in the contemporary times). He cuts out channels in the rocks, ad his eye sees every precious thing… ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord is the true wisdom.”
This is the path that takes us into the invisible realm, into the secret realm, which is hidden from the eyes. This is the condition of the human spirit, when the Lord opens an access to the tree of life. When Adam and Eve sinned, a Cherub with fiery sward was put by the tree, the access to the tree was shut. When Jesus came He received wound, He received a blow, which was deadly, and He opened us an access to the tree of life. And then He Himself says, “to him who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life. And He speaks this to us now, not to the dead ones, but to us, those who overcome. Do not project this will be in heaven, this is written about now, that now, today, this moment, we can shape our spirit and bring it into such position before God that right now we will have an access to the tree of life.
The very touch of the Lord, when the Scripture is revealed, and the Holy Spirit starts breathing, this speaks that the door has opened a bit. Come on now, enter in this somewhat open door, because the Lord has already prepared it all.
The church, the supernatural Bride of Christ is birthed from the invisible realm. Some haven’t been able to give birth to a church yet, they keep going with their teem: “for the children are come to the birth, and there’s no strength to bring forth.” (Is.37:3) You feel you are not supernatural person, there is no miracle, there is result of human effort of the flesh. You impress someone, people come, talk, but don’t get born above. Months pass, but he hasn’t believed, he, so to speak, believes out of politeness, but you haven’t brought him to baptism. Baptism is the covenant, but the man is gone, when it comes to the covenant – it means he doesn’t believe at all, things are not real. A man chosen rushes in to the baptism waters, he longs, he thirsts and runs to God. And you realize you can’t do anything, because the birth of the church is a supernatural action. You can even have a group of people, but there’s no major sign of a church – this crazy, all-consuming, sacrificial love to God, when people love God so much, because love is given to them from God. This is the brightest sign of it being church – when people adore God, love Him with all of the soul and heart and want to serve Him whole-heartedly. This is the true Bride, when she is totally consumed with the Bridegroom and all her thoughts are about Him. She does not forget Him replacing Him with self-admiration. You know, some get married just to show off in a wedding dress.
But the brightest sign of the true church is this selfless consuming love with no fear to be betrayed; and shepherds are righteous and the spirit is good, and the teaching is true; and you have people around you who are ready to die for God.
But when you have to always encourage people, push them, force them, manipulate – this is a weird society, which I doubt to be a church, but some community of people “underbirthed” – “for the children are come to the birth, and there’s no strength to bring forth”, and no one can tell what it will end up with, full birth or death.
So we’ve got to realize that the birth of church is an absolutely supernatural matter, God’s matter. And we’ve got to attain it that God’s have do appear from the invisible realm in the visible and give birth to the bride from the rib of Adam hanging on the cross and risen. When we understand this we start seeking that, which is of heaven, we start making moves in the spiritual realm, so that God can manifest, then people see and feel these are supernatural people here, who neither manipulate concepts not show off with good works making you feel you owe them. This is all a cunning thing. But the work is done by God, He is the One who makes the Bride. And we rather need to achieve to please God than make church with the human hands. Do you understand? All things are inside us! All the mystery, all the keys are in your heart. There you have to become… Inside your heart is the key to eternity. And people will follow you, because they will feel you are God’s, that you are also a part of the Way.
It is not enough to be cool, impressive, communicable, amiable – people will never follow you, because they don’t feel you are of heaven, they don’t feel the hand of the Almighty is pushing them to follow you. But the hands of God are supposed to be pushing them to you saying, “Go to the Straight street”, “Go to the house of Simon the leather tanner”- the pushing hand of God.
These things must happen to us. But this is revelation, radiance of the light. And the key is not outside you, it is inside you. A miracle must happen inside. After that you are not ordinary person anymore, you are a supernatural person, you are a channel, a vessel, a doorway, which has been taken into lot, so that through you God could give birth to this Bride the church. It’s hard to penetrate there if you are not allowed in.
