What Then Must We Do?

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

What Then Must We Do?

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

(This may be the most critically important word we have ever received.)

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Acts 2:37

And he [Paul] trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? Acts 9:6

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Acts 16:30

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. Acts 22:10

Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? John 21:21

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Luke 18:18

The human nature of man is to "do." Men are always looking for the answer to, "What shall I do?" When Saul of Tarsus was first apprehended by the Lord, he asked that same question (Acts 22:10). God's people have usually been concerned with what we must "do" only when circumstances seem difficult, critical, or urgent. Because the Church in America today sees nothing critical or urgent, we are very lukewarm concerning what we must do. For the most part, the Church still enjoys apparent prosperity and blessings, so why rock the boat? Some say that we need to move on in the Spirit and that this is no time for business as usual; nevertheless, the actions of the church, particularly by the leaders of the Church, make it clear that business as usual is just fine. Let us keep everybody happy, keep the money coming in, preach feel-good messages, just love everybody, all is well, etc.

Contemporary Christians tend to be predictable traditionalists merely tweaking the methods and means that they have been taught and trained to use. Typically speaking, the contemporary Christian is too busy to spend time with God in order to bask in His glorious presence, too busy to study the word of God in order to know the mind of God, too busy to have altar time with God to be consumed by holy fire, and too busy running from the demands of God to be running with God, knowing the miraculous will of God. Many contemporary Christians lack the vision and passion to build the Kingdom of God. Rather, they build the "Chapel of Self." (Author unknown)

What, specifically, is the Lord waiting on us, the Church (or at least a remnant), to do in this hour? Let us start by describing what, we believe, the Lord is not waiting on us to do. However, according to your faith, be it unto you. We believe that the Lord is not waiting on us to get involved with worldly politics. We believe that the Lord is not waiting for us to build more churches out of brick and stone. We believe that the Lord is not waiting for us to knock on more doors, hand out more tracts, and preach on more street corners, in an effort to "save" the lost. (We must preach the gospel with our life. Words mean little to the unsaved today, and very little to charismatics.) Neither do we believe that the Lord is waiting for us to present more good teachings. We also do not believe that the Lord is waiting on us to "jack up" our faith so we can receive more of His blessings and prosperity.

Finally (although there are many more attempts of the flesh to please God, none of which will "work"), we respectfully disagree with the growing number of would-be and pseudo "prophets" who warn us to prepare in the natural realm for the coming disasters in the United States. An increasing number of "big names" and "wanna-be big names" tell us to store up several month's worth of food and water and plan where to go when nuclear attacks come. They also tell us to keep our gas tanks in our cars full because we may have to travel some distance to escape the coming disasters. In other words, those "big names" tell us to carefully design our disaster recovery plan. A disaster recovery plan in the natural realm cuts across the spirit of my Bible. Do we live by the faith of the Son of God or do we live by our natural, logical reasoning? Jesus said, 

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. Matthew 6:19-20

What about the poor widow woman who cast into the treasury two mites, which was all that she had, even all of her living (Mark 12:42-44)? Do you think that the Lord did not provide for her after that sacrifice? Did she have to beg for food to stay alive after that?

What about the widow woman in the time of Elijah (1 Kings 17:10-24) who only had a handful of meal and a little oil in a cruise? Because she was willing to give it to Elijah to eat, the barrel of meal did not waste, neither did the cruise of oil fail until the Lord sent rain upon the earth.

What about the woman in the days of Elisha (2 Kings 4:1-7) who had lost her husband and was about to lose her two sons to the creditors to be bondmen, because she could not pay her debts? As long as we pour out our oil into empty vessels, the oil will keep flowing just like Elisha and the widow. As long as they sought empty vessels there was oil. When they stopped seeking empty vessels, the oil stopped. Furthermore, consider the following.

16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

18 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. Psalm 37:16-19

Instead of planning on how to preserve our life in the coming days of famine, we do much better to concentrate on maintaining the righteousness of God within us. For if we do that, then the Lord promises that we will be satisfied in the days of famine.

In summary, do you want to trust yourself to provide for you, or do you want to trust the Lord to provide for you? My Bible says,

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek): for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:31-34

Yes, we are aware that the Lord used Joseph to store up food for seven years in Egypt in order to preserve life for His people. But that was a "rhema" word to Joseph, not a "logos" word to every one of God's people. In the final analysis, "Whatsoever He says to you, do it." But be very careful with trying to implement what man says to you.

