I have to confess that on many occasions I have been the recipient of many curses. Mostly because of an independent spirit and one of self trust. The curse always had a cause, and it was not a curse that did not come without warning. Our God wants nothing less than to give us a blessing, but often we place ourselves outside that channel of blessing.
During the recent feast of tabernacles in Georgia, I had an opportunity to be blessed by the spirit of love shared between brethren, and I found that within the walls of Jerusalem there is safety. Confessions were made, and the spirit that was there was not one of condemnation, but one of salvation and safety.(John 3:17)
Isa_60:18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
I found that God molding the stones and he is building his house. The building is being built, not by men, not by might, not by power, but by his spirit.
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
In this place I found safety. In fact I once read of this place and I am reminded of the following prophecy being fulfilled:
“I dreamed of seeing a temple to which many people were flocking. Only those who took refuge in that temple would be saved when time should close. All who remained outside would be forever lost. The multitudes without,who were going their various ways, were deriding and ridiculing those who were entering the temple, and told them that this plan of safety was a cunning deception, that, in fact, there was no danger whatever to avoid. They even laid hold of some to prevent them from hastening within the walls.” (Ellen White Early Writings, page 78)
One of the messages had to do with the “safe place” and the more that I saw, the more convicted I became, that I was in that “safe place”. The spirit of brotherly love permeated throughout. Some brethren who came up to the meetings were fearful that the spirit of legalism was there, but by the end of the feast confessions were made and their was a realization that a blessing was upon this place. I was reminded of the following:
“We should improve every opportunity of placing ourselves in the channel of blessing. . . . The convocations of the church, as in camp meetings, the assemblies of the home church, and all occasions where there is personal labor for souls, are God’s appointed opportunities for giving the early and the latter rain.”(Ellen White FLB 246)
While sitting in the room with many of my brethren on the night before the final day of the feast, opening up to one another, we were being constantly reminded of what happened on Pentecost, and also about what happened in 1844. Differences were vanishing between us all, and the brethren were coming into one accord.
Act 4:24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
We know what happened next. God poured out His spirit on his children and they began to prophecy.
Baptism
God’s grace is more than sufficient for me, however, I have been desiring re-baptism and after these meetings and the recognition of the Holy Spirit that was being poured out during these meetings, a few of us were at a water fall, and there was a common desire that seemed to be in many of us. We had just received a blessing the day before, we were looking at the water, and the thought seemed to be in many minds “See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?”(Acts 8:46).
I felt my duty as a child of God to make a public acknowledgment to his body that I have covenanted to be “one flesh” with them. In repenting of my past sins, and giving them to the Lord, the Lord has shown me that despite my wickedness, he wants to give me nothing but mercy.
Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Psa 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
I’ve heard it said at times, that there is no desire to be “baptized into the church”, but I must confess that this is my desire. We are told by Paul that:
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
And the way that I have come to understand it, is that this one body is “the church”(Eph 1:22,23). And therefore I have been baptized into that “one body”. At these meetings I recognized and acknowledged that “God has a church”. It is “the fullness of Him that filleth all in all”(Eph 1:23). And I witnessed it in His children at these meetings. The beautiful Spirit of God alone constitutes His Church.(See Upward Look Page 315).
I know the world cannot see, nor can it know this church.(John 14:17, 18, 1 John 3:1), but as His children we can see the spiritual stones, which are built up His spiritual house, only with spiritual eyes however can we discern spiritual things, and I believe many at these meetings were witnesses of what God is building.
The theme song for the camp was called “Oh give thanks unto the Lord”. That was especially sigificant. One message by a brother pointed out that the Hebrew term “Eben” means “Cornerstone”. And we were shown that the Hebrew letters for cornerstone symbolized the Father and Son. It was almost as if brother Adrian was being pointed prophetically to the rock and foundation of this building and that his name was prophetic and linked to his calling.
During one of the meetings our attention was brought to the following scripture. The scripture is from Ezra and was significant in that it had to do with calling the people back to Jerusalem, and to a feast, and to the foundation of the church.
Ezr 3:11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
History is repeating itself. And it may well be that the divine pattern has been laid down, and that God is going to build His house up. Zechariah was a part of this building up of the house and he explained how this could be accomplished:
Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Not by the Spirit of force, not by our own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit alone can this house be built. And the beautiful spirit that was at these meetings which was evident in the hosts, the organizers, the speakers, and the guests is a testimony that God is building his house and He is building it on that chief cornerstone of the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit being the Spirit that polishes the stones.
There is a special blessing that comes with these meetings. We are told that during these times, the stones are polished. And we definitely need it so that we can be fitly framed together, so that there are no gaps or breaches in the wall. So that the wall will stand storm and tempest. They must be fitly framed on that rock of salvation, with Christ our comforter being the glue that keeps the stones together.
The bible tells us that by missing these times of refreshing, we can miss out on large out pourings of His Holy Spirit.
Zec 10:1 Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
At what time does God use to pour out the rain? When and where should we be so that we might be standing in that “channel of blessing”?
Zec 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Zec 14:17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
And where might this Jerusalem be today? I was there…
Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
We have the testimony. It is up here brethren, “the church of the Firstborn”, “the Church of Christ”, “The Church of the Son of God, the firstborn of heaven from earliest times.” Where two or three are gathered in His name, there he is among them. 🙂
This is where our minds receive the polish necessary to fit us up a spiritual house. Where the angels are commissioned to work, not with independent atoms, but with those who will allow the blessing of Abraham to flow out their bellies like living waters. May we continue to drink from this source, and I pray that we do not stand in front of the channel trying to block the rain.
“Those who shut themselves up within themselves, who are unwilling to be drawn upon to bless others by friendly associations, lose many blessings; for by mutual contact minds receive polish and refinement; by social intercourse, acquaintances are formed and friendships contracted which result in a unity of heart and an atmosphere of love which is pleasing in the sight of heaven.” (Ellen White 6T 172.2)
I would like to share a video that I believe everyone should watch from brother Adrian about laying down our arms and coming up to the meetings to see for yourself. I pray that all of us are able to continue to put aside differences so that we are not held responsible or found guilty of trying to shut up the windows of heaven.