Intensification: counting the cost of transformation
Introduction
When prophets fail to speak God’s word with divine force the Lord’s heart is “broken” (Ezek 6:9; Jer 23:9). I confess my sin, but not without hope for inn latter days I have been going through an unique range of intense emotional experiences; weeping over the war in Ukraine, feeling exhausted after prophesying to unresistant church leaders. Praying for sinning brothers I acutely senses their deep lack of wholeness and how the Lord longed to fill them. I was so exhausted I named this phenomenon, “prophetic drain”. Jesus said of his healings, “power has gone out from me.”” (Luke 8:46), but he was instantly re-filled by his Father’s Spirit (John 3:34). The list of powerful experiences, including demonically induced nightmares, whose physical dimensions have frightened f Donna, are many. Praying over such things the Lord reminded me of some public meetings we ran in Perth Town Hall. These were intentionally open to prophecy, which came thick and fast. Yet because of the immaturity of the group every week was chaotic until I was inspired to draw the many “words” together into one unified message. This cost me greatly, so I went home weekly with a splitting headache and needed immediate bed rest. We ignorantly assumed we could pray at a power centre without spiritual kickback. How ill-prepared we are for what is coming!
God’s Good and Painful Purposes
“The arising of the kingdom of God in Perth is bringing a progressive and objective intensification of subjective experiences.” Or, in plain speech, God’s action is causing people to feel things more and more strongly. This shouldn’t surprise us, for from the gospel preaching of John the Baptist (Matt 3:1ff.) through all genuine Spirit-led revivals extraordinary human experiences have occurred. Extraordinary, because of the manifest presence of God in his prophets-and-saints (Rev 11:18), and an unleashing of great demonic power (Mark 1:21-28; Rev 16:13-14). Demons cannot stay hidden when the power of God is moving in the midst of his messengers. We however have long endured an abnormal state of passivity in the West because only a tiny Christian remnant has been willing to count the cost of transformation.
Ill Prepared
A young man I know well was excited to receive prophetic words that he was called to be a “prophet to the nations”, like Jeremiah (1:5). He was not told about the fearful divine discipline on that prophet’s life. “Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them….If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” (Jer 1:17; 20:9). Similarly, Ezekiel’s angry reaction to his visions of divine glory, “The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the LORD being strong upon me.” (Ezek 3:14). The call of God to ministry is a call to humanly impossible crucified-glory (Ex 3-4; Amos 7:14-15). The young man did go to the nations, but has since suffered much with PTSD, burn out and other disorders. This is the destiny of all those called but not graced with strong divine discipline to carry the burden of the word of the Lord (Jer 23:26-40).
It is no easy thing to carry in your heart the Word which created the world, became flesh, was crucified and raised into glory (1 Tim 3:1). I returned from praying one day and said to Donna, “I feel like I am having a breakdown.”, her instantaneous response, “God will not allow you to have a breakdown”, has proven correct. Remembering a morning years ago when I woke with a neck paralysed through stress, I feel for all the godly brothers and sisters on stress leave or who feel compelled to resign/retire prematurely. Our Father will not allow us to pursue easy glories without painful disciplining (Heb 12:5-11; 2 Cor 4:9-10 cf. *Heb 5:7-10). I thank God that my early discipling indelibly imprinted on my mind (Rom 12:1-2) an image of the character of the Lamb made visible in all things through suffering (Phil 3:10).
What is Coming
When Jesus most intimately sensed the call of his Father to die in our sin (2 Cor 5:21) it seemed utterly impossible to every element of his humanity, yet with the help of “the eternal Spirit” of S/sonship he was strengthened to obey God’s will (Mark 14:36; Rom 8:14-16; Gal 4:4-6; Heb 9:14). As a naturally extremely introverted person I longed to hide in a research laboratory, then in a theological library, but the inner pressure of the Lord was so strong that one day I was moved to cry out aloud (cf. Mark 15:34; Rom 8:26) from my cockroach infested study, “Where are the prophets?” Unless you have sensed a divine call to the impossible (Matt 19:26) you are not called at all. The Lord is coming to us (Rev 2:5; 3:3) to expose such self-evident truths through a deep intensification of heart convictions which will bring both a great awakening anda great falling away (2 Thess 2:3; 2 Tim 4:4-5). Accompanying empowered Spirit-gifts there must be an intensification of spiritual tiredness (Luke 22:45-46), crushing (2 Cor 4:8) and godly “anxiety for all the churches” (2 Cor 11:28), just as in apostolic days. So much so that the peace and rest of God (Phil 4:4-7; Heb 4:9-11) we have spoken of for so long will become necessary for spiritual and personal survival.
Beyond the Curse
An apostolic brother in the city (P.B.) recently fell unexpectedly and violently ill amidst heaviness and a temptation to resign, he described it as an attack of “witchcraft” (cf. Gal 5:20; Rev 21:8) sent on the Church. He expounded it as “a greater intensity than we are prepared for” (my emphasis). When he started to bless himself and others in response to demonic cursing his symptoms immediately disappeared. Seeking a biblical Christ-centred response the Lord immediately reminded me of his ascension into heaven, “And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.” (Luke 24:50). As the O.T. High Priest blessed the people after the offering of sacrifices so that glory-fire fell on the altar and sent the congregation into raptures (Lev 9:22-24), so the day is coming when only the glory of the ascended King Jesus poured out in his Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 2:33), and in whom we worship continually (Luke 24: 52 cf. Lev 6:12), will be able to make us stand in his victory (Eph 6:11-14).
Conclusion
We are fast approaching a time of limitless intensity which will bring both cursing and blessing to the faithful Church. With this we will see sharp gifted ministries which lack the depth imparted through sharing the suffering of the cross fall way, whilst many others simply drop out through fatigue and weariness. Meanwhile those of lesser spiritual sensitivity, liberals, heretics and the indifferent, will continue unaware of the battle raging against the Church. For them, ““Where is the promise of his coming? For…all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”” (2 Pet 3:4), will seem like a perpetual undeniable truism. Make sure then brothers and sisters that in your heart you are not one of them; “abide in him (Jesus), so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.” (I John 2:28; Rev 16:15).