We should learn to value what we have – the grace that the Lord has given us – and above all, Christ Himself, to appreciate the sacrifice of the cross of Calvary. People who are taken from sin will understand, because they have buried many of their friends, and it is not a fact that they themselves would be alive now if the Lord had not saved them. Now many have families, children, you yourself wonder how the Lord has blessed you so much. Not all of you can boast of earthly things, but spiritually all of you can boast of the Lord and God’s grace that he has. If we continue to live on earth, then the Lord continues to lead us.
We should also thank the Lord for the church, the brethren. It is very important to feel yourself being a part of something great. Perhaps, we don’t have many fathers, now it is very difficult to find them. As Paul said, “Yet, you do not have many fathers; I have begotten you through the gospel.” And in our brethren there is fatherhood, many are born inside the brethren. We give thanks for this too.
Give thanks for everything. This is more difficult. It probably means to accept your life. Correctly evaluate it, correctly see and accept it. Give thanks to God for everything. Not for some moments, but for everything. It is difficult if you don’t accept everything that happens from God. But when you accept everything that God has given you, you accept the given as your cross, then you can give thanks for everything. This is the grace in which we are called to abide and grow today.
Today is an incredible time for Deborahs. There are some ministries where women have great power of influence. So keep it up, sisters! Some things that women can carry, it’s even indecent for men to speak of them. This has nothing to do with feminism. Deborahs of God have a structure for their lives. The Lord immediately noted the husband of Deborah – Lapidoth. The woman of God will have everything rightly placed in the hierarchy of God. If she’s serving, she’s still a good wife. But a good husband allows his gifted wife to manifest her gift for God. She can love and serve in such a way that she will draw out the whole family, which he begot through her. That is, her righteousness can be enough for a whole generation. Because when we say that the generation of the righteous will be blessed, we are not talking only about man’s seed. We are also talking about woman who gives birth to the keen. Women can be great in God. We’re talking about the ministry of gifts because it’s the gifts that have to rise.
Shine on, brothers and sisters, with the truth of God! You have no excuse to live according to the flesh. If you live by the Spirit, you will live. Anyone who lives according to the flesh cannot please God. And what’s the point of going to church for so many years if you didn’t please God? You lived according to the flesh. I remember how one man said that he gave offerings, and it was easier for him to do this than to live by the Spirit and pray. You can’t attract the ministry of the Spirit with an offering. This is true.
Today I also thought about what “the blink of an eye” means: “.. suddenly, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:52). Literally translated, this is “atomos” – this is the smallest unit of time. The resurrection of the church will happen in an instant. That moment is a fraction of a second. And these are the moments that make up your whole life. We came up with a clock, but life flickers – and that’s how the Lord will come. How we need to stay awake so as not to miss!
Revelation.
“I see five brides with jars. The first bride had just a jar of water. The second – with oil. The third one was filled with wine. The fourth was with fire. And the fifth jar contained water, oil, wine and fire. All components inside the fifth bride’s jar didn’t run out, she came to the Gates and began to coat them. It brought a new renewal and change to the Gates.”
Here we can see both testing, and power, and delight of the anointing, we can see the Word, and it’s all mixed up. This is the dimension of the heavenly power of the Spirit, Word, Life, Christ.
“Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, [i]and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men.
Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”
Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!”
He answered, “Here I am.”
And he said, “What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.” Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”
And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
[And all Israel were convinced, from one end to the other end of the land, that Samuel is a prophet of the Lord. Eli became very old, and his sons continued to walk in their lawless way before the Lord.]
(I Samuel 2, 3).
Eli is a common noun, this is an example of inaction during a transition. Stagnation is not the plan of history. Maximum that can be is a breakthrough – when something freezes still in order to make a breakthrough further on. But stagnation is not a blessing, especially in the Kingdom of God.
The Lord said that since the time of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of God is taken by force, that is, those who make an effort take it by force. Jesus said that the Father has been working until now, and He has been working. There is no stagnation in the Kingdom of God! There should be no stagnation in churches.