Christian men frequently look for a "cause" to which they can give themselves. Some have a cause to stand on street corners and hand out Christian tracts. Others have a cause to serve in a soup kitchen. Still others have a cause to go around and knock on doors and ask the residents, "Are you saved?" The different types of causes are virtually unlimited. We would never even think about being judgmental about any of the various causes. Each person must answer to the Lord when it comes to, "what then must we do?" At the most fundamental level, we are all unique and God created us for a purpose. That purpose is to glorify God. But what does that mean? Jesus answered that question in John 17 when He said,

I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. John 17:4

In Scripture, we need to pay close attention to the use of a colon. What follows a colon always explains or amplifies what has just preceded. Therefore Jesus glorified the Father on the earth by completing the work which the Father had given to Him. As long as we, as believers, fulfill the purpose for which we were created, then we all receive the same reward. John the Baptist likewise fulfilled the work given to him to do.

And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not He. But, behold, there cometh One after me, Whose shoes of His feet I am not worthy to loose. Acts 13:25

Paul said the same thing.

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

Now let us consider what Jesus said to a multitude of people (including His disciples).

And why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Luke 6:46

Was Jesus saying that we need to do some things? If so, what things? 

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him, and saying,

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

Matthew 22:35-40

The words in the above verse that Jesus spoke are taken from three different sets of verses in Deuteronomy, in the Old Testament. 

12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and His statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? Deuteronomy 10:12-13 

5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: Deuteronomy 6:5-6

5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and He will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.

6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. Deuteronomy 30:5-6

Let us note two things. First, the verses in Deuteronomy were given as commandments, under the law. They speak of, 'Thou shall do this and thou shall not do that." No man, except Jesus, was ever or is ever to keep the law. Also note the progression from the verses in Deuteronomy 10 to those in Deuteronomy 6 to those in Deuteronomy 30. The progression is from "thou shall do this" to "these words shall be in your heart" to "the LORD thy God will circumcise your heart so that you will be able to love Him with all of your heart and soul." The verses in Deuteronomy are forward looking to the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, the verses are a commandment; under the New Covenant, the verses are a promise ... you really will love the Lord with all of your heart and soul and mind (provided you simply allow the Lord to work that love within you).

Second, none of the verses in Deuteronomy speak of "loving thy neighbor as thyself." Further, we cannot find one verse in the Old Testament which says that we are to love our neighbor as our self. Why did Jesus add that "second" commandment? Catholics, as well as many Protestant Evangelicals, are very strong on feeding the poor, on helping our neighbor in natural ways.

In 1967, shortly before the Lord apprehended me, I became somewhat "desperate" because my wife told me she was going to divorce me. I had never done anything that most folks call evil or "wrong." I was just doing my own thing (playing golf and duplicate bridge) and leaving my wife at home. I also did not communicate with my wife too well (my fault). In desperation, I asked her to wait until after I had talked with the pastor of the Methodist Church where we were attending. She agreed. I had a private talk with that pastor in which I said, "I feel like my life is wasting away. Can you help me?" In essence, that pastor said, "No, I cannot help you. Why don't you go and talk with Sam Jones (not his real name)?" Sam was another "lay member" of that Methodist Church. He also told me that if I "get right with men then I will be right with God." How tragic! Hindsight, it is obvious that he did not know the Lord. Further, no amount of "loving our neighbor" will ever get us to the place where we love the Lord our God with all our heart, and soul, and mind. It only works the other way. Whenever we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us the nature of God, Who is love, then by default we will also love our neighbor as our self. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son..." (John 3:16).

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God Whom he hath not seen? 

1 John 4:20

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: Ephesians 5:29

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

John 15:13

Who Is Waiting For Whom? To Do What?

A few years ago in one session of an "intercessor" conference, the woman conducting the conference stated that she sensed that there were a number of believers present who seemed to be waiting for the Lord to do something in their life. She said, "If that is true of you, please come forward because I want to pray for you." At least 80% of those present went forward to be prayed for. I elected not to do so because I saw (and see) something different, based upon the following verse (and others).

And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for Him. Isaiah 30:18

In the first part of the verse above, the Lord is waiting; in the last part of the verse, we wait for Him. Now the question arises, who is waiting on whom? If I am waiting for you and you are waiting for me, we have a stalemate ... nothing happens. As in all Scripture, the order is significant. The Lord is first of all waiting for us to do something because He has already made available to us all things in Christ. What is He waiting for us to do? If we do not know the Lord, He is waiting for us to repent of our sins and ask Him to come into our heart and be our Lord and Savior. If we already know the Lord, He is waiting for us to cease from our own carnal ways and works, rest in Him, do the will of God, and walk in the works which He has prepared for us before the foundation of the world; in other words to press into the fullness of the kingdom of God. We must understand that the Lord is omnipresent and omnipotent, but not simply to do good things for us. We exist for His pleasure, not the other way around. He is also much more interested in our character than our comfort or our works. Furthermore, the Lord waits patiently for the fruit of the Spirit to be made manifest in our life. After we do His will, walk in the Spirit, and walk in His ways, then we wait for Him.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until He receive the early and latter rain. James 5:7

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. Hebrews 10:36

Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day. Psalm 25:5

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

1 Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from Him cometh my salvation.

