DAYS OF THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE
A Commentary in the Aftermath of December 26th, 2004
Apostolic Intercession Born of the Spirit
In the days immediately following the earthquake and tsunami of December 26th, a number of Christians shared with me their frustration at their inability to find adequate words to intercede as they felt they should. In the main, these were strong and experienced intercessors who normally would have no problems expressing themselves in prayer. Some felt confused and overwhelmed by their sudden sense of inadequacy, questioning why in such a monumental tragedy they found themselves unable to pray with strength and conviction. A seasoned Australian prayer warrior shared with me in an email: "(there is) Nothing but a turmoil I don't understand, and don't know how to express. The only thing coming out of me is "Your Kingdom come. Your Will be done on Earth as your will is done in Heaven" - and that seems so inadequate." Another shared "I have been in a state of grief and helplessness." Let me say here, especially to any who found themselves in this position, that I believe this experience was rather widespread among believers, even among those with powerful intercession ministries.
Personally I am persuaded that during that first week, as the sheer enormity of the event unfolded before the world, the Holy Spirit was pouring out a burden of intercession into every available vessel He could find within the church. More than "prayer warriors", the Spirit was wanting "prayer carriers" in those initial hours. Furthermore, the depth of the intercession needed was far beyond the scope of mere words for most of us. Those who were found available and willing were led into a travail more intense than many had ever previously experienced. Human trauma of such an unprecedented scale demanded an unprecedented response from Heaven - and it came! Corporate intercession, far too huge for one, two, or even a few intercessors to carry, was mobilised, not through the organisation of men and ministries, but through the spontaneous response of the Bride to the Spirit.
Those of us who somehow stumbled through the emotional trauma of those first few days perhaps did not realise to what extent the Spirit was at work beneath those surface-level emotions, drawing us into the very birth pangs of creation spoken of in scripture. Groanings too deep to utter were ascending to Heaven as the Bride-church responded to the cry of the Spirit. I believe that far from being inadequate and futile as many felt their response was, apostolic intercession was being drawn forth on a level not previously seen by men or angels. If you were one of those "vessels" the Spirit poured Himself into with a deep, unutterable travail, I encourage you to take a moment to try and grasp the prophetic significance of that! Nevermind that you didn't understand why you could find no words. Nevermind that you snapped at the children or couldn't look away from the suffering faces of the victims on the television. Nevermind that you felt restless, unfocused and overwhelmed! We should not be surprised when the natural mind does not understand the things of the Spirit. I believe what the Spirit was working out in the church in those first few days subsequent to the disaster was far bigger than any individual, and we will only begin to understand its scale and significance in days to come. Looking back, we will discover that the world changed for ever with the events of December 26th 2004, just as it did on September 11, 2001. But so too, was the church changed forever. Like a tsunami, something earth-shattering has been set in motion that cannot be turned back.
It is my firm conviction that even as the world gasped in shocked horror in those initial hours as news reports revealed more and more devastation, death and suffering, the Bride of Christ was being thrust forward into a new level of corporate intercession that can only be described as apocalyptic. Truly apostolic intercession of this nature cannot be brought forth by a man-controlled church. It is the sovereign responsibility and privilege of the Spirit of God and ushers in a new era of apostolic witness that will prepare the way for Christ's return. We are about to enter unprecedented days of the Spirit and the Bride moving as one on planet earth on such a scale and unity as has never before been known, not even in the days of the early church. In the days ahead the Spirit and Bride together will go forth across the nations, bearing manifested witness to the resurrection life of Christ. The Holy Spirit will unveil an elect company of living sacrifices that are the true Bride of Christ. As the "wife of the Lamb" yields in total submission to the holy governance and sweet fellowship of the Spirit of God, the Spirit will adorn her with the glorious reflection of the Bridegroom, revealing to the world the treasures of the knowledge of Christ that have been hidden within the Bride.
End Time Signs or "All Things Continue as They Were?"
Many church leaders have used the descriptive term "birth pangs" in response to the December 26 earthquake and tsunami that literally changed the face of the earth. Jesus was the first to use this phrase to describe some of the signs that must take place on earth before His return (Matthew 24:4-8). One leader was quoted as saying this current disaster was not a sign of the end times because creation has been groaning for hundreds of years. If you have ever experienced "birth pangs" you know they are not just there for the sake of causing grief - they have a greater purpose. A birth may take place over a lengthy period of time, or a short one, but every woman giving birth has a right to expect that those pangs are going to end with an expected result. When birth pangs are evident, you might say that the natural body is in a state of "earnest expectation" of a new life being revealed.
The scripture uses the same language to describe the revelation of the Bride-church, or the "sons of God", on the earth (Romans 8:19-22). The purpose of birth pangs is to produce change. Jesus said these birth pangs, or "sorrows" have a beginning. It follows that they will have an end. The scriptures state that creation groans in expectation of something that is to be revealed. Therefore the birth pangs of the earth should not be dismissed as "business as usual", but should be seen as a sign to the church to watch expectantly for something they are bringing forth.