The Father is working somewhere, and if we don’t work, then it’s stagnant. This means that we are Eli, who doesn’t smell Samuel growing under his nose. It cannot be that Eli is alone on the planet. It can’t be that the church is dead on the planet – there is Samuel somewhere, you just don’t know about it.
For me, the worst thing is to stop being loved, to stop being a son, Jedidiah. I want to remain the beloved until the very end of my life on earth. I don’t want to turn into Elijah who is blind, deaf, lazy and stupid. Eli doesn’t know that God has left him and moved on to the boy. God chose this young boy to be a prophet, but He left you.
I tell you one thing: God does the same thing today. If we’re talking about the gift of a high-walking calling, then God does it. If to talk about small gifts, then you won’t understand what we are talking about. We are talking about a serious calling – great ministries, ministers whom God has involved in His work, the Harvest, whom He has chosen for His inheritance.
Eli had wicked sons. The word was “rare” – glory receded, dishonor neared – where there is no glory, there is dishonor. The signs of dishonor are works of the flesh that take the place of the works of the Spirit. The supernatural is replaced by human intellect, attempts. So just you will not see the shame, they skillfully replace it with works. Only the prophet will distinguish dishonor – they have affairs, vanity, but the prophet sees one thing – dishonor. It’s like a stench. Because the flesh stinks, but the spirit is fragrant.
The young prophet ascended. Eli saw what his sons were doing. That is, desolation was in the holy place. But he is kind – such a good pastor. He didn’t fight for the glory of God, he was kind-hearted: he blesses everyone, loves everyone. This is a terrible condition – to bless everyone. These are put out lamps. The pastor doesn’t have to be kind, he has to be truthful and true. First of all, he must walk with God, and then with people. First with God!
Desolation has come to the House of God. Samuel grew bigger and bigger. Look, the right law of discipleship was violated here. What happened? – A lazy pastor who didn’t notice that a young prophet was ascending. He didn’t raise him, he wasn’t a product of his upbringing. It was a separate, autonomous upbringing by the Holy Spirit, by the Lord, who came through the mother’s faith.
Eli even called the sister’s trance drunkenness; he didn’t recognize that it was a trance. It would have been okay if Eli had deposited everything good into Samuel, everything he knew about God. He could have told him not to do as his wicked sons did. If he had told Samuel the whole truth about God, then Samuel would have “pulled” him out later. Eli would then be justified in him, as it is written that your children will become your judges. And then when Eli was in trouble, Samuel would pull him out. But he himself abandoned him and lived differently.
“And the child Samuel grew in stature and in favor both with the Lord and men” (1 Kings 2:26).
Favor with the Lord, not with Eli, Samuel had. Today I am deeply convinced that God has Samuels. There are good prophets with God who are ascending, but they need good teachers.
If you are such a Samuel, and you feel the “rottenness” of the modern church, you feel its falsehood, you feel that God is not like that, you shouldn’t be too bold, don’t try to deny everything. Be careful. You better hear the Voice and move in peace so that you have fathers who bless you. There is being made perfect, there is impartation. But do not rush to deny everything. This is not wise. Many fell because they broke the continuity of God’s roots.
Samuel served under Eli. Even with him, he could serve. The word was rare, visions infrequent, movement at the gate with women, the snoring of the priest, who must take care of the lamp, but he sleeps instead. And Samuel slowly added oil, prayed, cleaned the altar. He ran and did his little work before the Lord. He served the Lord under Eli. It’s hard. But you can always serve the Lord under Eli.
How could this boy serve under such a priest? From him came the spirit of wickedness. But Samuel could serve, and he served. This is an incredible condition.
Walk around and seek – it’s not easy to find an awakened church, whose nature would be pure Apostolic DNA. Usually it’s an organization that has nothing to do with Jesus, it’s not the Body. And we, too, are still on the way, we are learning, but He showed us a flash, so that our relationship would transit into the only begotten, so that we would pass into one DNA with Jesus and the Father. That’s why, Paul didn’t write about the quantity – they were just “those of Chloe’s household”, “friend Epaphras”. Why was the Apostle of the Gentiles engaged into such “small things”? – Because those were live connections. And the roots had to be alive and clean.