5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. 

Psalm 62:1, 5

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 

Psalm 40:1

25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.

26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:25-26

Therefore wait ye upon Me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all My fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. Zephaniah 3:8

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:19, 23

The following verses describe the omnipotence of the Lord and how He will empower those who wait for Him. That power is in the Holy Ghost. Waiting for the Lord does not mean that we sit back and do nothing. It means that we trust in Him, hope in Him, and look solely to Him. 

28 Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding.

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength [for defense].

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength [to endure]; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31

Those who wait upon the Lord are promised four sure results: we shall (1) renew our strength (or rather, renew strength, because it is not our strength but His strength within us); (2) mount up with wings as eagles; (3) run and not be weary; and (4) walk and not faint. As always, the order is significant. At first glance, logical reasoning would say that maturity in Christ means we walk first, then run, then mount up as eagles and soar in the sky. But the Holy Ghost never makes a mistake. God is very orderly. The order is correct as stated. What the Lord is after as an end product is that we are able to walk with Him on a daily basis, as did Enoch.

But let us be much more specific than that. Again, what, specifically, is the Lord waiting on us, the Church, to do in this hour? We all know the verse,

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

The love of God is unconditional; His love is simply based upon His nature, for it is His nature to love the world. After all, He created the world and mankind; He said it was good and very good. Why should He not love that which He has created? Most normal parents love their own children. How much more so does God love His children! When we accept that unconditional love of God, as demonstrated by the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary, we enter into the initial stage of salvation. Most would say that then we are saved or perhaps "born again." As long as we do not repent of accepting His unconditional love, we will "go to heaven" one day.

However, everything after that initial acceptance of what Jesus has done for us is conditional! It is conditional upon what we "do." That is the difference between being saved and the kingdom of God. Have you ever noticed the little word, "then," in Scripture? The word "then" occurs about 2,200 times in the Bible and is usually preceded by another little word, "if." One of the more widely known "If ... then" scriptures is,

If My People, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

The above verse, written some 3,000 years ago, is timeless and just as applicable today as when it was written. Does our land in America need healing? Do we need forgiveness of our sin? Do we need the Lord to hear us? Then we, the Church, need to do four things. Did anyone say that their ways are not wicked? What is wicked in the mind of God is not necessarily wicked in our minds. Does God consider us doing our own thing as being wicked? Does God consider as wicked all of the contentions, divisions, strife, vain imaginations, merchandising of the gospel, and on and on?

Leonard Ravenhill, a well-known and respected 20th century revivalist said:

Oh God send us prophetic preaching that searches and scorches! Send us a race of Martyr-preachers - men burdened, bent, bowed and broken under the vision of impending judgment and the unending hell of the impenitent ...

Preachers make pulpits famous; prophets make prisons famous. May the Lord send us prophets - terrible men, who cry aloud and spare not, who sprinkle nations with unctionized woes- men too hot to hold, to hard to be heard, to merciless to spare...

We are tired of men in soft raiment and softer in speech who use rivers of words with but a smidgen of unction. These know more about competition than consecration, about promotion than prayer. They substitute propaganda for propagation and care more for their church's happiness than holiness ... (From "Why Revival Tarries").

 

*       *       *

A. W. Tozer, another highly respected 20th century revivalist, said:

If Christianity is to receive a rejuvenation, it must be by other means than any now being used. If the Church in the second half of this century is to recover from the injuries she suffered in the first half, there must appear a new type of preacher. The proper, ruler-of-the-synagogue type will never do. Neither will the priestly type of man who carries out his duties, takes his pay and asks no questions, nor the smooth-talking pastoral type who knows how to make the Christian religion acceptable to everyone. All these have been tried and found wanting. Another kind of religious leader must arise among us. He must be of the old prophet type, a man who has seen visions of God and has heard a voice from the Throne. When he comes (and I pray God there will be not one but many), he will stand in flat contradiction to everything our smirking, smooth civilization holds dear. He will contradict, renounce and protest in the name of God and will earn the hatred and opposition of a large segment of Christendom. Such a man is likely to be lean, rugged, blunt-spoken and a little bit angry with the world. He will love Christ and the souls of men to the point of willingness to die for the glory of the One and the salvation of the other. But he will fear nothing that breathes with mortal breath. ("The Size of the Soul," pages 128-129).

What is the Lord specifically looking for? The answer has been clearly written in Scripture in several places for more than 2,000 years ... before what we call the New Testament was ever written.

