Where the spirit of God is, there is a demonstration and transformation.
1 Corinthians 2:13 MSG version
The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God and brings out what God planned all along. Whoever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person to person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same, firsthand, personal way.
Ministry is not about skills, degrees, and charisma; it is about God’s will. Many have adopted the methods of the world to such an extent that sermons are no longer scriptural. No one can express the mind of God without having an experience with Him. Although it is helpful to study timelines, artifacts, and historical remains, only the Spirit of God can search the depths of God. These studies are essential to confirm scripture. Revelation and power come through the Holy Spirit. We can’t minister from a place of intimacy when there is no relationship with the Holy Spirit. He is the most important being on earth from the day of Pentecost.
God laughs at the foolishness of man. We should be thankful that the Lord waited before returning. The signs are there. The earth is crying out for the sons of God to rise. When the church is in its rightful place of influence, God intervenes or holds back his wrath. The rebellion from the house of God grieves His Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord says I have removed the veil, but they remain blind. They have turned their meeting places into a den of thieves and idolatry. Holy Spirit says the people gather, but not in my name. They do not know me. They sing songs asking me to deliver them from this world, yet they are not ready for my return. If I return now, many will not make it to heaven.
We are in the days when the Lord is separating the wheat from the weeds. The Spirit of God poured out on all flesh. The Lord is not looking for lip service. He searches the heart, selecting those who have remained blameless before Him. There is always demonstration and manifestation when God's Spirit is upon and within His people. The worship team can’t lead others into God's presence without unity. The sermon has no impact when the word does not come from God. God will not bless rebellion or disobedience.
14-16 The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by Spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah’s question, “Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?” has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit.
It is essential to know the kingdom you are from and how it operates. The Spirit of the Lord is upon those who worship Him in Spirit and truth. The Lord is not concerned about talent, gifts, or cult following. The Lord knows who is pure in heart. The ecclesia must become the Bride Christ desires it to be. To look, speak, dress, and function as one with sound wisdom. Our worship, or lack thereof, indicates the lack of a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Spirit of God and gather, the power of God comes into the room. Instead, what the Holy Spirit has to work with is a dripping tap. I sprinkle here and there.
Saints, God is not pleased with defiled offerings. God is not moved by a meeting scheduled for him. If the services are not patterned after the blueprint of God’s kingdom, they are rejected. The weight of God's glory is not present in conferences and concerts when there is a mixture of all kinds. God says He is not in it. Canality attracts canality. Holiness attacks holiness. God is calling the church to a cleansing process.
The stench of pride has reached the nostrils of the Lord. He is judging His house first. God says, I reject those who have rejected me. You have seen the false prophets and accepted their charms. God says he has trained many in obscurity away from the contamination of religion. They are like those spoken about in Acts 2 with tongues of fire. They know me, and I know them. There is only one way to behold the manifold glory of God. It is through unity in and through Christ Jesus. The proof of them walking in tandem with me is the signs that will undeniably follow them.
Hebrews 10:36-37 “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, And he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”
The Spirit of the Lord causes us to walk in humility. I will reiterate this: we must understand the laws and principles of the kingdom we are from to access its benefits. The blessings and promises of God are without repentance, but how do we partake of something we do not know or understand? The Lord took me back to Ephesians 5. This scripture is mainly used to counsel marriages and beat women into submission. The Lord gave me a different perspective. Our relationship with our spouses reflects our relationship with the Lord. It also defines the Lord's relationship with his bride. So let us look at each verse and ask the Holy Spirit to provide us with understanding of the text.
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Marriage should express the complete image of God. In Genesis 1:27-28, God said, "Let us create man in our likeness and image, and they will subdue the earth." In His image, he created male and female. That is the image of God. Marriage represents unity, truth, and power. When the covenant of marriage is established, dominion is possible. Our relationship with God is like a well-watered marriage. When Adam and Eve walked in oneness, the garden thrived. God is calling the church to revisit the standard of the covenant. When we uphold God’s standard, submission to each other will not be a war but an honor.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
A woman who knows the word of God understands the nature of God and the power of submission. That is because her heart posture is towards her first love, God. She is sensitive to the Spirit of God and trained to appreciate her role as a helpmeet. A helpmeet can help from many different angles. A woman can lead from the front when humans are at their weakest. She is the helper from the back when he has regained strength and momentum. A woman who knows her worth and identity can also lead from beside her husband, cheering him along. Whatever angle she helps from is for the partnership to do the will of God.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Jesus is the best example of love. His love is perfect, and husbands must imitate Christ to love their wives as Christ loves his bride. A man who is submitted to God knows his identity and stands as the pillar of his home. He does not have to demand honor. Honor flows from his head and down to his family. His head is Christ. Therefore, the man learns from Christ and leads his wife with kindness, as she is the weaker vessel. Is this not what the Bible says? Soul fragmentation has caused men to dishonor God and their wives. Men must unlearn demonic culture, stripping them of their priestly robes. They must learn from the Lord so they can stand as Christ does on behalf of his bride before God.
Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
From the Old Testament to the New Testament, God has been speaking in many ways. We have terms like tribes, temple, nations, New Jerusalem, city on the Hill, and the bride of Christ. Every term points to Christ. They all share one common goal: unity and the demonstration of God's manifold presence and power. The church was never meant to be a religion but a nation. When a nation or city government is strong, everything under its rulership thrives. The church, when it comes to unity, has a solid foundation, secure borders, fortified walls, steady beams, and indestructible roofing. The book of Acts gave us a preview of how the church flourishes when everyone has one focus: to carry out the legacy of her King.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
The law of love and submission is flawless. Love is a force that overrules penalties, ends wars, and sets the stage for reconciliation. Therein lies the blueprint for success. The principles that work for our intimacy with the Lord also apply to marriage and ministry. Jesus showed us how to submit to God unto death. His reward reset the original vision God had for creation. The canal mind won’t grasp this concept. Submission is level ground. It holds the structure firm and secure. Revelations 12:13-16 is a prophetic destiny of the church. When the woman is in her rightful place, the earth helps her. There is a synchronization in Christ. There is preservation, provision, and rest that come with being in the right place.
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Jesus Christ sanctifies his bride. He makes her pure. He covers her imperfections and teaches her with his words. The right words play a vital role in the church's rise. The church has been malnourished for quite some time. She has been out in the wilderness eating stale manner, locusts, and wild honey. The enemy pursued her. She has scars to show. The power of the devil is in his mouth. He lies and deceives his way into our lives, but the word of God exposes his deceit. The truth is: he is a defeated foe. The word of God is our offensive and defensive weapon. Without it, the enemy harasses and fools many. Much like with marriage, a couple that does not understand covenant crumbles under pressure when it comes. The Lord sanctifies us; in like manner, husband and wife sanctify each other.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Jesus loves his bride so much that he left divinity for her. He suffered and defeated the dragon for her. The bridegroom cherishes us. The birth, death, and resurrection were the most significant manifestations of love, submission, and power. Jesus’ sacrifice is the most incredible love story ever. There was a demonstration, the performance was undeniable, and it can’t be undone. We are members of the Body of Christ. Our focus is His kingdom. A kingdom that fights itself can’t stand. May this revelation penetrate your natural mind. The Spirit of God gives us life. We are bone of his bone and flesh of His flesh. Those who partake will not be hungry for other gods and strange flesh.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
There is a brokenness that takes over when a people's identity is lost. Within the scriptures are secrets that unlock the mystery hidden within its pages. Words are powerful when we hunger for truth. Creation is waiting for the sons of God to receive the revelation that the dragon has been defeated. We have been reconciled to God through Christ, and the principles and laws that worked in the beginning work today. The unbelievers know it and use the earth's resources for their evil deeds. How much more powerful will the church be if we believe the word of God in its entirety? Isaiah 58:12 It is time to rebuild.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Who would have thought that the mystery of the church is hidden in plain sight in Ephesians 5? This chapter, which has been used to drill couples, is actually pointing us to Christ and His church. The task at hand is reformation. We must get rid of everything that keeps us from walking in authority. The story of Queen Esther gives us much insight into a woman raised from obscurity to save her nation. Will the church take on the charge? Will the church accept the Mordecia that the Lord Jesus has gifted to us? The Holy Spirit is our Mordecia. He is revealing the truth to us. Receive Him or delay the inevitable.
From Genesis to Revelation is a story of a King and His kingdom. The mysteries of the rise and fall of nations lead back to God. Marriage, as we examined here today, expresses the image of God beautifully when in synchronicity. A man who knows his God has vision, and his wife follows. Sin has distorted that image, but the great archetype of the universe left nothing to chance. Jesus willingly laid down his life for his bride. The bride, in turn, executes the vision of her husband, as it is our responsibility to execute the vision of our bridegroom. The Holy Spirit is our helper to accomplish the mission.
Luke 19:13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
God has already done His part. Whatever part you are entrusted with in the reformation of the church, it is yours to guard. Whether you are the hands, legs, or the pinky toe, it is an honor to serve under the most powerful kingdom. You may lead from the front, back, or side; you are valuable to the rebuilding of the army of God. In the end, the will of God is the ultimate goal. God has given us all we need. Marriage was never just about pleasure. The enemy has done a great job of making that the focus. Marriage is about mantle, priesthood, and power.
The message of the Kingdom of God is riddled within the scriptures. Jesus made numerous references to this kingdom. He taught the disciples to pray/declare/prophesy the kingdom of God to come, and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The kingdom of God is at hand. The Kingdom of God is near. The kingdom of God is within you. We, the church, can’t fail when we are in unity. Our enemies thrive while we are at war with each other. As Christ covers here bride, may we in turn cover each other. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. It is mighty. However, if we do not know the guns and how to use them, we will continue to fight each other, causing internal damage. I am just a small part of the body, but together we can do the work of our King until He returns.