“And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, and before the lamp of God went out” (I Kings 3:2-3).
I think that’s the condition of the church today, when the lamp barely flickers. I won’t say it’s everywhere. I know it won’t go out, I’m sure. But this is not what is called “awakening”.
Awakening gives impulses, earthquakes, waves that shake the earth and heaven. It’s like an explosion of a uranium rod that will give a wave. Apostles and prophets will surely hear about it. They will know, the birds will be attracted. “For wherever the carcass is there the eagles will be gathered together.” There is no need to blow the thing, attract through advertising, because advertising now goes before the explosion. Many revivals have been “drowned” because they began to exaggerate human flesh, and they went out. I’m worried about some of the fires because I look at the dirty ads for this and I know it’s going to be over soon. If I were them, I would close the information until it would no longer be possible to keep it, when it would go by itself, “through fingers”, like Jesus forbade talking about Himself, but they could not help it. It was the best advertisement ever.
Samuel lay where the ark of God was. Eli lay where it was comfortable, where it was soft. Though I don’t know a more comfortable place than to be in the presence of God!
“Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He answered, “Here I am.” And he said, “What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.” Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.” (1 Kings 3:16-18).
Praise Him, He keeps speaking! But look at Eli – he charges Samuel to tell him everything. He should have asked God, but God did not speak to him. It happens.
Samuel said everything to him. Old prophets don’t have the Word. I’m not talking about age: today there are many older people who have remained fresh and pure. This is about spiritual old age. You may be a young body, but inside you are an old man. He didn’t feed, didn’t nourish, and everything grew old there. The old prophets don’t have the Word, but be careful – they’re after your “fresh blood”.
Why copy from someone? When you can come directly to God! You have to be a completely stupid person to rush about with another name.
And now Eli says: “He is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.” This is spiritual fatalism, a curse. He should’ve repented, fallen on his knees, cry out, ask for mercy. But he rolls over to the other side, yawns and continues to sleep. Many live like this today. They offended other people, and are waiting, whom the Lord will “punish”. Your plane has already left, if that’s what you think. That man already repented a thousand times, and you keep thinking that God will judge. Stop talking like that! It doesn’t work with Christ.
No! I will say differently: “He is the Lord; It is not pleasing to Him, and He does not want to do this, but He will have to.
“So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord..” (I Kings 3: 19-21)
Established as a prophet of the Lord! Prophets must be found worthy and established. This is a gift that a person carried, he endured the load, he persevered, carried loyalty – he is found worthy. Samuel made it so.
The Lord will raise up His guild of prophets. There will be dawn! The garden will bloom! A little while more. Today voices are already heard, but they have no teachers. Keep yourself in global humility before God and people, do not slander anyone, do not speak what you don’t know, don’t fight for your prophecy, wait for your time.
“And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh after He had revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. [And all Israel were assured, from one end to the other end of the land, that Samuel is a prophet of the Lord. Eli became very old, and his sons continued to walk in their lawless way before the Lord.] (First Kings 3:21).
God has His portals of His manifestation. He will appear. I will not fight for the prophecies of people I have not seen. But God is in my heart, and the faith that God gave me, the Word of God and the order from God and the purpose for which I live. This is the main thing.
Therefore, if you feel that you are being called from God, do not rush like a foolish youth – but do not be late either. Cowards can’t see the glory of God. This is what the prophet needs today – to overcome, to love and be melted. All these ingredients the Bride had in her jar. This is an incredible gift that the Lord has given to His beloved.
Women in latter times will save their husbands. Eve was the first to sin, the last Eve will glorify Christ, she will show that she has overcome the feminine essence and will give Christ a pure heart. It will be the incredible glory of the church as the Bride. Therefore, Christ chose the Bride. She was the first to sin and she will overcome!