Waiting On God

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isaiah 30:18).

Have you ever noticed that God is not in a hurry? It took forty years for Moses to         receive his commission to lead the people out of Egypt. It took Joseph seventeen years of preparation before he was delivered from slavery and imprisonment. It took Jacob twenty years before he was released from Laban's control. Abraham and Sarah were in their old age when they finally received the son of promise, Isaac; so why isn't God in a hurry?

God called each of these servants to accomplish a certain task in His Kingdom, yet             He was in no hurry to bring their mission into fulfillment until He had accomplished what     He wanted   in them. We are often more focused on outcome than the process that He is accomplishing in our lives each day. When we experience His presence daily, one day we wake up and realize that God has done something special in and through our lives. 

However, the accomplishment is no longer what excites us. It is knowing Him. Through those times, we become more acquainted with His love, grace, and power in our lives. When this happens we are no longer focused on the outcome because the outcome is a result of our walk with Him. It is not the goal of our walk, but the by-product. Hence, when Joseph came to power in Egypt, he probably couldn't have cared less. He had come to a place complete surrender so that he was not anxious about tomorrow and or his circumstances.

This is the lesson for us. We must wait for God's timing and embrace wherever we are in the process. When we find contentment in that place, we begin to experience God in ways we never thought possible.

Have you ever had to wait a long time for something to happen?

In John 1, Jesus delayed in responding to Mary and Martha when they sent word that Lazarus was sick. In fact, He stayed a few more days away and Lazarus died. The situation looked hopeless. Have you been waiting for God to answer some of your prayers, and the answer has not come? The situation may look hopeless from every human standpoint. But realize this: God uses delay to purify and prepare us for the harvest.

"God uses delay as one of His chief tools of refining human character. Those who are attuned to the heartbeat of the Holy Spirit in this hour also recognize that the Spirit is stirring an incredible urgency in the hearts of His people because the hour is so late. The harvest is ripe, and the need for laborers who will minister in the words and works of Jesus is of critical proportions. Jesus is returning very soon and so God is doing a quick work in His people today. He's preparing us quickly. To do a quick work, God is turning up the heat and pressure everywhere. It's happening the world over. Saints and leaders everywhere are testifying to shaking, fire, distress, persecutions, and afflictions. The hour is late, and God's people must be prepared quickly. To do the quickest work, God uses the hottest flame. Nothing purifies us faster than when we have to wait on God." - Bob Sorge

"To do the quickest work, God waits. The greater the wait, the greater the work."

In whatever you are waiting on God for, never give up for you shall see His resurrection power in your life, and every day of waiting shall be worth it. "The Lord responds, 'Wait on me. Look only to Me. Don't look to other human resources. Fix your eyes on Me, and wait for Me." Don't give up your hope. He wants you to believe that he can resurrect any dream, hope or impossibility. Look what He did with Lazarus. And it is all for His glory. So just as He said regarding Lazarus in John 11:44, God is saying to us: "Take off the grave clothes! Believe in me." God will come through for you in His timing. You have every reason to hope because of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

"Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"  (John 11:40).

Waiting on God for Instruction
“Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. 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 25:4-5 KJV)

I spoke of an army on the point of entering an enemy’s territories. Answering the question as to the cause of delay: “Waiting for supplies.” The answer might also have been: “Waiting for instructions”, or “Waiting for orders”. If the last dispatch had not been received, with the final orders of the commander-in-chief, the army dared not move.

Even so in the Christian life: as deep as the need of waiting for supplies, is that of waiting for instructions. See how beautiful this comes out in Psalm 25. 

The writer knew and loved God’s law exceedingly, and meditated in that law day and night.   
But he knew that this was not enough. He knew that for the right spiritual apprehension of the truth, and for the right personal application of it to his own peculiar circumstances, he needed a direct divine teaching.

The psalm has at all times been a very peculiar one, because of its reiterated expression of the felt need of the Divine teaching, and of the childlike confidence that that teaching would be given. Study the psalm until your heart is filled with the two thoughts - the absolute need, the absolute certainty of divine guidance. And with these how entirely it is in this connection that he speaks, “On Thee do I wait all the day”. Waiting for guidance, waiting for instruction, all the day, is a very blessed part of waiting upon God.

The Father in heaven is so interested in His child, and so longs to have his life at every step in His will and His love, that He is willing to keep his guidance entirely in His own hand. He knows so well that we are unable to do what is really holy and heavenly, except as He works it in us, that He means His very demands to become promises of what He will do, in watching over and leading us all the day. Not only in special difficulties and times of perplexity, but in the common course of everyday life, we may count upon Him to teach us His war, and show us His path.