Other "voices of reason" point to former earthquakes and tsunamis that have been bigger and resulted in greater loss of life, inferring that if it's not the biggest it is of less spiritual significance. I suggest that the church should be turning to the Word of God to evaluate the significance of this recent event rather than comparing wave heights and Richter Scale measurements. Rather than making premature assertions based on strictly scientific data, the church should be doing what the church is called to do - watching. Given Jesus' warning that the days prior to His return would be similar to the days in which Noah lived (see Matthew 24:37), surely we should be asking if there has ever been a natural disaster, apart from the Flood of Genesis 7, on a such a scale, destroying scores of towns and cities, submerging islands and moving at least one coastline, in one day? We should further consider that the event in question began with the largest earthquake in forty years, and then escalated with a series of killer tsunamis that stretched over twelve nations and two continents. This is not a time, then, for intellectual theorising, but to be seeking the counsel of the Spirit of God and of trusted and proven prophetic voices.
If we are to walk and interact with the world as witnesses to the truth of God's Word, we cannot be selective about the truths contained in that Word. When Jesus' disciples came to Him asking what would be the signs of the end days, He did not treat their question as irrelevant or untimely. Instead He gave them detailed information concerning the very signs the church should be watching for as His return approaches. Many argue that Jesus stated we would not know the day nor the hour when He would return, but in that same sentence He told the church to "watch therefore" (Matthew 25:13). Several years later the apostle Peter , who had experienced this conversation firsthand, exhorted the early church to be "looking for and hastening " the day of God (2 Peter 3:12). It is clear then that though we do not know the day or the hour of the Lord's return, we are to be a watchful and knowledgeable church about the signs of the times. While there may be a great many opinions and interpretations concerning the specific nature and timing of what the Bible calls the "end of the age", scripture makes it clear that natural disasters will play a major role in the days preceding the Lord's coming to reign on earth (see Revelation 8 and 16). Therefore, those who are wise will not dismiss the possibility that God may well be speaking through this recent shaking of the earth.
Is God a God of Love or Judgment?
Early on the morning of 26th December, prior to the devastating earthquake and tsunamis, I came aside with the Lord for our usual time of communion. I was wanting to share and hear His response on several matters weighing on my mind that day . However, instead of the sharing and listening I was hoping for, something unexpected occurred. Entering the restful Presence of the Lord, I suddenly began to be washed over in the Spirit by what I can only describe as waves of the most extraordinary and inexpressible Love. Each wave would roll over me, then recede, only to be followed by another wave, more intense than the previous one, pulling me deeper and deeper into what seemed like an endless ocean of pure Love. To my spiritual senses it seemed like I was being drowned in this Love that was all around me and filling me at the same time. The experience must have lasted for several minutes but I had no consciousness of time. I was only aware of the glorious Presence of the Father , and that I was in His literal embrace. For some reason I did not understand, He was filling me with the experiential knowledge of His profound Love, not only for myself, but for the whole of mankind. I want to stress that I am at ease and secure in my relationship with God as Father and I can boldly enter His Presence through the Blood of Jesus with no sense of shame, having been healed of any former barriers in that area. On two or three occasions I have been summoned into His Holy Presence to receive counsel on specific matters. However, what I experienced on the morning of December 26th was a totally new revelation of the love of the Father that was beyond the realm of words. I literally became speechless as this Love was poured over and through me, to the point where I would have gladly left my earthly body behind to stay in the intensity of the Father's embrace forever. As the Father's loving Presence continued to roll over me like huge waves, I became aware my body could not withstand this spiritual atmosphere much longer and that if I remained in this place I would die. At that point, the intensity of the waves began to weaken, until I found myself back in my normal state, wondering why I had been allowed this brief but profoundly beautiful manifestation of the pure Love of the Father. I believe I was taken by the Spirit as deep into the Father's love as my mortal frame could endure. Little did I dream, at that moment, of the horrible and tragic events that would overtake the nations of South East Asia within a few short hours of my extraordinarily beautiful experience.
I decided to share this personal story only in the hope of reassuring those who may currently be struggling to reconcile a God of love with a God who can allow natural disasters causing death and destruction on the scale we have recently witnessed. It is not the intention of this article to enter into the argument about whether the earthquake and resultant tsunamis were a sign of God's impending judgment, or otherwise. That particular debate will no doubt rage for some time to come, and I have no desire to add yet another opinion to the many already being expressed. It is disturbing to hear arguments going on in the church over this issue. Frankly, it is not important whether we think God instigated this particular natural disaster or not. God will reveal the answer by His Spirit to those who have a need to know. It is important, however, for us to understand that God CAN decree such events if He so chooses.
My purpose here is to challenge the popular misconception that God cannot be both a Loving God AND also a God who imposes judgment. It is understandable for the unredeemed world to be undecided on this issue , but when and how did the church become so confused? My own profound experience on the morning of December 26th affirmed even more deeply to me something I already believed - that God's love and desire for intimate, one to one fellowship with the human race is beyond understanding or human reason. However, on hearing a few hours later of the devastation and loss of life caused by the earthquake and tsunamis, the possibility that God's Hand could have been instrumental in allowing such carnage caused no conflict of faith within me.