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I will share a few things for our empowerment. First thing is a well. We need to make a well in our cities, a well of the living waters. Whoever was in our city – you can feel it even at the airport, when you arrive in our city you feel there’s the living water there. And as you get to be in our prayers or gatherings you will say, this is a well, this is the water from heaven. This is what we must feel in our churches, that there’s living water flowing here, there’s a well. And this is not because of good thoughts and ideas, but because this is truly so.
“Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there”. (Gen.26:17) – Here’s a supernatural thing happening. Eventually he will find a well of the living waters. This is what we have to do. It means we have to find the water, but the well you have to dig. This is what the church is. There must be priesthood – when people receive a word from you, they must feel you shepherd them from heaven, that you smell this priesthood robe. Man is no priest if he won’t die for the people, when he compromises or manifests weak spirit, can’t correct when things are put wrong – because he is not dying for God, is not crucified for the truth. A priest will die for the truth. He will never stay aside when they touch the truth, do you understand? This is what differs a true priest. He will say, “you are wrong, God is not this way”. He may part with man, but will never part with God. He will never choose man instead of God, he will stay with him. I don’t know why, but such gift is given to him, and he can’t be other way, a true priest who stands on the Word to the end. Faithfulness for him is not about missing a meeting, but his faithfulness is inside him. All this is because he had turned once and he is in an oath type of agreement. We all had our covenant baptism in different measure of faith and depth, but even if you started small, you’ve got to end with an oath.
It is written that God vowed by Himself – why? Who could ever make God vow? How could we people make God vow? But He vowed not with anyone, but with Himself. And you know how He vowed with Himself? – On the cross of Calvary, He gave His own Son – this is the oath. He proved it, He put a seal that God is right – He gave His Son and nailed Him to the cross. And we must rise in our faith on the level of an oath, when we are not able even to comprehend ourselves without God, as if we were lost, as if we were not, if God weren’t there. You are so much one with Him that it’s like a divine trip, when you are not there, you don’t exist, you dissolve.
Someone said that a mystic is so close to His heart that he chooses this intimacy rather than knowledge. He chooses to possess rather than privileges of man. These questions are important for me. I asked once one brother, “Does God possess you?” – it was piercing. You know what “possess” means – being a bond-servant. So I ask you as well, does God possess you or do you have things of your own?
And the second question is, Do you possess Him? Has God trusted Himself to you? Can you be trusted with anything at all? Are you a faithful person, deep inside yourself on a big scale?
You know this is an honest conversation. The Gospel is all like this. We made of it a set of ideas, nice thoughts – don’t do this, there’s no point in it at all, it is even harmful, it harms people, because they think this is the way. But to the Gospel you approach maximum honest, this is the first condition – full and absolute honesty with God, only in this case you can have an intimate fellowship with Him. If you are weak, admit it, don’t play someone else. This kindergarten play is sad and takes up strength and energy, we should not even look that direction.
Here’s the way, simple and pure, and so clear and straight, straight to God through the cross of Calvary, He has already given Himself, He’s given all, He’s poured out like waters, He’s given all of Himself to the end, and even died to the end, was buried and wend down to hell, to the very low of the underworld – there can’t be a man more miserable than Jesus was. No man in distress can say, “Jesus, You never endured this”, this can’t be. You can’t imagine spiritual suffering of Jesus to say such words.
So this well is the invisible hands of God, that from the invisible into visible are making the Bride from the rib. Take note that birthing an Apostolic Bride is completely supernatural work of God. Whatever you do, if God does it not, it won’t succeed, in vain work those building the house, in vain is a watchman awake, in vain he is late in bed and early up – if God builds not a house all things are in vain. You have to attain it inside yourself that God has favor towards you, through faith and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but also through your response to Him in such a manner that God has accepted it.
God loves us all differently, we are not a crowd, not any zombie, we are individuals. He knows each one by name, which is not repeated, and He will give a white stone with a name, which no one knows except the one who gives and who receives. This speaks of an incredibly intimate relationship, so that when you read this name it will blow you up. You will now know all things about yourself through the name on the white stone. This is the way God knows us, to the very private depth.