And what is needed in us to receive this guidance? One thing: waiting for instructions, waiting on God. “On Thee do I wait all the day.” We want in our times of prayer to give clear expression to our sense of need, and our faith in His help. We want definitely to become conscious of our ignorance as to what God’s war may be, and the need of the Divine light shining within us, if our way is to be as of the sun, shining more and more unto the perfect day. And we want to wait quietly before God in prayer, until the deep, restful assurance fills us: It will be given - “the meek will He guide in the way”.

“On Thee do I wait all the day.” The special surrender to the Divine guidance in our seasons of prayer must cultivate, and be followed up by, the habitual looking upwards “all the day”. As simple as it is, to one who has eyes, to walk all the day in the light of the sun, so simple and delightful can it become to a soul practised in waiting on God, to walk all the day in the enjoyment of God’s light and leading.

What is needed to help us to such a life is just one thing: the real knowledge and faith of God as the one only source of wisdom and goodness, as ever ready, and longing much to be to us all that we can possibly require - yes! This is the one thing we need. If we but saw our God in His love, if we but believed that He waits to be gracious, that He waits to be our life and to work all in us, - how this waiting on God would become our highest joy, the natural and spontaneous response of our hearts to His great love and glory!

“My soul, wait thou only upon God!”

God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life.

Prayer 
“Father, thank You for what You are doing in my life today. I receive the vision You have for me. I receive Your hope. I look forward with joy to all You have for my future in Jesus name. Amen!”

The Cornerstone for God's Building

Let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified and whom God has raised from the dead, in this name this man stands before you in good health.  This is the stone which was considered as nothing by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.  And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved (Acts 4:12 )

Here we see that the crucified Jesus, the One whom God raised up from the dead, is the cornerstone rejected by the Jewish leaders. If we read these verses carefully, we shall see that salvation is in the resurrected Christ. Furthermore, this salvation is for God's building. The Savior in resurrection is the cornerstone for God's building, which is also in resurrection. By this we see that the Lord's resurrection is not only for our salvation but also for God's building. Both our salvation and God's building are in the resurrected Christ.

When Peter recognized that the Lord was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus immediately said, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church.” The name Peter means “stone.” From that day on, Peter was deeply impressed with the matter of building, and he became the first person after the Lord Jesus to speak about the building. Soon after the day of Pentecost, Peter preached that Christ was not only the Savior but also the cornerstone for God’s building (Acts 4:11). 

Christ is the Stone-Savior, the Savior for salvation and the stone for God’s building.

God’s salvation is for God’s building. In Christianity today people preach Christ mainly as the Savior, not as the stone, because most people have seen the matter of salvation but have missed God’s building. In the past centuries, Christians have seen much concerning God’s salvation. However, not many know about God’s building. Salvation is not God’s goal; God’s building is His goal, and salvation is the process to accomplish the goal. The New Testament is a book of Christ, and it begins with Christ, but once people come to know Christ, He turns them to the building of the church. When Peter said, “You are the Christ,” the Lord Jesus told him that he was a stone, and that He would build His church (which is His Body)

Jesus Is Building His Church
“…upon this Rock, I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18b)

What is the “move” of God? What is God doing today? What is God saying to the Church? Here’s what is happening: Jesus is building His Church. There is no “new” thing to be seen, said, or done: Jesus the Rock is building His Church upon the foundation of Himself. He is faithfully gathering the living stones together and is assembling them into a beautiful structure of gold, silver, and precious stones (I Peter 2:4-9; I Corinthians 3:9-17).

There is nothing wrong with the Church! That is, there is nothing wrong with the Church that Jesus is building, though there is much to be desired among those who are following their own building programs and blueprints, and calling it “church”. Jesus is assembling the saints together into a spiritual house. The problem is that some things we have come to believe to be “church” are not necessarily the Church. Although there is nothing wrong with the Church, everything that is called “Church” is not the “Church”. So what is the Church?

Let us look at this statement: “I will build My Church.” The first thing that strikes us about this thing called “Church” is simply that it is that which Jesus is building upon the foundation of Himself. More specifically, the word “church” is “ecclesia”, the called-out assembly. It consists of those to whom God has chosen to reveal His Son. This revelation of who we are in Christ and who Christ is in us is the key. Without this firm foundation we cannot know, understand or experience being part of the Church. Quite frankly, our religious head knowledge or credal affirmation is of virtually no significance.