Why is it that so many believers are shaken in faith by any suggestion that God could possibly be so offended by sin that He would hold mankind to account? (By the way I do not agree with the view that the tsunami was judgment on certain religions and idolatrous practices. There is just as much, if not more, false religion and idolatry in western nations, and God is no respecter of persons.) I suspect it is because the God many Christians worship is a made-to-measure customised God whose only desirable attribute is grace. But God is more than Grace, He is Truth. (John 1:17), and He is not divided. If we truly want to know God, we have to accept and live with ALL of Who He is, not just the parts we like. Remember that the same God who displayed His love for the world by allowing His dearly cherished Son to die in agony, also commanded the deaths of Egypt's firstborn. The same Lord who humbly washed the feet of His disciples also whipped the money changers out of the temple grounds. The same Spirit who gently alighted on Christ as a dove, also left Ananias and Saphira stone cold dead at Peter's feet. And the same God who created mankind will also judge mankind.
God is a mystery far beyond the understanding of the human mind. He is not a man, that we can define and discuss and explain. He is not obliged to play by our rules or confine Himself to our humanistic sense of fair play. God's only obligation to mankind is to fulfil His Word. It doesn't matter how many theological books we read, or how many prophetic words we receive, or how many good works we do, it is only through knowing Christ we can know God. But we can never contain Him, and should not attempt to do so.
Furthermore, God does not owe us any explanations for His actions. His attributes have been clearly seen and understood by man since the creation of the world (Romans 1:18-19). Have we forgotten that He is the Creator, and we are the created?. Similarly, the church does not need to defend God. Jesus never defended or explained His Father while He was on the earth. He merely demonstrated His Father's attributes of mercy, grace, humility and an authority that was above all earthly authority, saying "if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father". At the same time He taught a threefold gospel of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11). He did not waste time or effort reasoning with men about His Father's right to be Who He is. Jesus' stated mission to the world was about seeking and saving that which was lost (Luke 19:10). That too is the mission of the church to the world. Regardless of whether or not we as individual disciples of Christ believe this event to be wrought by God's Hand of judgment, our purpose and our mission remains the same - to be those who demonstrate the sacrificial love of God in Christ to the world. The world should be able to look at the church and say "I have seen Christ."
Which God Do We Want?
Whether or not the devastation the world endured on December 26th, and other events that will no doubt follow in coming days, prove to be acts of God's judgment or simply natural disasters on a grand scale, for those who are His children there is no conflict of faith. Our God is a God Who can both judge man and then weep with man, because He has walked as one of us. The church's role in this disaster is not to be arguing within itself and debating with the world about the validity of God's love. The truth of God's love is not-negotiable. God is not ever going to do anything more than the Cross to prove the depth of His love for all of mankind, either to the world or to the church. When You have given all You have to give there is nothing left to prove. The church's role on the earth is to do the same as Jesus did - sacrificially demonstrate that love to the homeless, the orphaned, the widowed and the brokenhearted victims of disaster.
In the gospel Jesus left His church, there is no conflict between God's heart of active love and God's acts of judgment. He is both Love and Righteousness at the same time, and is compelled to demonstrate both. It is only the foolishness of man that demands He must be one or the other. Jesus was the very embodiment of God's love, yet He taught that God should be feared (Luke 12:5) You cannot truly love God without fearing Him, and the more you love Him the more you will fear Him. For those who have been redeemed by His Son's Blood, the fear of God Jesus spoke of is not the fear of wrath and eternal judgment the world walks in. It is a reverence that dawns in us as the Spirit reveals God's absolute authority over all creation. It causes our flesh to tremble and our hearts to be irresistibly drawn towards Him. The fear of God will not cause us to run from His Presence; it will cause us to run TO His Presence. If you have ever looked out at a night sky and marvelled at the vastness of the universe, you have feared God. If you have ever looked down at your sleeping child and wondered how you came to be trusted with such a gift, you have feared God. There are times when, as God's children we can run headlong into our Father's arms and share our most precious secrets and hopes with Him. There are other times when we can only kneel in silent awe and adoration in His Presence. Fearing God is simply knowing the difference. Unfortunately too much of the church no longer knows the difference.
Dear friends, if we are afraid to believe that the God who sent His Son to die for us is capable of also bringing His judgment to an apostate church and a sinful world, we have reduced Him to an entity that Peter, John, James, Paul and the believers of the early church would not even recognise. We need to make up our mind which God we want - the God and Father of Jesus Christ, or a God we don't need to fear.
A new era is being birthed across the earth. The coming days will be the days of the Spirit and the Bride together manifesting Christ throughout the nations of the world in an unprecedented measure of glory and power. This is not a time to be reasoning and debating, it is a time to be demonstrating. The Wife of the Lamb must know her God intimately and fear Him reverently. She must be about her Father's business. The Spirit knows how to awaken the Bride - and He has begun.
"And the Spirit and the Bride say "Come!" (Rev. 22:17)
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Copyright 2004 Cheryl McGrath, Great South Land Ministries, Australia. This article may be copied or reproduced freely providing copyright notice and contact details remain intact.
Cheryl McGrath
Great South Land Ministries, Australia
Website:
BACK TO BREAD FOR THE BRIDE ARTICLES