The Two Keys (on the part of Christian man)

One set of verses that is critically specific and applicable today in terms of what the Lord is waiting for us to "do" are found in Joel 1:1 - Joel 2:17, which represent the "If," which not only describes the conditions in the Church today, but also what the Lord is waiting for us to "do." The "then" follows in Joel 2:18. If we "do" those things described in Joel 1:1-2:17 then the Lord will do everything else. Note that from Joel 2:18 through the end of the book, there is no mention of anything that we must do. It is all the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes!

In Joel 1:2-2:17 we see that things have never been as bad as they are right now. The darkness is covering the earth and gross darkness the people. The United States is fast becoming Sodom and Gomorrah. The church and the world are filled with greed, idolatry, worldly entertainment, politics, and every abomination under the sun. And what shall we do? Those same verses contain the specific answer.

5 Awake ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine.

8 Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth.

11 Be ye ashamed, O ye husbandmen; howl, O ye vinedressers.

13 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God.

14 Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord. 

Joel 1:5, 8, 11, 13-14

1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.

12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God.

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly;

16 Gather the People, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her

17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare Thy People, O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Joel 2:1, 12-13, 15-17

The above verses speak of two things ... deep repentance on the part of all believers (identifying with the will of God) and true intercession, accompanied by groaning in the spirit, weeping over spiritual Jerusalem, and identifying with the heart of God that His people might be set free from every bondage and come forth in maturity. Neither the repentance nor the intercession can be something which is mechanical; both must be born of the Spirit.

Deep Repentance

What does it mean to repent? In the New Testament, the major Greek word translated as repent means to change one's mind or purpose. Perhaps when most Christians hear the word "repent," they think about what happens when we are first born again. But there is much more to repentance than that. As a result, we suspect that when most Christians hear that they need to repent, the first thought that runs through their mind is, "Repent? Repent from what? I have not killed anyone; I have not stolen from a bank; I have not committed adultery; I have not ..."

John the Baptist came preaching, 

1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 3:1-2

Then comes Jesus.

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17

Who constituted the audience that both John the Baptist and Jesus exhorted to "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand?" Who needed to repent? the Amorites? the Edomites? the Canaanites? the Philistines? NO! Jesus exhorted His own people, the people of God, the religious elite of the day, to repent. But

11 He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.

12 But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: John 1:11-12

A question for all of us to ponder ... Consider the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees who did not receive Jesus. Are they in heaven? We do not speculate on the answer to that question. Neither should you. Jesus said to the chief priests and elders,

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. Matthew 21:31

Why do the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before the religious leaders of the day? because the publicans and harlots are aware of their need. The leaders of the church are not aware of their need.

Jesus never preached, "Repent, so you can be saved and one day go to heaven." Jesus preached the kingdom of God, which is not the same as the initial salvation experience. There are two scenarios. We have the Church, being "saved," going to heaven one day, and many would add the so-called (false) rapture out of this world when things really get difficult. On the other hand is the kingdom of God. The two are not the same.

Consider Job. In Job, Chapter 1, the Lord said unto Satan,

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Job 1:8

But then, after 41 Chapters of discourse, Job says,

5 I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.

6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:5-6

Why should a perfect and upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil, have to repent? Let us also consider the prophet Isaiah. 

1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Isaiah 6:1-7

Note that Isaiah, after he had seen the Lord, likewise had to repent, because he saw who he was in comparison to the Lord Himself.

Now, let us consider the word iniquity in Verse 7, above. "Iniquity" is merely a word that describes the "Adamic nature." It is something we possess, or that which we are, rather than something we do. In other words, iniquity in our nature is the cause of sinful activity in our lives. Iniquity comes in many different shapes and sizes ... like pride, arrogance, etc. To act proudly, or arrogantly, or out of self-will is the essence of working iniquity.

The attitude of his heart made David such a beloved person in the sight of the Lord. If you want an eye-opener, check out the places in the Psalms where David pleaded for mercy and for deliverance ... not only for what he had done, but for what he was in his flesh.

I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. Psalm 32:5

For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. Psalm 38:18

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest.

5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 

Psalm 51:2-5

Many times all of us have repented of actions which had been wrong, and had harmed other people - doing the best we could to rectify the mistakes we had made. We all know how to do that. But the probe of the Spirit is destined to go deeper than the surface of our life. He will begin to show us how wrong some of our motives have been ... what had prompted some of our non-sinful actions. They don't look so good under the searchlight of His Spirit.

God, in His Mercy, will show myself to me ... without benefit of cosmetic cover. "I try the reins, I search the heart" (Jeremiah 17:10).

Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. Ezekiel 43:10

He will bring us to the place that we cry out, with David, "Oh Lord, have mercy on me, for I am weak. (Psalm 6:2). Deliver my soul - (Psalm 116:4) "Save me from myself."

