We desire not only the scriptural teaching, but a very practical application of it to our lives. The result is that changes really take place. It is one thing for a baby to be born into this world; it is another thing for him to start breathing. Sometimes the baby is a little slow to get the idea that he has to be a person. If you lift him up by his legs and slap his butt, he reacts to pain and starts breathing and crying. A baby’s cry is a sign that he is healthy. If you read this message without crying, you should wonder if you do not need another slap.
You have to be born again or you cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). We have applied that to the basic beginning experience of walking with the Lord, but it goes a little deeper than that. At almost every new beginning or new level we reach, we have to start all over again. It is like being born again and again into each new way of life.
We are concerned about the way that the elders and pastors move, that they have real shepherds’ hearts to take care of the people. Let us declare war on personal independence. No more let the independent spirit predominate! We must look out for one another.
Matthew chapter 25 says that “when the Lord comes in His Kingdom, He will gather the nations before Him” (verses 31–32). What He will do then in His judgment of them is very difficult to understand, because we do not want to understand it. “He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on His left” (verse 33). What makes you a sheep? Jesus said, “I was hungry, and you fed Me; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me” (verses 35–36).
“When did we do all of that?”
“Inasmuch as you did it to the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (verse 40). After His resurrection, one of the last things that He said to Peter was, “Do you love Me? Feed My sheep. Feed My lambs” (John 21:15–17).
We are not the least bit interested in ministers becoming professionals, who know exactly how to organize and manage a church. We are interested in shepherds, because basically God calls people to take care of His sheep, His lambs, His little ones. Every move that we make is to bring spiritual leaders, ones whom God has raised up, into that place where they will be shepherds to the sheep. They will lead them.
They will not consider them as their own possession; but they will consider them as the Lord’s people, His possession, and they will take care of them. Much of this is being done. The people are beginning to feel, “We live again! We live again!”
Are we saying that a lot of things have been wrong? No, we are saying that a lot more things will be right. We cannot look upon the past days, when God was restoring things, and say, “The vessel was half empty.” No, it was half full. We had more than we ever had before.
No generation since Christ has ever had so much set before it as we have. So do not look at all the things that were missing. Look rather at all the things that became right.
That is the difference between a pessimist and an optimist. Both can look at the same glass of milk; the pessimist says it is half empty, and the optimist says it is half full.
Let us look back to the true facts of the progressive restoration of scriptural teachings and experiences and the revelation of the true will of God for the Church that came about. This is certainly not critical of anyone. But a door is open for us to fill up the glass of milk, and this is what we are doing. Sometimes this is a little difficult; but we do it anyway, immediately.
In talking about being half full and half empty, I want you to be open to the fact that as wonderful as what we have had has been for us, we must nevertheless press in if we are to get the fullness. Are you to go another five years in the same ruts that you have been in? No, you have more now. You have had more ministered to you than you realize.
How great is the faith for all the brothers, as well as for the pastors, elders, and shepherds. Everything will continue to move fast. The witness of the Holy Spirit is behind an apostolic company coming up everywhere. The Lord keeps giving a Word that is reshaping everything. We are closer to the spirit we had when the Lord first brought forth the churches; but we are more advanced, inasmuch as now there is a refined first love. People have gone through the storm and have existed for a whole generation; their children are coming forth to build schools and do many things that will be a blessing. The prophets are coming forth. The women are coming at last into their anointing, and that is good. God is moving them out of the place of thinking that if they do not manipulate or dominate they do not exist. It is an innate knowledge they start out with when they are first born. There is no apparent difference between a baby boy and a baby girl. They look just about the same; they do not have any teeth or much hair. But even before they can walk, you can see the difference. There is something in a little girl that knows how to draw people to love her and take care of her. A little boy smiles as you are loving and taking care of him, because it is his just right. He was born a boy; therefore we must bow to that. As we say, it takes both kinds. But I am watching the Lord bring us to a place where we are finding the basic differences between male and female eliminated.
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26, 28.
As this next level of the Kingdom comes, this Scripture of Paul is emphasized when he said, “There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). We have seen fantastic things come forth. In fact, some of the greatest revelation flows in past months have been the revelations that God has been giving some of the women. They have worked in the Word, they have been good typists and secretaries, and they have done many kinds of service because they love the Lord and His Word. This has been good to see. More of the men are serving, and more of the women are speaking the Word under a humble anointing of the Lord. This is one more sign that we are into a new level of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom is indeed coming. It is interesting that people are not aware of how much we are into the Kingdom. They say, “We look for something to happen.” But the Scripture says, “The Kingdom does not come with observation; neither will they say, ‘Lo here, or lo there,’ for the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20–21). The Kingdom begins as it reaches into the lives of people; and this is happening very much.