Even the repeating of the so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” means nothing apart from the revelation of Jesus Christ. May God give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ (Ephesians 1:17-23). 

Then, our prayer and confession will be based on Spirit and Truth revelation, not flesh and blood, second or third generation “knowing” (Matthew 16:17).

The Church is not built upon the individual Peter, but upon those who have been given revelation. Jesus builds His Church through revelation to individuals, the “whosoevers”. What revelation? The revelation of Himself. This revelation is sufficient to secure us as members of the Church that Jesus is building. When we understand that revelation is the only thing which matters we will cease trying to grow the Church or gain members through better preaching, musical entertainment, handsome facilities, demographic studies, and savvy marketing techniques. Instead, we will simply come to rely upon revelation and trust the Father to reveal the Son through the Spirit Who brings illumination to our heart. 

We are the Temple of God, a habitation for Himself, and this Church grows as a living thing (Ephesians 2:20-22).

Jesus is not building a denomination or founding a movement. The Church is not a denomination, but neither is it a non-denomination. It is not a steeple-house or institutional church, but neither is it a house church. Stated simply, the Church is a spiritual house of living stones, invisible to the naked eye, but clearly seen and known in Spirit. It is not an organization, but an organism. Who are its members? Those who have the revelation of Jesus Christ. Where are these members to be found? They are scattered in all directions, both inside and outside of Organized Religion.

What we have, both within Organized Religion and within the house church “movement”, is a mixture of people. Some of them have the revelation of Jesus Christ, and some do not. We affirm that this revelation is enough to establish the Church, regardless of the outward appearances. Where this revelation exists, THERE is the foundation of the Church that Jesus is building. Since it is an inward revelation, a spiritual seeing and entering into, we cannot classify everyone as being the Church merely because they are within a system of Organized Religion, or even if they have come out of a system. Nor can we include or disqualify them because of where or how they meet. The meeting together is only a small part of the total picture. The question is not whether we are in or out of a human system, or how we meet, or what doctrine we lay emphasis on.

The question is, have we seen the Lord? Do we have the revelation of Jesus Christ? We may be correct in outward appearance but have no inward revelation. Hence, not all who say, “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of God (Matthew 7:21-23). 

We maintain that the Church exists where individuals have the revelation of Jesus Christ: for when this revelation takes hold of a person, Jesus Christ will have the preeminence in all things (Colossians 1:12-19). It is not enough to tell people, “Jesus is the Head of the Church.” We cannot make Him the Head while gathered together and then expect Him to remain in the background while we live out our lives individually. 

Either He is Lord OF all, or He isn’t Lord AT all. When we see Him seated in heavenly places we will gladly and joyfully allow Him to be the Head over all things, not only in the Church, but in our marriage, family, and work. We will at once see that the Church does not belong to us. We will discern that hitherto we have viewed “church” as something that we must attend, build, or grow. With the knowledge that the Church does not belong to us we will relinquish our claims to it and begin to co-labor together with the Lord (I Corinthians 3:9). Then, it is a natural thing to give up our titles and positions and merely concentrate on building one another up in love. 

To give up title and position within a group that has no revelation of Christ is to invite chaos. This is why man feels the need to have some organization and established leadership among the saints, running the steeple-house much like a business with mission statements and top-heavy organizational charts, paving a one-way street of submission to some earthly head – because there is no vision of Christ. It is not more organization or leadership training that we need. 

We only need more revelation, and no man can give us revelation. It is the gift of God. Once obtained, we will with much rejoicing and relief fall into place below One Head and allow Christ to have the preeminence. “The Lord is my Pastor: I shall not lack (Psalms 23:1).”

Since it is the Lord’s Church, and no man’s, and since we are the sheep of His pasture, not man’s, we will stop referring to “Pastor Smith’s church” and “Brother John’s congregation”. The pastor is not the head of the Church. But then, neither is the teacher, evangelist, prophet, or apostle. Apostles do not build the Church: Jesus builds the Church, for it is His Church. All anyone can do is co-labor with Him. 

Anything done apart from Him will fall apart, for there is no other foundation but what has been laid, and that foundation is Christ (I Corinthians 3:11). 

If the foundation is faulty, it matters not one whit how beautiful the structure is. The apostles and prophets lay the foundation of the Church, which is the revelation of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:20), but it is still based upon a revelation that no man can give! The Spirit of Jesus must make Himself known in you (Galatians 1:11-18). Then others will build upon that foundation, which is your personal revelation of Christ in you and you in Christ. But no one at any time may lay claim to the Church, or any particular fellowship, as his or her own. The Church does not belong to a denominational office, church board, circle of elders, founding apostle, or individual pastor. At least, not the Church that Jesus is building.

