If the outpouring at Pentecost marked the time of the beginning and the foundations of the church being laid; the coming glory would be in the time of the completion and the maturing of the church.
Understanding God’s ways from scripture:
When the law was given to Moses and the children of Israel; the time preceding it and immediately after it was marked by great signs and wonders.
Elijah’s (representative of the prophets) time was also marked with a great expression of the supernatural.
Pentecost, which marked the time of the birth and the foundations of the church being laid had the supernatural fingerprint of God all over it.
Now, the law and the prophets prepared the way and pointed to the coming of Christ and the birth of the church. Their glory paled in comparison to the glory that was revealed when the church was born. If that was the case, imagine the glory that will be revealed when the church reaches her completion and maturity, as Christ returns.
For everything else had been a precursor to this and building towards these final moments in time! It will be a glory far, far greater than known or seen before; for it will be a glory that will be carried by the body of Christ as a whole and not by a select few individuals. A glory different and greater in measure from the time of the Acts of the apostles, as then the church was young but now it would be reaching its fulness in Christ and growing to the stature of Christ Himself.
This glory would have all the elements of the glory revealed when the law was given, the glory in the time of the prophets and the glory in the birthing of the church. At the same time, it will have its own uniqueness in accordance with the fulness of all things that need to be attained and will be attained at one point.
Looking at the same thing from another perspective; If God chose to supernaturally attest and celebrate the birth of the church and its foundations being laid at Pentecost in a powerful way, how much more He would do so when the number of the gentiles and Jews reach their completion, and His body and bride reach maturity, leading towards the completion of that building? The measure of the supernatural released and the signs and wonders that follow at that time will be far, far greater than any time prior.
As we look in hope to the glorious days ahead, we must also take note on the condition the rest of the world was in, each season His glory was revealed. This time would be no different. However, it will also be the season of God’s greatest acts of mercy, grace and love to a mankind hurling itself into the abyss. He stretches out His hand one last time into the deepest depths of darkness out of His immeasurable love to redeem any that would hold on before His great and fearsome judgements on all of mankind begin!
In that light, we must understand that one of God’s main purposes in our times are for the full number of Gentiles to come to Christ and subsequently the Jewish nation (Romans 11:25, 26) and for every member in the body to come to a place of functioning to full capacity in their calling, growing into their full stature in Christ (Ephesians 4:11 to 13). Only then will the church reach her completion. Now whether the fulness of it (the church maturing) happens before or after Christ’s return, the church in general must be in this pathway and close to this destination. The glory is for this purpose only and will be an attestation of the same!
Today, there is a general awareness in the body in reaching unreached people groups, and evangelism efforts are underway to reach the Gentile and the Jew. We do need more light in this area and more of the body needs to be involved in these efforts. However, when it comes to each and everyone in the body reaching their full maturity in Christ and in their calling, we are very far away.
This is because the church in many places today is mainly centered on a single person rather than God and on His children. As a result, many are dependent on leaders in a very unhealthy way. Many leaders on their part are more concerned in fulfilling ‘their vision” and “their growth” rather than helping God’s own fulfill their individual vision, helping them grow into maturity. This has led to many staying as infants and as children with little or no change in their lives and not having any idea of their calling. According to Ephesians 4, the very purpose of the fivefold ministry (leaders) is to help each member in the body grow to their full maturity in Christ, functioning fully for His purposes.
As we approach the end times if we as leaders don’t get in line with God’s plan intending to see His body mature; He will find others that will, or He will rise a group of people from outside the ‘Institutionalized church’ to fulfill His purposes. The times have changed in the spirit and the urgency is real and we must perceive it!
We must be always grateful for all those in leadership; especially for those who paved the way before us and were examples for us to follow. Also, God’s divine order has always been to work through a leader to the people in the Old and through a group of leaders (elders) in the New Testament. It will not change.
However, where God may have excused certain ignorance from leaders in the past; the times we are in and entering into, demand (leaders) we get in line fully with His heart and purposes for His bride and His body. The direction of the wind has totally shifted and is already blowing in a different direction. It is in the direction of His maturing body. There will be no life left for those who remain behind.
The focus for every shepherd must be on the least member of the congregation, so that they grow into full maturity. As the saying goes, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link”. The times that God is taking us into are times where He wants to fulfill Zechariah 12:8; ‘the least will be as strong as David’! Imagine a church that has grown to such an extent. Imagine the impact it would have on the society and the world. It is this (His) Body that displaces principalities and powers, possessing cities and nations for the Lord!
2) We are His temple, being fitted in as living stones with Christ as the chief cornerstone for God to inhabit and dwell in. As we approach the fulness of times, we will experience the habitation of God over villages, cities and people groups before His coming.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