The Lord caused the Prophet Isaiah to write,

 

"For all those [things] hath Mine hand made, and all those [things] have been, saith the LORD: but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word'' (Isaiah 66:2).

He caused Joel to write: 

"And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil" (Joel 2:13).

Jesus preached,

Blessed are the poor in spirit: [the spirit of man] for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

Blessed are ye that hunger [for righteousness] now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep [over your lack of inner righteousness] now: for ye shall laugh. Luke 6:21

Woe unto you that are full [of the self-life]! for ye shall hunger [spiritually]. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Luke 6:25

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep [over the inbred iniquity in our hearts]: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. James 4:9

Genuine repentance is a gift from GOD.

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. Acts 11:18

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 24:47

Oh Lord, lead us, by Your goodness, to repentance. Then, we need to ask the Lord for His grace and mercy to enable us to walk in a state of repentance. Are we "better" than Job, Isaiah, and David, all of whom saw the need to repent, not simply for what they had said and done, but for who they were?

True Intercession

To intercede literally means "to come in between." The intercessor is one who comes in between God and man, on behalf of men, frequently those men who deserve His wrath and punishment.

The great Intercessor, of course, was and still is Jesus.

Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12

In effect, when Jesus died on the cross, He was saying, "Let the judgment that is due to the people come upon Me." Then after His death, resurrection, and ascension, we are told,


24 But this Man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

25 Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:24-25

What a comfort we have to know that Jesus continues to make intercession on our behalf before the throne of the Father! Jesus spent thirty years in relative obscurity, in "normal" family life; three and one-half years in public ministry; and now about two thousand years in intercession, unseen by any natural eye. Do those time frames say anything about the importance of intercession?

Scripturally, how has God moved in order to restore His chosen people to the place that He desires? After the 400 years of bondage in Egypt, and in response to the cry of the Israelites, the Lord raised up and empowered Moses as their visible deliverer. All throughout the book of Judges the Lord also raised up deliverers, again in response to the cry of the people. Then the Lord used Daniel, Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah in a slightly different way. All four of them were righteous vessels who interceded for God's people.

Then comes the Deliverer of all deliverers, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Sometimes we need to reflect not only on what Jesus has done for us at Calvary, but what He continues to do.

So now what is the Lord looking for in His people (or a remnant) today? We believe He is looking for those who will identify with His intercession and His weeping over spiritual Jerusalem. The Lord has been inconspiculously preparing an instrument of deliverance in the earth. That preparation is similar to how pearls of great price are created. A "natural pearl" is one that forms without any human intervention at all, in the wild, and is very rare.

We, as the people of God, have the power, authority, and opportunity to continually live in the shekinah presence of God. It is our choice. Not all will make that choice because it requires a denying of self and yielding our will to His will. If we, through the power of the Holy Ghost, build a living tabernacle where there is continual prayer, praise, worship, and thanksgiving, He will meet us and speak to us and our temple will be sanctified by His glory. If we continue to abide in the Vine and walk in the Spirit, then He will dwell among us.

The blueprint is clearly stated in the Old Testament, where God gave specific instructions to Moses on how to keep the tabernacle a place where the shekinah glory could dwell.

The altar of the burnt offering is described in Leviticus 6:9-13. We should daily offer our lives up to God as an act of worship.

The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. Leviticus 6:13

That fire was originally from heaven (Leviticus 9:24) and was supernatural fire. Only that fire can be used to set fire to the incense on the golden altar. The offering of strange fire (any fire generated by man) results in spiritual death. John the Baptist said,

He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. Matthew 3:11

That is not two things, but one ... the fire of the Holy Ghost; it is not two baptisms, but one. Jesus was baptized once, not twice.

The table of "shewbread" (Leviticus 24:5-9) does not correctly represent the Hebrew name. It should more accurately be defined as "the table of the presence" (Numbers 4:7) and the cakes called "the bread of the presence" (Exodus 25:30). God desires continual thanksgiving for His goodness and provision.

The golden lampstand (Leviticus 24:1-4) is symbolic of the presence of the Holy Spirit, Who shines light on or reveals the Bread of life, even the Lord Jesus Christ.

The altar of incense (Exodus 30:1-10) is symbolic of the prayers of the saints rising to God. Paul exhorted us to

Pray without ceasing; 1 Thessalonians 5:17



18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds; that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:18-20

For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. Isaiah 56:7

1 I exhort therefore that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 1 Timothy 2:1-2

The word translated as "authority" is the Greek word huperoche, which occurs only one other time in the Bible, in 1 Corinthians 2:1, where it is translated as "excellency" or "pre-eminence." Careful thought of 1 Corinthians 2:1 makes it apparent that Paul said he did not have that kind of authority.