These levels of relationship with God are the sweet things of God. This is so sweet to walk with Jesus, believe in Him, be with God. And all other things are nothing compared to the Son of Man standing there in the foolishness and stares from under the brows into my soul. There I understand that everything else is rubbish and lie, but here is the truth, here is the truth. And when we try to be someone big in our places, you really want to fall on your knees and cry, and say, “stop!, le us return to Jesus. Let us first embrace with Him and stay quiet. Then we will go in the streets and tell people who He is”. These were the conversations of first Christians – to begin with the inside, from the heavenly, from the heaven inside, sincere and honest, repentant before one another. It was normal for Apostles to write “confess your misdeeds before one another”. When we did it last time you did this, to get cleansed? And these things mean getting away from the Gospel. And these things are a sign that the Bride is dirty, she’s been lost, fallen asleep, gotten weak, lost her beauty and glamour, no radiance in her eye.
Therefore, repentance unchangeable must accompany us as the best oil, like tears that water the eyes. Eyes should be shining with tears. We should be crying from happiness about God, cry about our sins, that we wound Jesus with our sins. And we also should cry about perishing world. Three voices we should hear: first, the voice of God calling us, second – the voice of your own conscience, are we truly following Him, and third is the voice of the sinners in hell. O Lord, if only You gave it to me to hear the voice of sinners in hell! Take away my rest, I don’t want rest. Wise Jewish people say, “If you saved one man, you saved the whole world”.
Have you really turned anyone to Christ, you personally? Brought him to Jesus and made him a good disciple? This isn’t for the sake of any praise or boast. But this is a sign that the church is truly living, when people bring other people to God in a true way. You know it is written, “He that has crushed stones… shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord”(Deu.23:1) – that is, he is not able to beget children, that is, he who is not able to beget through preaching the gospel. And I have a question here, why don’t you do something about your inability to beget through the gospel. Your gospel doesn’t beget people and you do nothing about that, you don’t blow a trumpet, you don’t cry out on your knees to the Lord, “Lord, take this curse away from me! This disease of the spirit. I want to beget children through the gospel – why is this not happening?! Where am I lying to them about you? What does it not work a miracle of birth? What is wrong with me? May be I am this man with crushed stones? Have I seen Christ at all or am I just interested in people?
Heavens first! The psalmist says, “When I look at Your heavens…” – then I see everything right!
So there must be a well of living water.
“And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him. Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah. And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”(Gen.26:18-22)
Why is it so? Isaac was prophet, the Lord calls him a prophet among other patriarchs, not because they prophesied much, but because they were friends of God. And there Isaac got it, “that’s it, now we will multiply in the land”. And after this the Lord came to him and also said, yes, you will be multiplied.”
Can we see things this way when we plant churches, when we come to a city that needs a living bride? Give birth to the living bride. Understand that this may be for you either a side matter or the key purpose because you are a man of God and you can’t but bring fruit! This is your major matter, to bring fresh and good fruit, and your leaves do not wither and your fruit comes on time – this is natural for a man of God. Wherever you plant him, he finds water with his roots – a well, and he will have things growing.
Find wells, find living water, so that you your life blossoms with God’s blessing in your cities. This is done in the spirit, brothers and sisters, no secret key strategy will help. This is done with God, in the wild. It’s either yes or not, whatever is more than this comes of evil. You either beget or you don’t. Come in this simplicity. Some should come to God on their knees and not let Him go until He gives children, so that He can touch the joint of your hip.
“So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well”.(Gen.26:25)
A well again. I think, wherever a man of God comes, wherever life takes him, he will certainly plant a church there, and he will dwell in the divine city he makes. That’s the way to live – to plant the garden of the Lord. Isaac comes to Beersheba blessed, but still digs a well – he can’t do otherwise, it became his occupation. Therefore, plant gardens, save people, baptize them. Speak to them of God, straight, honest, with love. Straight gospel is rare today – this is cowardice. Christ is crucified on Calvary – so what is there to twist or hide? There must be straight word of truth into the hearts with love. Then baptized them, and let them go, to God, not into the system, but into love. They will look at you and understand how to go into love, and they won’t want to leave you, because you are their brother. This is the simplicity of Christ.