We need to learn how to flow in a service at our greatest efficiency spiritually. But at the same time, your moving in a service is not an end in itself; you move to bring everyone else in. You become a lead sheep, not so that you can march in front of the flock, but so that you can motivate them to move too. If there is any complaint at this point it is that we have not progressed far enough in many of the churches until the ministries have learned how to bring the other people into ministering.
Everyone must flow in everything he can, but always with the idea of moving everyone else in, too. No one should even have a job without training a couple of others to do it. You should never feel threatened in a position, because God is always kicking people upstairs. God always puts them in a devastating period when they have served Him, only to open up a brokenness in their spirit that is imparted to others. Then they can be even greater in serving the Lord and do even more for Him than they have been able to do before, because their ministry is duplicated. If we see this, then we will be ready for changes and welcome them.
I am lighting dynamite to blow up impasses and channeling the churches into divine order. But that is what I have been striving to do for a long period. I have been blasting loose the feudal system of bondage which has locked people into a local church that is without a Kingdom vision.
Now it is time for us to move ahead, and we are moving ahead. In order to move ahead, first we must discover how much is in our own spirits that does not want to progress. We must face our own reluctance. God’s dealings on us, in what we have gone through, have not always been inspiring. When we have had our training, we go into a battle.
You who have been in spiritual battles have had to be in training, because you are coming against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:11–12). But you will not get any millions of dollars, like the sports champions, for winning. When you finally hang up your gloves, all you will do is say, “To the Lord be the glory” (Revelation 1:6). “Thank You, Lord, for the privilege of being in the fight.” In walking with the Lord, have you ever taken a real beating? How many times have you said, “I never want to go through that again!” The point I am making is that we are the army of the Lord. From the beginning there have been prophecies: “We are the army of the Lord.” Back in some of those early days the people said, “We are the army of the Lord,” and they were ready to parade. But most of them could not have stood in the battle as we know it now. They were not prepared. But after a generation, they are now ready.
We have not been trained as the army of the Lord without realizing that we have taken beatings. We have received wounds. We have not been playing army; we are His army, and we are ready to go in and possess the things that God set before us.
What is our next step? In preparation for it, read the book of Joshua, which is very interesting. Four days after the Israelites miraculously crossed the Jordan River, they kept the Passover (Joshua 4:19; 5:10). And as they kept the Passover, they were ready to go in to take Jericho (Joshua 6:2–5). After a little problem at Ai (Joshua 7:1–8:29), they had to be drawn into a greater battle. In the ninth and tenth chapters of Joshua, we read that five great kings came against them, and that the Israelites even defended the Gibeonites who had deceived them. Thus they finished the battles throughout all the southern end of Palestine. Then the Israelites were to go into another battle to beat all the northern kingdoms of Canaan. They would need help, because they could not win unless they would fight with faith and be really prepared for God to help them.
The Israelites had to have miracle help. First, they needed a miracle to get out of Egypt: the Passover (Exodus 12:21–36). Second, they had to have a miracle to get into Canaan: the Lord rolled back the Jordan River near Jericho (Joshua 3:14–16). Third, they then had to have a miracle to win that one great battle against the five kings: the sun stood still for close to an extra day, about an extra twenty-four hours (Joshua 10:13).
Isn’t that interesting? God was always ready to help them. In one place He helped them by bringing swarms of hornets that really discouraged the enemy (Joshua 24:12). How would you like to fight against the army of the Lord plus hornets? That would be difficult, wouldn’t it?
Forty years before, the sons of Israel came out of Egypt, out of Passover (Exodus 12:51). When those forty years had passed and they were ready to go in to possess Canaan, they camped at Gilgal. First, in order to keep the Passover, they had to be circumcised. As they were circumcised, they called the name of the place “rolling off.” It was not only because of the clipping of the male foreskin; it was also the fact that the Lord said, “This day I have rolled off from you the reproach of Egypt” (Joshua 5:2–10).
It took forty years before they finally got that deliverance, but it was not a progressive thing. It had to come as a purge, like a circumcision, so they could get rid of that contamination of Egypt.
Some of us have been delivered out of Babylon, but we still have a lot of Babylon in us. We still think very much the way this age thinks. We need to change. We need to experience the circumcision of our heart so that we can forget, once and for all, the old ways, the old conditioning.
For forty years the children of Israel carried Egypt in their hearts, until there was a rolling off of the reproach of Egypt at the place called Gilgal. Gilgal means rolling off. Gilgal was on the plains of Jordan where they had come across the Jordan River into the plains below Jericho.
It is very interesting that God is doing this once again. He spoke, saying, “This is what I am going to do for the people now. I have brought them out of the old religious order, but there is still too much of the old order in them; and so I have had to bring them to almost a place of disorder.” Then we experienced the greatest period of circumcision that we have ever known. God has been cutting the old world away from our hearts, bringing us to the place where we say, “Yes, Lord, I will serve You. I will do anything You want me to do. Just speak the Word.” We will not receive great material rewards if we win this fight; we will go on into the Kingdom—that’s all! But that is worth more than millions of dollars. God will loose money for us, but that will not be our motivation. It shouldn’t be. We walk with God to see the Kingdom come.