Therefore the word "authority" in 1 Timothy 2:2 refers to positional authority, i.e., the authority given by man, and not spiritual authority, which only comes from God.

Jesus told His disciples, "After this manner therefore pray ye." There is a vast difference between "after this manner" and "repeat the following words." That difference is the main reason why Jesus called the Pharisees and scribes "hypocrites." They were only interested in cleansing the outside of the cup. They had the letter of the law but not the Spirit.

5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 2 Corinthians 3:5-6

The "letter" is the covenant given at Mt. Sinai, which is called the "ministration of death." The old covenant could not give life. It was like a dead body, for lack of the spirit (James 2:26). Christ is the Spirit of the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:17).

It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

Despite the fact that Jesus emphasized over and over that He is the true bread of life, the Jews could neither understand nor believe Him. The Jews tried to reduce everything down to a natural level so they could understand with their natural minds. Unfortunately, too many Christians today make that same futile attempt and end up in a swamp of misunderstanding.

The first of two complementary sets of verses which encapsulate what the Lord is looking for the Church to "do" are the following.

For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. Habakkuk 2:11

That verse has no natural level interpretation. "A stone" could refer to any member of the body of Christ. "The stone" can be no other that the Lord Jesus. "The wall" is the wall around Jerusalem, not just any ordinary city wall. The Lord Jesus is also "the wall."

For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. Zechariah 2:5

"The beam out of the timber" refers to the Father, Who is the girder Who upholds all things. Therefore Habakkuk 2:11 says that the Lord Jesus shall cry out to the Father on behalf of the Church. That verse is the Old Testament counterpart of the New Testament verse,

Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

The second of the two complementary sets of verses which encapsulate what the Lord is looking for is the following. 

18 Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.

19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward Him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger on the top of every street. 

Lamentations 2:18-19

The above verses represent our identification with the Lord Jesus in His intercession for the Church. That is what Daniel, Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah "did." I have not found any place in my Bible that speaks of a gift or ministry of intercession. Every member of the body of Christ is called to intercede on behalf of the Church. However, "Many are called but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14); or rather, "Many are called, but  few choose." Few see the need to intercede on behalf of the Church; even fewer choose to intercede.

For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry: when He shall hear it, He will answer thee. Isaiah 30:19

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16b

A better translation of the above verse is:

The energized or inwrought [by the Holy Spirit] prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Samuel said that it was a sin against the Lord if he ceased to pray for the people.

23 Moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

24 Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all of your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you. 1 Samuel 12:23-24

Note that Samuel prayed for Saul even after God had rejected him from being king (1 Samuel 15:11). That verse says that Samuel cried unto the Lord all night on behalf of Saul.

Some careful thought will bear witness that the greatest saints were often the greatest intercessors, for they were those who were closest to the heart of God. Some of these great intercessors were Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, and Paul, to name a few.

Abraham interceded on behalf of Sodom because his nephew, Lot, was there. Abraham knew that if judgment came upon Sodom, then Lot and his family would be part of the judgment. Abraham kept interceding for Sodom until the Lord promised that He would not destroy it if He found ten righteous persons in the city. I have read that at that point in time, Sodom was a major city with a population of no less than 10,000 people. So for the sake of ten righteous people out of 10,000 persons God was willing to spare the entire city. That is one out of a thousand! Elihu, in the Book of Job records this same proportion.

23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:

24 Then He is gracious unto him. And saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. Job 33:23-24

One out of a thousand! That does not seem like a very large percentage ... 0.1% ... or a tenth of a tenth of a tenth. Let us apply this same proportion to the United States, whose current population is very close to 300,000,000 people. Does that mean, if we use the same proportion, that God will spare the United States if He finds 300,000 persons who walk in righteousness? A better question might be, are there 300,000 committed believers in the United States who walk in righteousness? (That does NOT mean those who have their names on a church roster; nor does it mean those who are born-again believers but are doing their own thing.)

19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: Acts 2:19

Blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke, above, speak of Divine judgment upon the earth. Some watchmen have said that the United States is currently worse spiritually and morally than Sodom and Gomorrah during the time of Abraham. Therefore a number of those watchmen recently have been warning the Church that blood and fire are imminent in America. Do you think that America is in trouble? Is it time for the judgment of God to descend upon our country? Do we need some real intercessors, such as Abraham was in his time?

A second striking example of an intercessor was Moses. The apostasy of the Israelites who came out of Egypt during the Exodus was so great that only two of those over the age of twenty actually made it into the promised land. But Moses interceded.


