Dear Friends,

The Holy Spirit has been impressing upon me in recent days of the importance of dwelling in the presence of God!  There is nothing that compares with it! 

And, it is so important to spend time in His Word that we might increase our FAITH so that we can accomplish great things in these last days! 

For, we know that "FAITH comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom. 10:17).

It is time for the church to rise up in FAITH and accomplish those things that need to be done so that Jesus can return for His bride.

“IT IS TIME”

When a lady is ready to give birth, she knows that it is time! She has been impregnated with a child; nourished it for 9 months; and has finally borne the pains that precede the birth.

God is speaking to the church today, that it is time for Isaac to come forth! The church has tried an “Ishmael” but that hasn’t worked! Man’s plans and programs have failed to bring forth a true Isaac. So, it is time to let the Spirit of God into our churches!

Isaiah 66:8-9

Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. [9] Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.

What can we do to be able to bring forth?

1. It is time to seek God

2 Chron. 7:14

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.

Hosea 10:12

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

2. It is time to dwell in His presence

Psalm 16:11

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

God’s presence will totally transform our lives. And, without His presence we cannot move forward. God spoke to Moses in response to what he had told Him.

Exodus 33:14-16

And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. [15] And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. [16] For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

Moses had learned that without God’s presence going with them, that they would be no different than anyone else in the earth. We need to experience God’s presence in our personal lives; corporately in our gatherings; and then to carry it to places of need.

One meaning of the word “presence” is: zeal and eager desire.

Luke 10:38-42

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. [39] And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. [40] But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. [41] And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: [42] But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

So, when Jesus was in the home of Mary and Martha, Martha complained that Mary did not help her with the preparation of the meal. But, Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part and that it would not be taken away from her. She had learned the value of sitting in His presence.

The presence of God in scripture has the idea of God’s face being turned toward someone in acceptance and favor. His presence fills us to overflowing.

His presence can come corporately as well. This is the manifested, sovereign presence of God.

2 Chron. 5:11-14

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: [12] Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) [13] It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; [14] So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.

The president of the FGB in Long Beach saw my listing in a pamplet of speakers and he smelled roses! He closed the book and opened it again to my name, and he smelled it again! So, he knew God was telling him that I was to come. When I came, he smelled roses in the restaurant even before I got there!

My intercessor friend and I had gotten up at 4:30 A.M. morning after morning to pray at our large A/G church that the renewal of God’s Spirit would come. And, about a week before it did come, my husband and I smelled the most beautiful fragrance of roses in the foyer of the church! Jesus was filling the church with His presence!

Psalm 140:13

Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

3. It is time to build the work of God

We are not just talking here about building buildings, but the habitation of God is within us.

Ephes. 2:22

In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

In the book of Nehemiah, we find that Jerusalem had broken down walls and their gates had been consumed. This is like the church today. And, this is why revival is coming in a great way. Because Jesus is coming for a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle!

(1) The church today is broken down in many cases

Rev. 3:17

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

(2) Jerusalem lied in waste - the church has wasted much time on man’s ideas, programs and plans.

(3) Nehemiah said, “Come let us build up the walls of Jerusalem! The church needs to build up the walls of: prayer, faith, holiness and the wall of the power of the Holy Spirit.

(4) Nehemiah said, “That we be no more reproach.” When the church is acceptable by the world’s standards, you can be sure that it is a reproach to God.

(5) Nehemiah encouraged them to build.

Neh. 2:18

Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

God has been enforcing the 5-fold ministries back into the church that man took away through the years: apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, and evangelists.

Evangelists are reaching the lost; teachers are giving instruction for spiritual growth; pastors are nurturing the sheep; prophets are speaking forth the words of God to the people; and apostles are going forth to build the work of God, both here and abroad.

We are to do the work of God so that Jesus can return for us. Before He ascended into Heaven, He said to Go into all the world and preach the gospel. He also told them to wait in the upper room to be empowered from on high. They must have His Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives to do God’s work and so do we today.

(6) In building the work of God, there is always opposition. We will always have Sanballats, Tobiaths, and Geshens who will oppose us.

“They laughed us to scorn and despised us!” And, unfortunately, these ones have joined the church today!

(7) In spite of opposition, God will prosper us and we will build

Neh. 2:20

Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

(8) As Nehemiah did, we are rebuilding the waste places today.

Isaiah 61:4

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

God had shown me that we would take over the places that had been used by the enemy. I preached not too long ago a Sun. morning service in a theater at the beach. This is literally that we will take over the waste places for God.

But, spiritually also, we will take over the run down and wasted places. Isaac raised up the former wells of his father, Abraham, that the Philistines (enemy) had ruined. He went from place to place digging wells to restore the blessing of God.

We are restoring that which God intended for the church to have in the church and amongst his people - the freedom of the Holy Spirit with signs, wonders, and miracles following and confirming the word that we preach.

It is time to seek God, to spend time in His presence, and to build the work of God, as never before!

And, FAITH is the key to moving forward in these last days before Jesus comes!

Even so come, Lord Jesus!

 

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