So many are now ready to move ahead in what God has promised. We have the old Babylon, the old order, out of our spirit. How many things were hindering us! How easy it is to hang onto something of place or position because you are afraid to let go and really trust God to bring it to pass. Just let go; everything will be all right.
“No, I have to hang onto my position, my security!”
When the Lord began to preach, “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand,” you can see the standard was that people left all to follow Him (Matthew 4:17–22). Discipleship doesn’t work otherwise; if you hang onto something, that becomes the detriment to the real exploits of faith that God wants.
… and so also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.
And after that He went out, and noticed a tax-gatherer named Levi, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he left everything behind, and rose up and began to follow Him. Luke 5:10–11, 27–28.
Almost everyone who is moving into the Kingdom has gone through some disastrous situation or affliction or circumstance they had to go through as His bondservants. In fact, some of them are in it yet; and it is out of this present state of circumcision that God is going to bring forth something wonderful.
We know what is happening. We are breaking into a new day of the Kingdom. We will reach into it. Are you still hanging onto something? Do you say, “If I let go, I perish”? It is only a matter of time anyway. It would be better to let go in faith than to let go in futility.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any one wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be Profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:24–26.
Let me talk to you a little bit about true discipleship in tithes and offerings. The Lord spoke to us, “Now is the time to move ahead.” There is no way to move ahead unless we believe the Lord and follow Him. And to me it was a matter of faith, of urging believers to do something that they had to do. At that time we heard much about depressions, survival, inflation, and investing our money in silver or in gold. We mentioned to the people that paper money someday would not be worth much. Instead of buying up silver, etc., we bought printing presses, composers, and other equipment to publish the Living Word. We have almost worn them out since that time. We could not reproduce that Word now, anywhere. We laid up our treasures in heaven, where moth and rust could not corrupt, where thieves could not break through and steal.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19–21.
Some are making more money in wages than they have ever made in their lives, but they can only buy less with it than at any time before. Conditions over the whole world are changing, but we still have this one promise: If we give, God sees it and blesses it.
“Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For whatever measure you deal out to others, it will be dealt to you in return.” Luke 6:38.
When you see that your leaders are humble and are not living in an extravagant manner, and that your church is accomplishing something for the Kingdom, keep investing in that. Let a good portion of your energies be given to Him: to tithe, to work, even to clean the church, and to do things that will help the Body of Christ. Give to the poor.
You are investing your life; you are living your life now. You will not live it later; you are living it now. Live it well. Invest it for things that are important. Be observant. Be very wise in what you do with your money and with everything you possess, as a good steward.
And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.” Luke 12:42–43.
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. I Peter 4:10.
My advice to young Christians would be to learn to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and not to listen to the propaganda and the promotion for finances that you hear. Ask the Lord to lead you, as you bring your tithes and offerings to the Lord; and He will have a way of blessing that.
People who live selfishly are like those described in the book of Haggai: “You earn wages to put into a bag full of holes. You looked for much, but it came to little.” God said, “I blew on it!”
“You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.
“You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.” Haggai 1:6, 9.
I don’t want God to blow me away. I want Him to breathe on me and bring an anointing. God breathed on His people; Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). But He could also blow on a thing and it would come to naught.
God is teaching us to be observant, to be wise. Learn to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit instead of the promotion of men who try to talk you into something. You will learn to really give because God lays it in your heart. Sacrifice should never come because someone takes it out of your pocket. Sacrifice should come because it is in your heart to lay it at the feet of the Lord. I love to give. I love to give, but I am very careful about what I give and where I give it. I want God to lead me. I want to give my time very faithfully as well as my finances.
We come to church to worship, to seek God, to be a part of His great Kingdom, to be His holy bondservants to serve Him, and to bring others in and serve them too, and to serve one another by the grace of God. We want to take all His provision for us; we want to give ourselves totally to Him.
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1–2.
To be aware of the sheep, to care for the sheep, and to share with the sheep: This is shepherding.
To focus on where we fall short can be negative.
To focus on all we have received can be smug and satisfied. To focus on His promises can be positive faith.
A shepherd with a broken spirit soon duplicates himself because he imparts that spirit to others.
Reluctance and reservations are the brakes to our moving on with God.
God leads us out of Babylon, but He must circumcise our hearts to get Babylon out of us.
The hunger for God impels men to discipleship, but those who are not hungry for God are often stubborn and cynical.
A disciple gives what he cannot keep in order that he can receive what he can never lose.
We cannot take too much of His grace; we cannot give too much of ourselves to the Lord.