31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book, which Thou hast written. Exodus 32:31-32

That is intercession! How many such saints do you think there are in the United States who would sincerely make that same statement? Only the Lord knows, but I would guess not too many! The Lord surely would have destroyed his chosen people had not Moses stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath.

In Verse 31, the people had made gods of gold. Do you think that some believers today have likewise made gods of gold? Money is a HUGE driving force in America, both in the world and in the Church. Almost all of the teaching relating to money that I have heard in person and from the television preachers is WARPED and DISTORTED!

The apostle Paul made the same statement as did Moses.

1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. Romans 9:1-3

Ezekiel 22 records a different scene. Just as in the time of Abraham and Moses, the sins of God's people are portrayed once more, but this time there was NO intercessor found to stand in the gap.

30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

31 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God. Ezekiel 22:30-31

One man ... one intercessor ... could have saved an entire nation, even though every section of society was corrupted (see Ezekiel 22:23-29 for proof of that). Can one man save the United States from the judgment of God?

The same apostasy existed in the time of Isaiah. Please read all of Isaiah 59 to get the complete picture.

And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him; and His righteousness, it sustained Him. Isaiah 59:16

Even God Himself wondered that there was no intercessor! What an amazing verse! Not one intercessor! Therefore, He sent His son, Jesus to be that intercessor. Thank you Lord!

From my somewhat limited experience, I have seen very few saints who even know what intercession is, much less move in that vital ministry. Even the so-called "intercessor conference" that I attended a few years ago gave little sign of genuine intercessors.

Therefore, we believe it is crucial for those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand, to ask the Lord to raise up true intercessors in our midst. There is no higher calling than that of an intercessor. Man will not see, recognize, or applaud you, but in the Kingdom of God your life will count for eternity.

What shall the intercessors pray for? that the leaders of the Church (those in positional authority) will return unto the Lord, laying aside all mixture and things that hinder. Scripture is clear that judgment is according to the light that has been given. The greater the light, the more severe the judgment.

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him will be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. Luke 12:48

In all of the history of the human race, there has never been a generation on the face of the earth that has been exposed to greater spiritual light than this generation in the United States. Most believers have heard an enormous amount of good teaching, both through first hand exposure and through books, tapes, and videos. Yet the Church in America has strayed far from what the Lord desires. Those in positional authority within the Church have always been, and still are, the ones that must bear the brunt of the judgment of God. The problems always have been with the leaders, scripturally, historically, and experientially. It is one thing to stray from the Lord yourself, as an individual; it is much more serious to lead others astray. (See, for example, 1 Kings 14:16, 1 Kings 15:26-34, and 2 Chronicles 21:11.)

And the common people heard Him gladly. Mark 12:37b

Intercessors also need to ask the Lord to open the eyes of each believer in our midst to come and see Jesus, to hear His voice, and to walk in His ways. Ask the Lord to give each member of the local church discerment concerning the body of Christ. That is clearly written in 1 Timothy 2:1, where we are exhorted to pray for all "men," which is the Greek word for human beings, not simply males.

To cry out and not hide out is the mandate from our Father God. When we cry out to Him, we acknowledge our need for His divine intervention in our lives. There is also a healing process that takes place as we admit our need before our Lord in prayer. There are many echoes in our spirit when this cry is heard in our own ears and before the throne of God. We must not hide out and continue to deny the ache in our hearts, becoming more and more numb as time marches on. Let us make known the unspoken desire of our heart ... that which we think is too big for even the Lord to address. We must "cry out" and make this cry a habit that will change us and enlarge the kingdom of God within.

Please read 1 Samuel 1:1-20, which is the story of Hannah when she was in great tribulation, not having a son. Hannah finally cried out to the Lord in her desperation for a son and pledged her son to the Lord's service if He would open her womb. Little did anyone know at the time that the Lord would not only answer her cry, but give her that great prophet Samuel of whom it is said that the Lord did not let any of his words drop to the ground. Because of Samuel's faithful obedience to the Lord, Samuel was allowed to anoint David as king. So we can see the far reaching effects of Hannah's cry. Her time of real communion with the Father and the honoring of her vow to Him was greatly used to further the Lord's purposes. We must realize that our cry to the Lord will be used in like manner to further the plans and purposes of the Lord in the earth. We must "cry out" and seek the Lord's answer over the desires of our flesh, which would prefer to accept an easier response or the world's answer.

The rock-bottom surrender to the Lord's provision in our lives is always honored by our Lord. When we cease to move in our own strength, then the Lord is able to show Himself mighty on our behalf. It is then that He answers our prayer. Through this process we acknowledge that we need a Savior, a Creator, a Father God that is more powerful and greater than ourselves to meet our need. The more we focus on the Father's provision and ability in our lives, the more we will find rest in Him.

