When Jesus died on the cross His hands were nailed to the horizontal bar, and many people carry a horizontal bar on themselves. But Jesus carried a cross. What does this horizontal bar mean, where Jesus had His hands nailed? It is when people come to people. The Lord stretched His hands, in order to join all of humanity horizontally. And many people come to church because of people, because of relationships, for the sake of fellowship.
But the feet of Jesus were nailed to the vertical bar, the two of His feet were pierced by nails. Why so? Because this the Way to God – the feet namely were nailed. And we are here not only because of each other. Neither we are here only because of God. We are here because of the two commandments, which are equal not in their power, but in their integrity: “Love your God, and love your neighbor as yourself”. This is the major commandment, of which the Lord said that all the prophets are in it. In these we can already read the cross.
If you prophetically look at the key things summoned in the Bible – this is the cross, God and people. Jews didn’t see it, they still do not see it, they crucified Him fulfilling the prophecies.
We are here both for God and for people. Some go into extremes: they come only to God, speak to no one, love no one. He comes and greets everyone, sits for a while and leaves, keeping his life for himself. Others come only for one another, talk, interact, but there’s no spiritual explosion, no spiritual fire, no major search.
So we’ve got to be co-crucified. Co-crucifixion is integrity of a man of God. A spiritual man is a fellowshipping man. A spiritual one has relationships in church, he has connections with people. A spiritual one also has relationship with God, he is connected with Him, he always burns with a fire, because you can’t be connected with the God of the fire and not be burning yourself. A man who is quenched – a hundred percent has no relationship with God, because God is the God of the fire. It doesn’t matter how much you know, how well you speak – God doesn’t see that, He doesn’t look at that. He watches how strongly we blaze with His flame. One man of God once said: you have as much holiness, as much Holy Spirit you have.
The Lord says: “I will be like the dew to Israel” (Hos.14:5) The dew that falls out from the air. It’s not rain, it dew – everything that surrounds us has to fall out as water. Dew is not drizzling, it is taken from the air, from the atmosphere. And when the Lord says He will be the dew, it means that the Presence and everything that fills the air has to fall out in a visible way.
“He shall blossom like the lily” – he blossoms. Blossom includes color, odor, growth, beauty… A man of God is supposed to blossom, not wither. Neither marriage, nor travel, nor ministry will help. If a man doesn’t solve his inside issues, nothing will work. Your most beautiful, smart, spiritual wife won’t help until you solve it inside yourself, with God, with your spirit – you will remain the same.
Man is fallen inside. You may feel warm in church, but you return home and face your old self. Nothing will help, neither going to church, nor any man – you have to handle this yourself. Man can support, extend his hand for help, but man can never get into your spirit and heal your roots. You have to come to God, repent, solve your issues with Him, return to Him as you never have. You are an unconverted man, who believes, but he has not converted. Conversion means a U-turn. So return to Me, O Israel, He says.
“He shall lengthen his roots like Lebanon, his branches shall spread.” A man of God is supposed to give impact – his branches spread, they enter different spheres, and whatever he touches, it will all blossom. Some people focus only on one thing, but with a man of God – whatever he touches, all things blossom, because there is the divine within him. You may say, “you have such a gift, I don’t” – but it’s not about a gift, it is the power of Life indestructible.
We spoke that creative spirit makes Rema of Logos, from a dead letter a living Word. Someone said, one can’t be a Christian and not be creative. Because wherever the stream of the River flows in, all things are alive.
Therefore, cast off the shackles and begin to blossom! Why should you live a dull grey life? Why do you have yourself sink into this darkness?
There is such glory and radiance! But you made God an enemy, as if life with God is when you repent and sin, sin and repent, and try with all your effort not to get into hell. This is no life. You have never known Him if this is the way you live.
Life with God is happiness and pleasure, haven’t you understood this? Then you have seen nothing.
“He shall lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree…” It is a beauty, when a man of God blossoms. “And his fragrance like Lebanon”. He will smell life and color, and everything beautiful. I don’t believe that with the age a believer should wear out with bad odor around him, both body and spirit. But it is written that fragrance should emanate from you, with you getting more and more interesting with each year.
But if something opposite is happening with you, you are tired of your faith – you are walking the wrong way, you’ve lost it, because a righteous one prospers like a palm tree. A palm tree always blossoms in its top, it shakes of the old branches and keeps growing on that account. It grows really tall and always green with fresh fruit – incredible tree!
“Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall be revived like grain” – those who come after, they are under the shadow of a righteous man, who has shadow if he develops in the right way. Do you have a shadow for people to hide? Can you give it to anyone? Do people receive grace from you? Who feels well because of you being there? Does anyone receive God’s destiny through you? Those who are under you shall blossom and grow like a vine, because they see you blossom and follow, and you see them already walking with bread.