How do we know if a particular work is the true building of God, part of the genuine Church? All we have to do is see who has the preeminence there. If an apostle or pastor is considered the spiritual head then Christ does not have the preeminence (3 John 9). If the elected deacons are in charge then Christ does not have the preeminence. We may give Him lip service and acknowledge with our mouth that it is His Church, but apart from revelation these are empty words. When the moment of truth comes man will always seize control, demonstrating that Christ does not have the preeminence there, and indeed, probably never had it to begin with.

How then do we know who has the preeminence? We need only look to see who gets the credit for the work. Men talk about “this great denomination” and glory in the works of their hands. Of course, with their lips they draw near to God, but their heart is far from Him. They are only trying to build a name to themselves and reach the heavens. The end result is confusion and vain babbling (Genesis 11:1-9). 

They are not co-laboring with Christ in the building of His Church, they are asking Christ to co-labor with THEM in the building of THEIR church. “We have done many mighty works in Your Name! Behold what manner of stones and buildings these are (Mark 13:1)!” And surely, great things have been accomplished, insofar as organization, wealth, property, and numbers are concerned. 

“But Jesus said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God (Luke 16:15).” 

If Jesus is building His Church as His own possession, then we cannot take the credit for it. We can only marvel at what He does and bow our heads in humble gratitude for allowing us to be a part of it.

The Church that Jesus is building cannot be overcome by the gates of hell. Since it is built upon the revelation of Jesus Christ, nothing can stop it. Why? A sane man will not die for a tradition or a doctrine. But he will gladly lay down his life for the revelation of Jesus Christ. He cannot be disobedient to the heavenly vision (Acts 20:24; 26:19). He has found his Life (Christ) by giving up his life.

Yes, this world system, including man’s religious systems, is passing away: make no mistake (I John 2:15-17). The nations will be judged and will pass through the fire (Psalms 2). The earth will decay and finally dissolve altogether, consumed in the fire; the heaven’s will melt with a fervent heat (2 Peter 3:7-14). The outward things are fading, perishing, evolving downward in a state of entropy. Look around you, saint of God. See the steeple-house? It will not remain for long. See the cathedral? It too shall pass. See the oceans? One day they will be no more. Look at the mountains – they will all be removed. See the cities? They will be destroyed. Heaven and earth will pass away.

Today's Thoughts
The Church that Jesus is building will be the only thing which remains. 
The visible will make way for the invisible, the temporal will give way to the eternal, mortal will put on immortality (I Corinthians 15). A new heavens and a new earth will be made and the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ, the Church, will be completed (Revelation 21). We are that Building of God, built upon the revelatory foundation of Jesus brought by the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).

We are the Temple of God, therefore we need no earthly temple, we seek no earthly kingdom, and we expect no earthly reward (I Corinthians 3:16,17). We look for a City whose Builder and Maker is God, and we are that City (Hebrews 11:10).

Jesus is building His Church!

Today's Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, 
We thank You for the church that Jesus is building,
Thank You for calling each of us to serve Your Kingdom through this wonderful church. Thank You for using our individual gifts and talents to manifest Your Kingdom here on earth as it already is in heaven. Lord, we are thankful for the freedom to worship You, our God.

Thank You for Your bountiful blessings. Thank You for increasing Your presence, power, anointing, and abundance in our Church Family. You are great and greatly to be praised. You are to be feared above all gods. The earth is Yours and everything in it; the world and all its people belong to You. You laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.

Lord, no pagan god is like You! None can do what You do. Loving Father, we declare that we will love You with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. As a Church Family, we confess that we will love one another, as ourselves. As Your children, we proclaim that we have all put on Christ, like putting on new clothes and we will walk in unity and love with one another.

It is because of this love that we exhibit for each other that people will know that we are Your disciples. Your Word tells us that if we love You, we must also love our Christian brothers and sisters, too. Therefore, we declare that we will not look out only for our own interests, but we take an interest in each other’s needs. We declare that we will live in harmony with each other and resist division. We will be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

We declare that as a Church Family we will turn away from evil, and do good; we will search for peace and work to maintain it. We confess that we will encourage and build each other up. Above all things, we decree that we will put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

In Jesus mighty and glorious name, this we pray, Amen!