Maturity is the goal of the Father's answers to our prayers. The upward call of the Lord Jesus to know the "higher ways" of the Father cause us to see clearly the depravity of our flesh nature. We must each choose to cry out to hear and see and perceive the Lord's ways in our lives. We must decide to go on to maturity for there is nothing else that will satisfy our heart hunger to know our Lord.

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. Psalm 17:15

Who Participates?

Who participates? those who have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches today. They will all have a measure of discernment and have understanding of what Israel must do in this hour; they will understand the ways of the Lord, not just His acts.

From the Book of Joel, priests and ministers of the Lord are called to participate. If you believe in the priesthood of all believers, then EVERY Christian is called to participate! They will not have positional authority but they will have spiritual authority because they have been tried in the furnace of affliction and proven in the wilderness. If they have spiritual authority, they can no longer hold on to their positional authority; they of necessity must cast down their crowns before Him. 

10 The four and twenty elders fall down before Him That sat on the throne, and worship Him That liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. 

Revelation 4:10-11

They will all be jealous for the Lord ... jealous that He might have His way among men.

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them [graven images], nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me. Exodus 20:5

So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. 

Zechariah 1:14

Paul said,

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2 

9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 1 Kings 19:9-10

Do you get angry when you see or hear modern-day preachers who always preach about what "we" get from Christianity? Who is jealous for the Lord of Hosts? NO MAN can interrupt that eternal, unbreakable covenant between the Father and the Son. But who is jealous for the Lord that NO MAN seek the glory that belongs only to God? and that NO MAN water down the true gospel? Who is jealous for the Lord of hosts that He has HIS way, that HIS plans and purposes be fulfilled?

Another in-worked characteristic of those who participate is that they will have a compelling passion or zeal to please the Lord, to glorify Him above all else, to magnify Him, to seek His face, to hear His word, to fulfill His will. They have found the Master Key: not my will but Thy will be done. They will identify with the zeal of the Lord.

Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:7

For the zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up. Psalm 69:9

They will be like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

 

31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; ...

32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures? Luke 24:31-32

They will have the intensity which Stephen and Paul had. In short, they will have been baptized with the fire of God, spoken of by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11. The following verse was certainly a reality within Stephen and Paul.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11

"And they loved not their lives unto [the] death" does not of necessity imply they will be physically crucified or tortured. It simply means they have their priorities straight. They put the will of the Father above their own will in all things. They have allowed the cross to work within them to bring forth "Christ in you the hope of glory."

The participants will have the same attitude as the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch in Acts 13.

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, ... Acts 13:2a

Note that Scripture does not record that the teachers brought forth their best teachings; neither does the Scripture say that the prophets uttered their best prophecies. We do not know if any of the teachers taught anything; neither do we know if any of the prophets spoke forth the word of the Lord. If they did, which we believe was not likely, it was of no major importance, because they were only concerned that the Lord would be glorified and magnified. There is no record that the word of the Lord came through any man; that way, no man could receive any glory or get puffed up. If certain true prophets and teachers were assembled together today and they were in one accord as those in Acts 13, what would the Holy Ghost say today?

This is not a word simply to be talked about or discussed or analyzed. This is a word which requires action. However, no man can tell you or us how to implement this word. This word, like all others, must be inspired by the Holy Ghost as a rhema word and implemented as led by the Holy Ghost.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 

James 1:22

The Real Key: The Sovereignty of God

Earlier, we described the two keys on the part of (Christian) man, as recorded in the Book of Joel. However, the real key is the Lord Himself. It is only by the grace and mercy of God that we can do anything. We cannot even take our next breath, except by the grace of God. All we really can do is to cry out to the Lord, Help, Lord!

As stated earlier, it is crucially important to understand what the Holy Ghost says to us from the Book of Joel, which, like all of Scripture, is timeless and independent of culture, geographical location, gender, and everything else. There are three main points in the Book of Joel:

(1) The catastrophic state of God's people who are not walking, daily, in a state of repentance. That state gets increasingly worse as we are lukewarm and continue to do our own thing.

(2) God requires only two things from His people: true repentance and identification with His intercession on behalf of His people.

(3) The sovereignty of God takes care of all the rest! ALL the rest! There is absolutely NO mention from Joel 2:18 through the end of the book that we, as God's people, do anything. In the beginning, God ... in the end, God ... everywhere in between the beginning and the end, God. Further, God even arranges all of our circumstances to help us to cry out to Him. It is the love of God in action when He sends His great army, described in Joel 2:1-11, to bring about great persecution and tribulation among His people, just as He did in Acts 8. That will leave the Church no alternative except to cry out from the depths of our being unto Him.

Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Luke 20:18

May the word and call of the Lord in this hour burn within the very depths of our hearts.

Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. Jeremiah 20:9