Therefore, begin to blossom. But for that the root is required, the dew is needed. You’ve got to be breathing this air, drink of the Presence, so that you are saturated.
“Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon”. And the wine makes you intoxicated – relationship with such people intoxicates you like the spirit of mystics and creativeness, the anointing. There is the juice of the Spirit that transforms you, not any dry wooden thing that speaks “write” religious phrases.
It is easy to put some banknotes into an offering box, but to tear off a part of your soul and give it to your neighbor – this is much harder. What for? – For His sake!
This is like a gift, like a trance, like a fury of the Lord – receive this fury of the Lord!
“Ephraim shall say, “What have I to do anymore with idols?” I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree” – this is the Lord for us, the young green Lord. Cypress is an amazing tree, like beings, like angelic trees with their curves and curls. – “Your fruit is found in Me”.
This is God. This is my God who dwells within me, and I bless you with this revealed Word that speaks of Him. There’s no reproach, no logics to take you anywhere. This is just a piece of God, an unveiled part of His holy inside. He is Beautiful, Radiant and Glorious.
Word to release.
“With the might power God worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places”(Eph.1:20)
This is incredible! God, the consuming Fire, worked with His mighty power in Christ and seated Him at His right hand! How can this be? This is a no less mystery than Mary conceiving from the Holy Spirit.
“Far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
No age to come shall ever surpass Jesus Christ! What Christ did is an apogee of all the humanity, that is, no one like Him shall ever be born. Whatever may come in the future ages, no one shall ever be like Christ!
“And He put all things under His feet” – and your miserable life, your suffering, your mentality, your pains; all the realms, Angels, satan – all things are put under His feet.
“And gave Him to be head over all things in the Church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” – Do you understand? The Body followed the Head right from the hell, it rose up with Him.
And the Body fills with His fullness all in all. This is a mystery, which is revealed to few. How the Church can fill ALL in ALL? O Lord, it’s only by revelation.
There are three types of the Church.
A natural church, which has a life without persecution. It can’t be blamed, they simply live in prosperity, or have an even life, which can be found even with the believers in persecuted countries. Such a church is not really focused on the spread of the Gospel, it is founded on the relationships and fellowship. Such a church hasn’t had radical experiences, it is not tested and tried by sufferings.
The second type of church is persecuted. The church is being trained under pressure. Maybe they are not strong in singing, but they have something that they are ready to give their lives for. This is a very strong church. When so people are willing to sacrifice. This church doesn’t learn in seminars, it learns under pressure. It is built on the way, not in classrooms. This is a suffering Bride, which shall endure through and pray through all things. They carry a death sentence. But there are also extremes – this is a sedentary lifestyle, a low level of evangelization, a focus on self-preservation.
There is a third type of the Church – which is even more glorious. This is the church of glory. Persecution will not make you glorious; it is not a means of sanctification. The means of sanctification is the Blood, the Word and the Spirit. Pain doesn’t make you holy, even if you accept it in the right way. Sanctification comes from heaven, it is a working of God.
As it is written in Daniel that “those of the people who understand shall be strong and carry out great exploits.” This is a church that lives in fire at all times. It doesn’t matter if it’s freedom or prison. Even in prison, you can lose faith. There is a way higher than persecution or prosperity – this is the way of fiery glory. This glorious Church seeks the highest glory. This is a supernatural Church that performs miracles not in church services, but in the course of life. Miracles do not appear in meetings, but where you live and wherever you go. In persecution, she walks in the radiance of a death sentence, and in prosperity, she keeps herself in a position of restraint, fasting, consecrated service.
We must live in these last types of churches – persecuted and glorious. But not the “natural” one.
The glorious church is in the burning coals of the cherubim, it is fearless and active. At all times it never changes the doctrine. A glorious church preaches the glory of God, which is through the cross. Miracles follow her. It is turned to eternal values - dedication, prayer, evangelism. She is like the sound of the shofar to the universe – this church blows the shofar to the universe. It is like a red-hot furnace with coals, which shines and warms. It consists of red-hot gem stones of God. Church of glory as the radiant Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
The Lord revealed to us that the Church of free worship is His will for us. The Apostolic Church is an indicator. The Church has fallen away from this level over the centuries. And the return is the Church of free worship
We’re moving towards this today, the church of hot coals, the furnace church, the church of gems, the church of light and sound of the cherubim. This is what we must grow into, regardless of the time. We are to be with you a church of red-hot gems, living for Christ. That’s it. There can be no other. As long as we are alive, we will carry this message.